Development of a downhole wet-mateable Power Connector for the worlds first wireline retrievable ESP system

Stuart Parkinson
Product Line Manager Instrumentation and Fibre Optics Diamould Ltd

Diamould Ltd 1 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01
Developed during 2002 for Shell 5kV x 125A single-phase downhole wet connector Receptacle connector installed permanently downhole for life of well Plug connector mounted in pump module which is retrievable

Diamould Ltd 2 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01
Plug connector downwards facing

Receptacle connector upwards facing

Angular profile for debris control

Diamould Ltd 3 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01 Technical Challenges

Mechanical and electrical packaging within 1.9" diameter Elimination of electrical stress within connector - 10 years downhole Environmental conditions and effect upon product functionality Debris management Elimination of fluid ingress High quality injection mouldings without air voids Connector mating sequence and alignment
Diamould Ltd 4 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01 Technical Solutions

High quality void free injection mouldings Use of Moldflow at design stage and PD testing at FAT stage

Diamould Ltd 5 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01 Technical Solutions

Elimination of electrical stresses Solution - electrical FEA and use of metallized surfaces

Aim to achieve smooth electrical field and stress below 3kV/mm

Diamould Ltd 6 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-01 Summary

Principles used on Seapower-01 have been carried through to future power developments Design validation using electrical FEA and Moldflow - reduces iterations at qualification level Focus on quality at component and assembly level Developed the metallization theory to new field smoothing techniques at higher voltages
Diamould Ltd 7 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Development and field trials of a High Power Connector system for deepwater ESP applications
Adam Kendall
Product Line Manager Power and Hydraulic Connectors

David Bissett
Lead Designer for Seapower-02 Diamould Ltd
Diamould Ltd 8 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 8kV x 220A 3-Phase Wet-Mate Connector

Tubing Hanger Receptacle Connector

Diamould Ltd 9 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Receptacle Connector

Previous Technology: 1. Exposed male Contacts; corrosion and potential contamination or damage to male Insulators can result 2. Male Contacts are not guided; can bend Technological Advancements: Pressure compensating, enclosed oil system around male Contacts Male Pins are positively located in a moving Wiper Plate, limiting deflection
Diamould Ltd 10 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Plug Connector

Previous Technology: 3. Debris around end of male Pin Contact introduces contaminants during connector mating Technological Advancements: A Capture Lip Seal in the Shuttle Pin holds water and debris

Diamould Ltd 11 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Plug Connector

Capture Lip Seal

Diamould Ltd 12 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Mating Connectors

Previous Technology: 4. Stress gradient through front Connector Plate can induce surface tracking Technological Advancements: Front sealing system in male Wiper Plate (Receptacle Connector) forms seal with front of mating Plug Connector during mate & demate, reducing voltage field stress levels

Diamould Ltd 13 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Mating Connectors

Flange Mounted Receptacle Mating ROV Plug

Diamould Ltd 14 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Mating Connectors

Previous Technology: 5. Contact stack-up tolerance is restrictive; often a dead-length (i.e. zero) Technological Advancements: Sliding Contact design improves stack-up capability (+/- 0.5 for Seapower-02) and voltage field

Diamould Ltd 15 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Features
Previous Technology: 6. No electrical stress control for Insulators passing through metallic housings, resulting in high discharge levels Technological Advancements: Insulators passing through bulkheads are Metallized, preventing discharge, particularly around O-ring grooves where trapped air is prevalent

Diamould Ltd 16 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Features

Metallized Contact Insulator

Diamould Ltd 17 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Features
Previous Technology: 7. Cable termination design is also prone to discharge Technological Advancements: New Termination Sleeve system incorporates bonded field smoothing tube and pressure compensation element Use of multiple layer moulding techniques, with different compounds and dissimilar relative permittivity values, to encourage electrical stress grading (smoothing of field)
Diamould Ltd 18 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Features
Termination Sleeve and bonded field smoothing tube

Diamould Ltd 19 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 Features
Grommet Seal (an example of multiple layer moulding)

Diamould Ltd 20 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 TH Receptacle Connector

Previous Technology: 8. Lower TH termination to ESP cable is vulnerable in the event of downhole rapid gas decompression Technological Advancements: Cable Boot Seal is adequately supported / constrained by Housing and Support Plate to prevent permanent damage; successfully passed 2,000psi pressure drop over 2 minutes

Diamould Ltd 21 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Rapid Gas Decompression

What can go wrong?

Damage to ESP cable outer jacket and TH Connector elastomer components

Gas damage to outer jacket of ESP cable; internal view detailing gas ingress bubbles
Diamould Ltd 22 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 TH Receptacle Connector

Previous Technology: 9. No metal sealing barrier inside TH Connector; elastomer O-rings with PTFE back-up rings between Contact Insulator and Connector Housing Technological Advancements: Contact Insulators have integral metallic stress control collar, which is EB welded into connector housing; successfully passed PR2 testing to API-6A, under varying conditions of pressure and temperature
Diamould Ltd 23 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 TH Receptacle Connector

View of Contact Insulators detailing stress control collars and electron beam welds; acts as PR2 gas barrier

Diamould Ltd 24 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 TH Dry-Mate Plug Connector

Technological Advancements: Field installable lower TH dry-mate plug connector, with pre vacuum gel-filled sealing and pressure compensation system; cable termination can be performed offshore and is repeatable

Diamould Ltd 25 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Seapower-02 TH Dry-Mate Plug Connector

Lower TH dry-mate Plug Connector terminated to ESP Cable

Is capable of accommodating flat and round ESP cables, up to size 2/0 AWG
Diamould Ltd 26 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Petrobras Installations

Jubarte & Golfinho field trials (permanent installations); mudline is at around 1,500m water depth
Diamould Ltd 27 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Petrobras Installations

Custom-built long-neck ROV Tree Cap Connectors, Power and Instrumentation, successfully deployed on the Jubarte 6 field
Diamould Ltd 28 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Petrobras Installations

Jubarte 2 Vertical Connection Module prior to deployment offshore

Diamould Ltd 29 EuALF 28-Feb-08

Thank you!
Should you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact: Adam Kendall, Product Line Manager David Bissett, Lead Designer for Power Connectors Mike Winfield, Sales & Marketing Manager
Please go to www.diamould.com
Diamould Ltd 30 EuALF 28-Feb-08