Programme details

Subsea Processing gives engineers permanent technical challenges due to the comprehensive specifications which often stretch the proven limits of technology. It is particularly true for pumps that have to boost a multiphase effluent, because they must, often at the same time, be tolerant to free gas, able to handle very viscous, generate a high P, and be efficient.
The Pazflor project decided to base the development on full utilization of subsea pumps. This paper presents the state of the art of the pumps that are designed to be installed on the sea floor. It further describes why existing technology could not match the technical requirements for the Pazflor project. It finally presents the pump specifically developed for this world first full field’s development application, the so called “Hybrid Pump”, with the description of the associated qualification program and results.