RE: Question28 May 2020 13:38
I have a hard time listening to the stories about ESP commissioning. Fact is, every set I have ever seen, the VSD (variable speed drive) units and the pumps are always fully tested before being crated and sent off to the job site. You cannot afford to run the risk of major equipment design or quality issues when the kit arrives off shore. The logistics of addressing any serious issues when the units are offshore and subsea means we do everything possible to ensure trouble free start up off shore. Ofcourse, the actual conditions off shore are different to any on shore testing. But fundamentally, the kit is never sent off shore without us being 100% certain it's going to work. Off shore set up and commissioning, whilst extremely important to do it safely, isn't the huge technical issue some would have us believe. It simply isn't. Full stop. Why haven't they started them up yet then? Presumably, the wells have been flowed quite satsfactorily against chokes flowing under natural well pressure. I guess to date, they haven't needed them.