Drives and automation

Brazilian oil major, Petrobras, has just launched P-57, a super FPSO- (floating production, storage, and offloading) type platform. Automation is ensured by MV Panels, LV Panels, MCCs and Medium and Low Voltage Dry-Type Transformers, among other surveillance and safety subsystems.

Petrobas expects to commence oil production at Parque das Baleias – in the north of the Campos Basin, Brazil – in late November, The FPSO platform P-57 will be anchored at a depth of 1260 meters, and be capable of processing up to 180,000 barrels of oil and 2 million cubic meters of gas per day.

As a major supplier of control and automation systems and equipment to Petrobras, WEG products feature highly on P-57. The WEG package supplied for P-57 included Medium Voltage Panels, Low Voltage Panels, MCCs (Motor Control Centers) and Medium and Low Voltage Dry-Type Transformers, among other surveillance and safety subsystems.

These products were supplied to Single Buoy Moorings (SBM), the company responsible for the engineering, supply and building of P-57. They were sent to the shipyard in Singapore where the ship was adapted, and where the majority of products supplied were integrated into the platform.
“SBM and WEG working together was not just a partnership; it was a joint effort to achieve one common objective. P-57 was a large and complex project with a tight schedule and the two companies stood by each other maintaining excellent communication between them and with Petrobras,” said Jean-François Labrunie, FPSO P-57 - Package Manager of SBM.

In addition to the products issued to SBM, WEG also provided a total of 164 motors for use on P-57. These were supplied to several OEMs that worked directly with WEG. Motors for Gas Compressors were sold to MAN Turbo, Switzerland; Motors for Water Pumps were sold to SULZER, Brazil; and Motors for General Applications were sold to KSB Brazil. All products were certified by ABS and, when required, products were also certified for applications in classified areas according to Brazilian and international standards.

“Petrobras’ practice is to work together with the supplier because each project is a new challenge, an obstacle to overcome: we cannot accomplish everything by ourselves,” said Claudio Jacyntho, Sector Manager of Petrobras. “On P-57, where the national content is very high, having local supply and support has become a determining factor. And WEG is not only a Brazilian company; it is an impressive company with a true global presence, allying large size with engineering capability, quality and environmental responsibility. These are all very positive factors that we take into account.”

In addition to its comprehensive ATEX LV motor range, WEG is also a primary front line supplier to PETROBRAS of explosion- proof medium and high voltage motors for Oil and Gas applications. Designed in conjunction with the oil industry, the “H” (HV) and “M” (MV) line motors deliver outstanding performance, reliability and safety in the most arduous operating environments worldwide. They combine many years of experience with a wide operating range, up to 20MW, and all hazardous area classifications in accordance with the latest ATEX directives Utilised on many applications including water injection, multi- stage gas compression and oil pipeline duties, the M-Line is WEG’s cornerstone product for the Oil & Gas market. Designed for larger applications in the output range up to 20MW, the M-Line range utilises a box frame construction that is ideally suited to Ex.p. and pre-start purged Ex.n. applications for zone 1 and zone 2 areas having low leakage rates. The internal dispersement pipes within the box frame ensure an efficient and quick purge cycle thus keeping the cost of providing purging air/ inert gas to a minimum and, more importantly, providing quick start up times for operators.

For smaller applications, WEG’s “H”-Line range offers robustness of construction and is available in safe area, Ex n and Ex e designs. The “H” Line motors cater for medium voltage applications in the range up to 3.15MW and voltages up to 6,600V (50 or 60Hz). Manufactured in IEC frame sizes from 315 to 630, they are compact and extremely reliable machines with sturdy cast-iron frames and high levels of resistance to corrosion.