The FMC Technologies Production Control Systems monitor and control subsea trees, downhole equipment and manifolds as well as subsea processing stations. Most control systems supplied by FMC are Electro Hydraulic, however All Electric and Direct Hydraulic Control Systems are also supplied.
An Electro Hydraulic Control System consists of a topside located computer system from which daily operation may be performed and where the safety system is interfaced. Other topside equipments are:
- the hydraulic power unit
- chemical injection skids
- the electric power supplies
- modems for communication with the subsea part of the system
A Control Umbilical interconnects the topside part of the system and the subsea part of the system. The key unit is the Subsea Control Module (SCM) which contains electronics, instrumentation and hydraulics for safe and efficient operation of subsea and downhole valves. The SCM provides interfaces for communication with the topside system via the control umbilical and for downhole and subsea located instrumentation for production process monitoring and optimization.
FMC has a well proven flexible and modularized control system product line. It can easily be configured for customer needs, ranging from large deepwater HPHT systems such as BP’s Thunder Horse, via the largest subsea system in the world - Statoil’s Åsgard - to single well shallow water tiebacks.
More than 200 km (124 miles) tieback distance is achievable with FMC’s fiber communication and electric signal using the powerlines as backup. The equipment handles water depths in excess of 3000 m (9842 ft) and wellhead shut in pressure of up to 17,500 psi.