Technip was contracted by Petrobras to carry out the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the export riser linking the DNV-classed P-52 semi-submersible floating production unit (FPU) with PRA-1, a fixed platform. Technip appointed DNV for third-party verification of the detailed design and pre-commissioning certification, according to Brazilian regulations, of the riser and the flowline.

P-52 is located at a water depth of 1,800 m in the Roncador field in the Campos Basin, off the coast of Brazil, and is linked to a fixed platform, PRA-1, located at a water depth of 100 m. The export riser is a free-standing hybrid riser which will connect P-52 to the 18-inch, approximately 56-km-long subsea oil export pipeline system.

The riser consists of a vertical steel pipe tensioned by near-surface buoyancy with a flexible jumper connecting the top of the riser to the FPU. Using a novel concept, this is an important and challenging task for DNV, which always aims to be ahead of its competitors in the development of new technology.

Date: 25 August 2006