All-electric subsea production systems have been around since the late nineties. Using a rigid product development and qualification program, various technologies have been already developed, installed, and deployed on subsea projects. This technology brings many advantages to the industry by enabling long tie-backs, eliminating hydraulics from the seabed, mitigating HSE risk through zero discharge, and saving costs. Operational advantages include realtime controls and more data for condition monitoring.

In the current market, evaluating technologies for projects comes down to cost. All-electric systems offer savings not only in capex but opex, which is, more often than not, overlooked. Opex advantages include the removal of hydraulics and the reduced maintenance required during the life of the field. Furthermore, the additional data for health and condition monitoring enables the system to have smarter maintenance programs in place. Finally, because of the built-in redundancy of the all-electric system, any required intervention for electrical purposes can potentially wait for a planned intervention instead.

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the cost savings that all-electric systems bring to subsea operations, with a greater focus on the overshadowed opex. The intent is to showcase the cost impacts beyond capex as well as how these systems can impact projects throughout the life of the field.