Repsol/YPF SA awarded INTEC Engineering de Argentina SRL a contract for performing a feasibility study for the expansion and refurbishment of the existing Puerto Rosales to La Plata crude oil pipeline system. The study objective is to establish optimum operation conditions based on future pipeline throughput increases. The existing pipeline system consists of a 600 km long, 32 inch diameter pipeline designed for different mixed crude oil batches of 43,000 m3/day. Repsol/YPF's intention is the largest company in Argentina and a leader in the oil and gas industry in Latin America. They are also a major company in the international oil and gas sector. Repsol/YPF selected INTEC to perform this study to improve the operations of one of the most important pipelines in their transportation system. This will enable Repsol/YPF to increase throughput and consolidate their presence in the industry as other companies consider further investments in the region.

The scope of work performed by INTEC Argentina included:

• Hydraulic analysis of the pipeline system based on maximum throughput forecasts, define locations for new pumping stations and determine eventual upgrade requirements for existing pumping facilities.
• Study of hydraulic transient surge and its effect on the pipeline network as a consequence of emergency valve shutdown within the system.
• Technical and economic evaluation of using gas-fuelled turbine pumps versus electric pumps for new pumping stations and upgrading of existing facilities.
• Field survey of existing facilities to identify power supply alternatives for new installations (either high pressure gas pipelines for the turbines or overhead high voltage power lines for electric motors).

INTEC developed a hydraulic model to determine the locations for future pump stations for the maximum throughput of 65,000 m3/day and adopting a MAOP (line pipe corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, etc.) where also considered when establishing basic design criteria. With the results of the hydraulic model, nominal power requirements for the pumping stations were derived. The analyses performed by INTEC included the development of eight hydraulic models with simulations of three and four different crude oil batches being transported simultaneously.

Automatic Operation Recommended

The proposed expansion for the pipeline system including new pump stations and increased capacity of existing facilities was favorable from an investment point of view, but less favorable considering cost of energy required for the operation of the overall pipeline system. INTEC recommended automatic operation of the pumping stations with variable speed pumps to program and regulate discharge pressure as a function of the batch characteristics, size and type, optimizing energy consumption and thereby improving overall pipeline transportation efficiency.

Effective 1 March 2000, Martin A. Bruins has been appointed to the position of General Manager of INTEC Engineering BV in Delft, The Netherlands. Mr. Bruins has been with INTEC since early 1997. Prior to joining INTEC, he was with Unocal Netherlands for ten years. INTEC Engineering BV is part of the international INTEC group of companies, which provide engineering and project management services for the offshore oil and gas industry with an emphasis on deepwater field developments.

So how do we deal with this? By applying our expertise more effectively over a greater number of people and projects. This is in conflict with the desire of many of our Clients to have only the most capable and experienced staff assigned to their projects. Therefore, we need to rely more heavily on systems and processes that disseminate the relevant information to those who need it in the most efficient way. It also requires that our Clients accept the fact that our best people cannot easily be cloned, but that the closest we can get to that is by allowing them to work in mixed teams and share their knowledge with other less experienced colleagues.

I foresee another major growth period over the next several years, and if all the new projects being talked about are actually initiated, the rate of offshore development may very well become resource-constrained. Then it will have become everybody's problem. At INTEC we are trying to anticipate this by improving the accessibility and flow of business information, and by encouraging our staff to become more versatile. Our knowledge assets comprise three areas, namely external structure (requirements and information provided by Clients and other external sources); internal structure (our databases, engineering processes and project management systems), and the individual competence of our staff. Being good in each of these areas will give good results. Excellence, however, comes only from effectively combining all these knowledge assets. Then we will use our skills and best practices, using the best possible information and aiming straight for what the Client needs. If there is going to be a shortage of qualified people in our industry, it would at least allow us to get more done with the assets we have.

W. J. Timmermans
President

Since the summer of 1997, INTEC engineers under the direction of Project Manager Joe Padilla have been involved in a project supply 2 MW of power to subsea pumps in 1700 ft of water, on behalf of Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc. (MEGI). Two multiphase subsea pumps, fitted on a Pig Loop Module (PLM), will be installed and commissioned this summer on the Topacio satellite well in the Mobil Zafiro Field 40 miles offshore Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. INTEC engineer Dave Phillips was responsible for the supervision and approval of the design, manufacture and component testing of the electrical power and control system.

ROV to Connect Jumpers in African Depths

The main components of the power supply system are a Pump Control Building (PCB), which was installed on the FPSO Zafiro Producer in January 1999, and an 8.3 km long 12kV electric power/hydraulic umbilical connected to a subsea transformer unit (2 x 1600kVA) at Topacio, also installed in January 1999. Two 1MW, 50 m long electric/hydraulic jumpers will be connected by ROV between the two subsea pumps and their respective subsea transformers by utilizing wet mateable connectors.

Scandinavian Assembly - New Technology

The PCB, which was assembled in Norway, houses the two Variable Speed Drive (VSD) systems, a hydraulic power unit, a programmable logic controller panel, HVAC system and fire and gas system. On the roof of the PCB is one 3050kVA common step down transformer (4160/690V) and two 1600kVA step up transformers (690/12177V). These transformers and the VSD's were manufactured in Finland, along with the two 1600kVA subsea transformers (11000/1000V). Dave Phillips supervised and approved the design of this new technology as well as attending and approving the component qualification and factory acceptance tests.

Extensive System Integration Testing (SIT) took place in the fall of 1998 when all system components (except the power cable, which was replaced by a cable model) were assembled in a covered, floodable dock in Norway. The wet testing included the use of a Magnum ROV to verify the subsea operations. Dave and Ray Wylde were members of the Mobil project team for the supervision and approval of these tests.

INTEC Manages Installation for Mobil

The 8.3 km long 12kV power cable, which was manufactured in Norway, is 136 mm in diameter and consists of six 70 mm2 electrical conductors and three 3000 psi hydraulic hoses for supplying barrier fluid and lip seal oil to the subsea pumps.

INTEC to Supervise Hook up and Commissioning

Hook up and commissioning of the PCB will take place on the FPSO Zafiro Producer in April this year, followed by installation of the subsea pumps and commissioning of the completed system in June. Ray and Dave will be on the FPSO to supervise this work on behalf of MEGI.

Basim Mekha and Saadat Mirza of INTEC Engineering corroborated with Peter Lang of British-Borneo Exploration on a paper entitled "An Assessment of Fatigue Damage for a Deepwater Steel Catenary Riser" which they presented at the 19th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering held February 14 through 17, 2000 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also participating were Andre Nogueira, Glenn Lanan and Tom Even of INTEC Engineering, speaking on "Northstar Development Project Pipelines Description and Environmental Loadings", produced by Glenn Lanan, Andre Nogueira and Brian McShane of INTEC Engineering with John Ennis of BP Exploration (Alaska).

Williem Timmermans, INTEC President, presented a paper entitled "The Past and Future of Offshore Pipelines - The Past 30 Years" at IBC's 23rd Annual Offshore Pipeline Technology Conference held in Oslo, Norway on February 28 and 29, 2000.

Brian McShane was a keynote speaker along with Les Owen of BP Amoco, in a session entitled "Northstar Offshore Arctic Pipeline - Limit State Design and Construction Update" for the 1st BP Amoco Pipeline Forum held in The Woodlands, Texas from February 27 through March 1, 2000.

INTEC participated in the 3rd Annual Deepwater Pipeline and Riser Technology Conference and Exhibition held in Houston, Texas from March 7 through March 9, 2000. Brian McShane and Chris Keevill presented a paper entitled "Getting the Risers Right for Deepwater Field Developments". Basim Mekha and Saadat Mirza presented the paper "Dynamic Analysis and Simulation of Risers: Review and Assessment of Current Methods". Tom Choate and Steve Cochran conducted a one-day Flow Assurance and Operability Course. David McKeehan and Chris Tam were chairman and keynote speakers for two technical sessions.

These papers are available on the INTEC Engineering website found at http://www.intec-hou.com/news/technical/

Because of his always cheerful, can-do attitude, Ron Tucker's co-workers were instantly delighted with him when he started working in the INTEC Houston office in 1994. Since that first day, Ron has built successful relationships with INTEC clients by providing an understanding of customer technical, quality and commercial expectations. Ron is a mechanical engineer and his experience in offshore design ranges from concept development to construction engineering for subsea and pipeline systems.

Until his recent return to Houston, Ron was working in the INTEC Delft office. While in Delft, Ron performed detailed research consisting of line pipe collapse tests for the Blue Stream Pipeline Project and high level studies of different deepwater field development concepts.
Ron has also spent time in the INTEC Kuala Lumpur office working on several long distance large diameter pipeline projects. His travels include Southeast Asia, Turkey, Russia, Italy and other European countries. Ron's willingness to travel and tackle challenging work assignments has greatly benefited Ron and INTEC. At this time, he is nearing completion of his Professional Engineering certification.

Ron's hobbies include puzzles, swimming and playing the French horn. Since being in The Netherlands, he has added skiing, ice skating and Tai-Bo to the list. When you ask Ron what is his favorite thing about The Netherlands, you can be sure the answer is "Catrine". Yes, Ron met the future Mrs! A June wedding will take place in Holland. Ron's relatives (from Houston) are very excited and very much looking forward to their trip to Holland for this special occasion. Ron and Catrine will begin their honeymoon in New York City for the ultimate in dining and shopping and then to St. Maarten for total relaxation. All of us who know Ron wish him and Catrine the very best in their future together.

On October 22, 1999, Spirit 76 renewed its traditional Vendor Appreciation Golf Tournament at New Iberia's Squirrel Run Golf Course in Louisiana. Thirty-six 4-man teams consisting of 108 vendors and service providers, and thirty-six Spirit 76 employees competed in the shotgun "Par is Your Partner" Florida Scramble Event.

INTEC Marketing Coordinator Paul Kronfield represented INTEC on the team finishing in 4th place. Paul's teammates were Albert Alleman of Spirit 76, Bill Cook of RB Falcon and Wayne Peddy of Tetra. The Spirit 76/INTEC/RB Falcon/Tetra team shot an impressive 67 for the 18-hole course.

By chance and good fortune, Paul Kronfield's drive on the last hole landed closest to the fairway range marker, winning him a gift certificate for lunch at one of Lafayette's top restaurants. We understand Paul is arranging a lunch in Lafayette with one of our valued Spirit 76 customers. Thank you Spirit 76, we appreciate you too!

INTEC Engineering, Inc. was recently awarded a conceptual engineering study by Ocean Energy for a Gulf of Mexico deepwater field development. Ocean Energy is evaluating various development concepts for the field to establish field economics prior to drilling the first exploratory well. Development concepts include subsea tie-backs to existing infrastructure and a stand alone floating production system. Teri Thyssen is coordinating the INTEC team effort.