Sulzer Partners with TechnipFMC for Petrobras CO2 Pump Solutions

TechnipFMC plc is collaborating with Sulzer Flow Equipment to develop new subsea carbon dioxide (CO2) pump solutions.

TechnipFMC is developing and testing supercritical CO2 pumps for Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), specifically for the Brazilian energy major’s HISEP technology. Sulzer said in a news release that it has been collaborating with TechnipFMC for the pumps since 2017.

Following the staged development and validation of a prototype, Sulzer is supplying three customized 6-megawatt high-pressure centrifugal (HPcp) pumps for Petrobras’ planned HISEP pilot project in the Brazilian pre-salt oil region. The HISEP technology is supported by Petrobras and its partners in the Libra Consortium. Upon delivery, the pumps will be tested and validated to the highest standards in a purpose-built laboratory at the Federal University of Itajuba, according to the release.

Petrobras’ high-pressure separation technology, HISEP, enables the separation of CO2-rich natural gas from oil at the seabed. The process has the potential to provide significant gains in energy efficiency and productivity to floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels while reducing costs and emissions, the release stated.

Currently, the associated rich CO2 gas processed on FPSOs at topside needs to be treated and recompressed through large, energy-intensive compressors. While this allows the CO2 gas to be reinjected into the reservoir, it is highly energy-intensive.

Sulzer said the new pump technology will support and enable the gas stream to be separated and pumped immediately back into the reservoir at the seabed, 6561.7 feet (2000 meters) below the water line, allowing FPSOs to improve their efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint, further enhancing production.

“We are excited to work with TechnipFMC and Petrobras to bring this remarkable new technology to life,” Sulzer Head of the Flow Equipment Energy and Infrastructure Business Unit Jonathan Lloyd said.

“By avoiding the need to process CO2 on the FPSO, this collaboration allows significant energy efficiency and topside space advantages. The project underscores Sulzer’s long-term heritage and commitment to innovation, cementing it as a leader in new pump technology, as well as its value in close partnerships to drive cleaner, more efficient and profitable growth,” Lloyd remarked.

“With the HISEP project, we will again demonstrate how our leadership in subsea processing, technology innovation, and integrated solutions can deliver real and sustainable benefits to our partners,” Luana Duffe, Executive Vice President for New Energy at TechnipFMC, said. “Sulzer is an expert in market-leading pump solutions for the industry’s most demanding processes and is a go-to partner for the Mero 3 HISEP® project. This project has truly been a shared journey of innovation for all of us”.

Petrobras’ HISEP project will be deployed at the Mero 3 development in the Brazilian pre-salt oil region, where fields typically contain a 50/50 mix of oil and CO2-rich gas. Petrobras operates the Mero unitized field with a 38.6 percent stake. Its consortium partners are Shell Brasil, with a 19.3 percent stake; TotalEnergies, with 19.3 percent; CNOOC with 9.65 percent; CNPC with 9.65 percent; and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. with 3.5 percent.

Mero is the third largest field in Brazil in terms of volume of oil in place, behind only Tupi and Búzios, also located in the pre-salt Santos Basin. In addition to the Duque de Caixas FPSO, Petrobras said it plans to put another unit into operation in Mero in 2025.

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