Vito Phase II Water Injection Development
Challenge
Our client required a solution to support installation of a new injection riser as part of an infrastructure conversion project on a live platform. Located in the Gulf of America, the Vito Phase II water injection development is a subsea tieback to the Vito host platform, designed to enhance field performance by converting existing subsea infrastructure from production to water injection.
Following our involvement in the original hook-up and commissioning campaign back in 2022, where we engineered a turnkey solution to safely complete the pull-in of the steel catenary risers and dynamic umbilical, Ashtead Technology was contracted to provide further solutions for Phase II.
Since 2022, the platform has undergone several modifications which have significantly altered its layout. The Phase II project required careful execution planning with our client, including an assessment of existing frameworks to assess whether these could be used, as well as the added complexity of executing operations on a live platform.
Solution
Our expert engineering team developed a cost and timesaving solution that involved re-purposing and modifying the original equipment frameworks to allow integration with our equipment and alignment with the platform’s updated configuration. Significant engineering planning was applied to reposition equipment on the platform in response to the revised layout and wire departure angles were recalculated to ensure safe load paths and effective operations.
Following completion of execution preparation and assurance in collaboration with the client, Ashtead Technology supplied a 550Te linear winch package for the main injection riser pull, providing the high load capacity and control required for the operation.
To enable precise alignment of the riser pull head with the hang-off porch, we also supplied steering winches, including a 144Te winch on the west of the platform and a 75Te winch to the north. A 12.5Te dive support winch was also included to facilitate subsea activities during the installation of the static riser spool.
A dedicated project management team, working alongside experienced offshore personnel, ensured the installation was executed safely from planning through to completion.
This project, involving our UK and US teams, enabled efficient preparation, testing and deployment of equipment to meet the project schedule.
Results and impact
- The project was successfully planned and executed on a live platform, enabling the installation of the water injection riser system within the project schedule.
- As we were able to utilise existing installation frameworks instead of major rebuild work, this generated significant time and cost savings for the client.
- Our combined expertise and integrated capabilities enabled us to provide in-house designed, engineered and manufactured solutions, reducing equipment risk and ensuring all systems worked together seamlessly, despite the challenges presented by the platform modifications.
- Our OEM packaged winch solutions enabled precise positioning and accurate tension control throughout the riser installation, contributing to safe and efficient operations.