RUYA SUBSEA CABLE PROJECT

• Project Overview

The Al-Shaheen field is Qatar’s largest oil field. It is a conventional oil field (60-70m water depth) situated offshore in Qatar approximately 70km north-north-east of Ras Laffan. The field overlays the giant pre-Khuff gas field known as the.

Discovered in 1982, Al-Shaheen is one of the world’s largest carbonate fields with producing reservoirs found mainly in the Cretaceous period and some prospects in both the Cretaceous and Late Jurassic periods. It has been producing since December 1994.

The recovery mechanism was based first on natural depletion followed by pressure support through water injection. Recovery using Gas Injection (GI) and Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) has been under pilot trial since 2010.

Oil is produced from seven different reservoirs with the three major contributors being the Shuaiba, Kharaib and Nahr Umr formations. In-place volumes are estimated to be 30 to 40Gb. Al-Shaheen oil averages 30° API; gas from the gas cap contains ~0.4% H2S and 3% CO2.

Thirty-three (33) platforms, including five production hubs, have been installed in Al-Shaheen field. These are spread over nine different locations across the field, A to I. Crude is exported by tanker via tandem offloading from two Floating Storage and Offloading units (FSOs) which are permanently moored in the field to two of three single point moorings(SPMs).

Gas is gathered in a gas grid pipeline system and exported via the North Field Alpha facilities. Cleaned-up produced water is currently injected (disposal) into the Umm Er-Radhuma (UER) formation with some limited disposal to sea due to current capacity constraints. Al-Shaheen reached a production plateau of 300kb/d in 2007 and is still producing at this rate today. In December 2016, the total oil produced from Al-Shaheen was 1.7Gbbl.

• Customer background and challenges

The field has been developed through several phases and further development phases are envisaged by North Oil Company (NOC), the operator of Al-Shaheen concession.

Phase 2 is currently ongoing with three batches where Batch 1 (3 WHPs) has been installed and production is ongoing; Batch 2 (2 WHPs) facilities have been installed and project close out activities are ongoing; and Batch 3 (CPP + 2 WHPs) is in EPC phase, planned for installation in 2023. In parallel, Phase 2 also includes some pipeline de-bottlenecking scope. With the Phase 2 batches, the number of facilities in Al Shaheen will become forty-two (42) platforms installed. NOC, in an effort to improve the field production capacity, has initiated a field development planned for Al Shaheen known as the Ruya project.

The principal objectives of the Al Shaheen Ruya field development are:

• Accelerate production to reach robust 300 kbbls/d as soon as possible.
• Maintain target 300 kbbls/d yearly average plateau.
• Ensure the initial development step provides a plateau extension of circa five (5) years.

Core Challenges:

——Extremely harsh environment: Severe corrosive Marine environment far from land, high protection requirements for explosion-proof high-pressure box, high voltage 11KV, explosion-proof environment of IIB T3 Ex-eb.

——Complexly standard system: It needs to meet the requirements of NOC standards, international IEC standards, the owner’s technical specification, and re-certification is required simultaneously.

——The product needs to meet various high-voltage standards: In addition to meet the relevant electrical clearance and creepage distance requirements of the conventional IEC60079-7, it also needs to meet the relevant high-voltage standards proposed by the owner, such as DL/T 404, etc.

——The requirements for constant temperature and humidity inside high-voltage submarine cable boxes are extremely high to prevent high-voltage ionization/discharge caused by the high-humidity and hot Marine environment

——Delivery and After-Sales Service: The project’s remote location poses significant challenges for logistics timeliness, on-site technical guidance, and long-term spare parts supply capabilities.

• OurSolution

1. Explosion-proof and Anti-corrosion protection solutions for Extreme Marine Environments
2. Materials and Structural design

——Made of 316L super stainless steel with surface treatment technology, it can withstand the strong corrosion of salt spray and seawater, ensuring a corrosion-resistant service life of over 20 years.

——The explosion-proof structure is designed in accordance with the IIB T3 Ex-eb standard, adopting an increased safety explosion-proof structure. The enclosure protection grade reaches IP66, preventing seawater intrusion and dust accumulation.

——For 11KV high voltage, the internal insulating components adopt epoxy resin vacuum casting technology to enhance the insulation strength.

2. Environmental adaptability test

——Simulate the Marine salt spray environment and conduct a 1000-hour neutral salt spray test (GB/T 10125); Simulate extreme humidity and conduct constant damp heat tests (95%RH, 40℃, 168 hours) to verify the anti-corrosion and insulation performance.

1. Multi-standard System Integration and Certification Scheme
2. Standard integrated design

——Establish a cross-standard technical team to sort out the differences among the NOC standards, IEC 60079 series, and the owner’s technical specification, and incorporate the strictest provisions into the design input (such as taking the maximum values of each standard for electrical clearance and creepage distance).

——For re-certification, communicate with international certification bodies in advance, conduct pre-certification reviews, prepare complete design documents and test reports, and shorten the certification cycle.

1. High-pressure Constant Temperature and Humidity Control Solutions
2. Active temperature control system

——Explosion-proof electric heaters are selected, combined with high-precision explosion-proof temperature sensors, to control the internal environment at 20±5℃.

2. Sealing and monitoring

——The box body is sealed with silicone sealing strips and combined with an IP66 waterproof design to prevent the intrusion of outside humid and hot air. An internal pressure balancing valve (explosion-proof breather valve) is installed to prevent seal failure caused by the pressure difference between the inside and outside.

• Implementation Process &Timeline

Step 1: WAROM Technical Service Engineers will have in-depth communication with the general contractor to confirm the technical parameters such as explosion-proof grade and protection grade in the early stage, and initially complete the drawing design and BOM matching.

Step 2: Product customization, production and certification confirmation: Customized production is carried out based on orders, with a focus on ensuring that electrical clearances, anti-corrosion performance of product surfaces, etc. comply with specifications. Simultaneously submit the technical design plans of all products to users for approval.

Step 3: FAT, batch delivery and logistics management, and complete box documents (packing list, certificate of conformity, instruction manual and technical passport) are provided.

• Results & Data Highlights

Quality and Reliability Achievements:

——Energy transmission benefits: Enhanced annual transmission capacity, reduced cost per kilowatt-hour, and investment savings compared to traditional solutions.

——Environmental protection and emission reduction data: Annual consumption of standard coal replacement, carbon dioxide reduction, sulfur dioxide/nitrogen oxide reduction;

——Industrial and regional value: Contribution to the increase in the number of upstream and downstream jobs, the domestic production rate of core components, and support for the upgrading of regional power grids.

——Industry status: It is the first high-voltage submarine cable project of Huarong, filling the industry gap in technology.

——Strategic significance: The supporting role in the development of deep-sea wind power and the construction of the Marine energy Internet, as well as the contribution to national energy security and the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

• Customer Feedback

The Electrical Lead for the SIBUR AGCC Project stated: “WAROM is our reliable partner. They provide not only top-tier products but also comprehensive solutions. Their products fully meet our stringent explosion-proof and climatic requirements, come with complete certifications, and are delivered on time. Their exceptional performance in HV environments particularly demonstrates the dependable quality of their products.” The EPC procurement manager also commented: “WAROM demonstrates the international competitiveness of China’s high-end manufacturing. Their comprehensive product portfolio and professional technical support services have provided strong assurance for the smooth progress of our project.”

• Lessons & Insights

——Proactive product certification is key to international market access: Preemptively securing authoritative certifications like EAC and IECEx for target markets serves as the “passport” for participating in high-end international projects.

——Deep understanding of operating conditions enables precise solutions: Only by fully grasping a project’s environmental characteristics (e.g., extreme cold), process hazards, and local regulations can we deliver truly tailored explosion-proof solutions not mere product replacements.

——A comprehensive product portfolio builds core competitiveness: Offering a full range of solutions covering lighting, control, wiring, and more enables one-stop service for customers, significantly reducing their procurement and management costs while creating strong competitive advantages.

——Evolving from “product supplier” to “solution partner”: By delivering full-value-chain services—including pre-project design support, mid-project logistics assurance, and post-project on-site services—we forge deep partnerships with users and EPC contractors, establishing long-term trust relationships.