Deep Panuke newsletter - Encana

DEEP PANUKE PROJECT NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2012
B A C K P A G E
Take our energy quiz
Share what you know about natural gas
in the Encana energy quiz. To learn more
about the quiz, see the back page.
M E S S A G E F R O M T H E G E N E R A L M A N A G E R
Busy offshore at Deep Panuke
W
elcome to the September edition of
the Deep Panuke newsletter.
Work has been busy offshore over the
summer months at Deep Panuke with the ongoing
hook-up and commissioning program at the
platform as well as the subsea asset survey.
In the survey, the project’s subsea assets
are being reviewed to ensure their integrity for
natural gas production at Deep Panuke. During the
survey, subsea assets are captured in extensive
videos and measurements are taken using special
tools deployed by the project’s remotely-operated
vehicle. To learn more about the survey, see the
story below.
At an offshore project like Deep Panuke, effort
is invested to analyze how natural gas will flow to ensure smooth operations
during production. In this newsletter’s Ask the Expert column, Rowena Smith,
group lead at Deep Panuke, describes the steps that are involved. See inside to
read more about flow assurance analysis.
As part of our commitment to Nova Scotia, Encana is sharing opportunities
in the offshore oil and gas industry. In this newsletter, we describe two of these
initiatives. First, as part of the subsea survey, we supported an opportunity for
two new offshore surveyors to get hands-on experience at Deep Panuke. To find
out more, see the story below and the back page of this newsletter.
Second, for those considering a career in the offshore, a video library
developed by the Techsploration program provides insights and information
from women working in relevant fields. We’re pleased to share that the library of
videos is expanding. See inside this newsletter to learn more.
In the Encana people profile this month, you will meet Bruce Pulsifer, the
lead materials engineer for Deep Panuke. You’ll also meet Donna Morykot,
regulatory advisor for Deep Panuke, who has been recognized for her volunteer
work in the community.
Project update
In this issue:
Assuring the flow
Tracking the tides
More offshore careers videos
Encana people profile
Surveying the subsea
Through the spring and summer of
2012, Encana conducted a subsea
asset survey offshore at Deep Panuke.
Surveying offshore structures is an
important part of the project’s asset integrity
management plan. A survey helps to confirm
the good condition of the offshore structures,
and identifies any problems that may need
to be addressed.
The survey reviewed the natural gas
export pipeline from the Deep Panuke
platform to landfall 172 kilometres away
at Goldboro, NS, as well as subsea
structures in the Deep Panuke field. The
subsea structures reviewed in the field
included flowlines, umbilicals, wellhead
protection structures, legs and footings on
At Encana, we share information about the
benefits of natural gas whenever we can. To get
you thinking about natural gas, I invite you to take
the Encana energy quiz. See the back page of this
newsletter to find out more information on the quiz
and how to take part.
Right around the corner is the Core Energy
conference, the annual gathering of decision
makers and experts in the energy industry in early
October. Encana is pleased to be a sponsor of
Core again this year. For more information on Core
and to register visit www.coreconference.com.
Speaking of energy, Encana is pleased
to support research and development to harness
the power of the tides in the Bay of Fundy, NS.
This month, a new research monitoring platform for tidal energy was announced
with Encana contributing to the initiative along with other partners. For more
information on the research platform, please see the article inside this newsletter
and visit www.fundyforce.ca.
Please contact us at dpinfo@encana.com if you have questions about
Deep Panuke, and any comments or feedback on this newsletter.
Sincerely,
the Deep Panuke platform as well as the
subsea isolation valve.
The survey was conducted using the
remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) on the
Atlantic Condor supply vessel. The ROV is
an underwater robot, tethered to the vessel,
that can “see” at the seabed. The ROV
relays data on the structures to computers
with human operators based on the vessel.
DOF Subsea conducted part of the
survey where the depth of burial for a
structure, such as the natural gas export
pipeline, needed to be confirmed. Two
members of the team were new graduates.
For more information see the back page.
The subsea asset survey is expected
to wrap up this fall.
Malcolm Weatherston
General Manager, Deep Panuke Project
Encana Corporation
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 Fig. 3
Fig. 1 The Atlantic Condor approaching Goldboro, NS during
the section of the survey over the natural gas export pipeline.
Fig. 2 Carolyn Skerry, DOF Subsea offshore surveyor, reviews
data from the survey. Fig. 3 An image from the survey showing
a flowline at Deep Panuke with sea cucumbers.
PHOTO: DAVE NICHOLS, PRISMA PRODUCTIONS PHOTOS: ENCANA (FIG. 1,3); DOF SUBSEA (FIG. 2)
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

D E E P P A N U K E P R O J E C T N E W S L E T T E R
PHOTO: DAVE NICHOLS, PRISMA PRODUCTIONS
Rowena Smith
Group Lead, Deep Panuke
You’ve got questions.
Deep Panuke experts can answer.
Q. Why is flow assurance analysis important at Deep Panuke?
A.
Flow assurance analysis helps ensure
the continuous production of natural
gas at Deep Panuke (Fig. 1).
Flow assurance analysis covers all aspects
of the production system and includes topics
such as mechanical integrity, examining the
properties of fluids in the system, pressure and
temperature analysis and slugging.
Engineers working in flow assurance
develop plans and strategies to address these
topics.
In the case of pressure and temperature
challenges, there is a risk of hydrates forming.
A hydrate forms from a combination of
water and natural gas fluids when there is the
right combination of pressure and temperature.
A hydrate—similar to slush which can become
an ice ball—can plug a flowline (Fig. 2). A hydrate
can form at temperatures much higher than
the 0 degrees Celsius at which ice forms. The
seabed at Deep Panuke, averaging from 0 to
16 degrees Celsius, is the ideal “cooling”
environment for the gas in the flowlines. To
prevent the formation of hydrates at Deep Panuke,
methanol is injected into the flowlines during
startups and shutdowns. In these transition
periods, hydrates are more likely to form because
the natural gas is cooler than it is during
steady state production operations. To prevent
hydrates from forming in the flowlines during
steady state, the flowlines are insulated
to retain heat (Fig. 3).
A challenge related to fluid property
analysis is the risk of forming scale. Scale can
result in a build up of material that could plug
flowlines, pipe, and other equipment. At Deep
Panuke, material deposition on the inside
of a flowline is a flow assurance concern and
scale formation is prevented by injecting a
scale inhibitor.
Methanol and scale inhibitors are added
through the umbilicals that run alongside each
flowline (Fig. 4). Each umbilical includes hollow
lines designed for this purpose. The umbilicals
also include the hydraulic control lines to
remotely operate each production well from
the platform.
Slugging occurs when a large volume
of liquid such as water is transported to the
production platform via a flowline. When there
is enough accumulation of liquid in the flowline,
a “slug” is pushed through by the natural gas
behind it. The two separators—the inlet and
test separator—have been designed to
accommodate the maximum expected slug
volumes at Deep Panuke.
Have a question? Contact us at dpinfo@encana.com
How will natural gas be produced
at Deep Panuke?
At the Deep Panuke field in Nova Scotia’s offshore, four
production wells will produce natural gas from the reservoir
located about 3 ½ kilometres below the seabed (Fig. 5).
The gas will be 80 to 105 degrees Celsius (depending
on the flow rate) when it comes to surface for transportation in
one of four flowlines (one for each well) to the platform. At the
platform, the raw gas is treated to remove condensate, water,
hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide.
In all, there are 15 kilometres of flowlines at Deep Panuke
for transporting the raw gas from the wellheads to the platform.
An injection line that is 1.7 kilometres long will take the hydrogen
sulphide and carbon dioxide removed from the gas stream to an
injection well for disposal about 2 ½ kilometres below the seabed.
Market-ready gas will leave the platform, and be transported
to shore in a subsea pipeline measuring 22 inches in diameter.
Deep Panuke has a design capacity of 300 million standard cubic
feet per day (MMscf/day) of natural gas, enough to power more
than half a million homes on a daily basis.
To help keep the natural gas flowing continuously from each
production well, and through treatment to the subsea pipeline,
key flow assurance strategies are in place—like those that are
described in this section of the newsletter.
WELL MONITORING LINES
WELL CHEMICAL
INJECTION LINES
HYDRAULIC CONTROL LINES
SUBSEA POWER AND
COMMUNICATION LINES
Fig. 1 The Deep Panuke platform, or Production Field
Centre, 250 km southeast of Halifax, NS.
Fig. 3 A layer of insulation approximately one
inch thick is bonded to each pipe section.
Fig. 4 A coiled umbilical (circled) for Deep Panuke on Subsea 7’s Acergy
Discovery awaiting field installation. Inset: Cross section of an umbilical.
PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: ENCANA
Fig. 2 Sections of pipe that became flowlines at Deep Panuke being prepared for shipment
offshore from Sheet Harbour, NS. Inset: Once welded together, the pipe sections formed a
continuous flowline. Here a Deep Panuke flowline is being installed by Subsea 7’s Acergy Falcon.
Fig. 5 An illustration of the Deep Panuke field showing the platform and structures at
the seabed such as the wells, flowlines and pipeline to landfall.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

D E E P P A N U K E P R O J E C T N E W S L E T T E R
Research and development
Tracking the tides
Deep Panuke project
Encana people
PHOTO: ENCANA PHOTO: PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA
Cape Split on the Bay of Fundy, NS. The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides.
Developing tidal energy in
the powerful waters of
Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy
requires innovative thinking, creative
partnerships and cutting edge
research and development.
As part of our commitment to
Nova Scotia, where Encana is the
owner and operator of the Deep
Panuke offshore natural gas project,
we are pleased to partner with the
Fundy Ocean Research Center
for Energy (FORCE) to support a
research monitoring platform for tidal
energy in the province.
Encana is directing $3 million
in funding to the platform by
converting a zero interest loan from
our Environmental Innovation Fund
to a grant.
The new platform will contribute
to better understanding of the tides
in the Bay of Fundy, which has
Education and training
Talking about
Techsploration
Earlier this year Christina Clarke (r), an Encana loss control engineer and a Techsploration
program mentor, took six students from Prince Arthur Junior High School in Dartmouth, NS—
a school she herself attended—on a tour of the offshore supply base that supports the Deep
Panuke project in Nova Scotia. Hailey Thomas (l) was one of the students. “Techsploration is
a great way to expose young women to careers they might not have considered otherwise,”
says Christina. “It wasn’t until after my first year of university that I even considered
engineering, and I think that’s simply because I didn’t know enough about it. My hope is that
making students aware of different options will help them with career decisions later on.”
It’s no secret women are vastly
under-represented in careers in the
sciences, trades and technology—
backgrounds that are key to work in
the offshore oil and gas industry. But
Techsploration is looking to change that.
Encana has long supported
Techsploration, a program in Nova
been earmarked as a testing site
for electricity generating underwater
turbines. Bay of Fundy tides are the
highest in the world. The underwater
platform will be the world’s first
deployed in extreme, high flow
conditions like those in the Bay of
Fundy. Good resource information
translates into good turbine
design—the platform will collect
continuous data on the tides and
surrounding environment and relay
that information to the nearby tidal
observation facility on the outskirts
of Parrsboro, NS.
Other partners in the exciting
research include the Government of
Canada, Ocean Networks Canada
and the turbine developers who
are working to harness the power
of the tides.
To learn more, visit FORCE at
www.fundyforce.ca.
Scotia that encourages female students
in Grades 9 through 12 to explore
careers in sciences, trades and
technology. The Techsploration program
showcases potential careers, and
stresses the importance of high school
math as a strong foundation for work
in many technical fields. Encana’s
Bruce Pulsifer, Lead Materials Engineer
If you want to know what Deep Panuke is made of,
talk to Bruce Pulsifer. He is the project’s lead materials
engineer.
In Bruce’s job, he assesses the materials
used in all aspects of Deep Panuke—from perfs to
processing to point-of-sale.
One example of Bruce’s work was helping to
determine what the project’s flowlines needed to be
made from. There are four production flowlines at
Deep Panuke, each transporting natural gas from a
well to the offshore platform for treatment.
Because the natural gas at Deep Panuke is
under pressure and sour (meaning that it contains hydrogen sulphide), extra care was needed
to prevent cracking and corrosion by selecting the right materials to build the flowlines. The
solution: flowlines made with Incoloy 825 cladding, a corrosion resistant alloy.
Bruce hails from Middle Musquodoboit, NS where he lived briefly on a dairy farm before
moving to Dartmouth. He is a graduate of the engineering school at Dalhousie University,
receiving his Bachelor and Master degrees in metallurgical engineering—the study of metals
and alloys and how they can be used reliably and economically in industrial applications.
As an Accredited Materials Selection Specialist with the National Association of Corrosion
Engineers, Bruce combines extensive experience with his unique training in applying the
principles of materials selection.
Following graduation from engineering school, Bruce worked in the oil and gas industry
onshore in Western Canada for about a decade. He has worked in the offshore oil and gas
industry for more than 20 years, with experience on projects in Indonesia and the Persian Gulf.
In 2006, he jumped at the chance to work on the Deep Panuke project. “A great group
of diverse professionals has been assembled for the Deep Panuke team,” says Bruce. “I’m
pleased to contribute to the team.”
For those considering a career in the offshore oil and gas industry, Bruce offers the
following advice: “On an offshore project like Deep Panuke, contributing and learning are the most
gratifying aspects. And any day when you can learn something new, then that’s a good day!”
Engineering at Encana is a natural fit for the Pulsifer family. Bruce’s son works as an
engineer at the Encana head office in Calgary, Alberta.
Bruce and family are planning another rendezvous “down south” later this year. Having
spent more than a dozen winters in sunny climates, it’s a tradition that’s easy to warm up to!
Bruce Pulsifer at the Deep Panuke pipeyard, Sheet Harbour, NS. These sections of pipe
became flowlines at Deep Panuke that will transport natural gas from the wells to the
production platform.
support for Techsploration has
included financial contributions,
volunteer mentoring and in-kind
donations.
In 2009 Encana stepped up
support for Techsploration by
funding the development of the
Women in Action web video series.
These testimonial videos feature
women in careers typically underrepresented
by women, from power
engineering to pipefitting. Encana
engineer and former Techsploration
mentor Cindy MacDonnell is one
of the 28 women currently profiled
in the series.
But there is more on the
way. Expanded funding from
Encana will see nine new videos
added—three per year for the
next three years. The new videos
focus on offshore-related careers.
To start, videos of a tugboat captain,
an offshore surveyor and a helicopter
mechanic will be added to the
series in 2012.
The videos have received
more than 38,000 hits from around
the world, and are being picked
up in classrooms across Canada.
The Nova Scotia Department of
Labour and Advanced Education has
asked to include the videos in their
occupational profiles on the
careers.novascotia.ca website.
The videos can be viewed via
Techsploration’s YouTube channel at
www.youtube.com/techsploration
or the Techsploration website at
www.techsploration.ca.
PHOTOS: DAVE NICHOLS, PRISMA PRODUCTIONS
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

D E E P P A N U K E P R O J E C T N E W S L E T T E R
Subsea asset survey
All aboard with new offshore surveyors
To give offshore surveying graduates
key field experience, Encana supported
a new initiative in 2012 during the
subsea asset survey at Deep Panuke.
In the initiative, Carolyn Skerry and
John-Gavin Dunphy, two recent Nova Scotian
graduates from the Centre of Geographic
Sciences (COGS), participated in the
offshore segment of the survey conducted
by DOF Subsea.
Both graduated with a Diploma in
Marine Geomatics from COGS, part of the
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC—
Annapolis Valley campus) in Lawrencetown,
NS in the spring of 2012, and are employed
by DOF Subsea as offshore surveyors.
Typically hands-on experience offshore
is difficult to obtain for new graduates due to
the high cost and limited space onboard the
vessels conducting this type of survey work
for oil and gas companies.
Encana provided the funding for
their participation from the Deep Panuke
Education & Training and Research &
Development Fund. Their work included
mobilizing survey equipment to the remotelyoperated
vehicle (ROV) on the Atlantic
Condor supply vessel as well as the
John-Gavin Dunphy, offshore surveyor with DOF
Subsea, testing the ROVNAV used to accurately
position the ROV underwater.
collection and analysis of data to onboard
computers from the ROV as it completed the
subsea survey.
Both surveyors also completed offshore
survival and other relevant safety training.
“I learned so much in the offshore
survival and safety training—using the
fire extinguishers, learning CPR and the
helicopter exercises—it all definitely helped
to prepare me for the work ahead,” says
John-Gavin.
The knowledge gained by the surveyors
can be transferred to other projects in Nova
Scotia’s offshore as the local oil and gas
industry continues to develop.
Carolyn Skerry is at home at sea. Her great-grandmother Jean
Grace Tobin was born on Sable Island, NS. From a family of ten
children, Jean Grace was nicknamed “Grassy”, after the grass found
growing on the Island. At Christmas time, Carolyn’s family still eats
from the platters and china that Grassy found washed up on the
Island’s beaches. One of Carolyn’s great-great-great grandfathers
was a midshipman during the Napoleonic Wars, and the family still
has his commission papers signed by Napoleon himself. Carolyn’s
surname Skerry is passed down from John Skerry, who set up the
first ferry service across Halifax Harbour from Halifax to Dartmouth,
NS, with a crew of two men working the oars. “Skipper Skerry” could
get you across the harbour in thirty to forty minutes. Says Carolyn
of her decision to become an offshore surveyor: “I love being on the
water and it is amazing to have the chance to survey and see marine
life where no one has ever been. Some projects that DOF Subsea
is involved in are at depths of more than 3,000 metres!”
PHOTOS: DOF SUBSEA
PHOTO: ENCANA
Citizen engineer
Donna Morykot, regulatory advisor at Deep Panuke, is the
recipient of the Engineers Nova Scotia 2012 Citizenship
Award. Donna received the award, which recognizes
volunteer contributions to the community made by a Professional
Engineer in Nova Scotia, at the Engineers Nova Scotia annual
general meeting on September 14.
In her role as a member of the Deep Panuke team, Donna
works closely with the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum
Board and the National Energy Board to ensure that the project
complies with regulatory requirements. As a community volunteer,
she is the president of Adsum House for Women and Children
and is a member of the Research Advisory Committee for Carbon Capture Storage Nova
Scotia (CCSNS).
Her volunteer work with Adsum has helped to break down barriers related to housing for low
income women in Nova Scotia. Adsum is a recognized community leader devoted to reducing
homelessness and promoting independent living for women, children and youth. Donna started
volunteering for Adsum about a decade ago, serving first as a member of the Property Committee.
She is now entering her second year as President of the Board of Directors.
As a member of the Research Advisory Committee for CCSNS, she provides advice on
the studies being conducted to consider the development of carbon capture in Nova Scotia,
including onshore/offshore assessments of storage, transportation, regulatory and environmental
considerations.
Donna received her Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) at the Technical University of Nova
Scotia (TUNS) in 1991, and in 2000 completed her Master of Engineering at TUNS—now part of
Dalhousie University. Congratulations Donna!
Share your energy
IQ–take the quiz!
To learn more about natural gas, take Encana’s energy
quiz. Since the launch of the quiz earlier this year,
more than 3,500 people have completed it. The 10
questions in the quiz walk participants through helpful facts
about the merits of natural gas, explaining why the fuel is
cleaner, abundant and affordable. The quiz is among the most
visited pages on the Encana website. You can take the quiz
and access more information on natural gas and its versatile
uses at www.encana.com/natural-gas/.
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N
Contact Encana in Halifax for more information on the
Deep Panuke project and other Encana activities:
Phone: (902) 422-4500
Fax: (902) 425-2766
E-mail: dpinfo@encana.com
Web: www.encana.com/deeppanuke
Mail: Suite 700, Founders Square, 1701 Hollis Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3M8
For information on the company responsible for the
provision of the production field centre at Deep Panuke,
visit www.sbmoffshore.com or contact:
Oivind Tangen, Unit Manager, SBM Nova Scotia Contractors Inc.
250 Baker Drive, Unit 222, Dartmouth, NS, B2W 6L4, Canada
Phone: (902) 406-8700
Fax: (902) 406-8722
E-mail: oivind.tangen@sbmoffshore.com
Follow us on
twitter.com/encanacorp
Like us on
facebook.com/encana
Watch us on
youtube.com/encana
If you are interested in working on the Deep Panuke project
or other opportunities with Encana, watch for postings under the
Work for Us section at www.encana.com.
Business opportunities with SBM in Nova Scotia are now
available for viewing on the Encana website at www.encana.
com/communities/canada/atlantic/business-opportunities/.
For information on contracting with Encana elsewhere across
our operations, please visit www.encana.com.
For industry information, please visit The Maritimes Energy
Association at www.maritimesenergy.ca.
This newsletter is printed on 100% chlorine free and acid free paper that is manufactured using pulp certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2