Saudi Aramco has achieved a landmark by energizing its largest Tie-in Platform with a 46 km, 3-core 230 kV submarine composite cable, the longest of its kind.
The Tie-in Platform, named “TP-20,” lies in the world’s largest offshore field, Safaniya, and that energizing it was the first phase of long-term plans to upgrade the Safaniya offshore field, referred to as the Safaniya Master Plan. The TP-20 platform, designed to be the main crude oil gathering and power supply hub for North Safaniya offshore field, is designed to provide 152 megawatts (MW) of electric power via the composite cable (power and fiber) from a Saudi electricity company.
“This cable is the longest of its kind in the world and was installed as a single piece without a field splice,” the release said. “The laying of the submarine cable was an extremely critical and complex operation. (It) was transported from the manufacturer on a single vessel (…) with the help of a shallow water cable laying barge, the cable was installed from onshore to offshore TP-20.”
The complete 230 kV electrical substation weight tops 6,000 metric tons. Subsequent to the energization of TP-20, TP-18 and the nine wellhead platforms in central Safaniya field were also successfully energized under the same project.
