Petroleos Brasileiro SA plans to install the first of a new generation of wet Christmas trees in April at the 3 Marimba well in 400 m of water in the Campos basin off Rio de Janeiro.
The tree is designed to operate in water as deep as 1,000 ft, but the 3 Marimba installation will afford Petrobras an opportunity to test in relatively shallow water the equipment used to lower the tree to the seabed.
The tree, 9.2 m long and weighing 22 tons, is to be lowered from a dynamically positioned vessel by means of a riser and seated on the wellhead.
Technicians will use a television camera mounted on a remotely operated vehicle to monitor descent and installation.
The hydraulic tree can be manipulated remotely or by robots and lowered without divers or steel cables. It incorporates the latest generation sealing technologies.
Petrobras took delivery of the tree last Dec. 4. It is the first of 10 wet, guidelineless trees designed, developed, and manufactured by CBV Industria Mecanica SA, Rio de Janeiro, under a $15 million contract signed in December 1987.
Petrobras ordered the trees mainly for commercial development of giant Marlim and Albacora fields (see map, OGJ, Mar. 13, 1989, p. 26).
Seven to 10 Marlim field wells are expected to go on production by 1991 in 550-700 m of water.
Oil and gas produced through the trees will move through flexible lines to an off shore processing platform, piped to an onshore gathering station, or carried to shore by tanker.
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