Amarinth Secures Order to Equip the Pioneiro de Libra FPSO with a Vertical Sump Pump Capable of Withstanding Heavy Seas

London Marine Consultants was awarded the EPC contract to supply an external turret mooring system for the EWT (Extended Well Test) FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) vessel Pioneiro de Libra, a conversion of the Suezmax tanker Navion Norvegia. On completion of the build at the Jurong Shipyard of Singapore, the vessel is destined for the ultra-deepwater Libra oil prospect field, operated by consortium leader Petrobas, located in the Santos Basin, about 230km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Libra field is estimated to contain recoverable resources of up to 12 billion barrels of oil and is one of the largest deepwater oil accumulations globally. During the design of the turret the need for a wash-down sump facility with drains pump was established and with a short lead time of just 14 weeks to provide this before the vessel was due to be moved, London Marine Consultants turned to Amarinth for its ability to provide bespoke vertical sump pumps on tight deadlines.

Due to much higher seas in the operating region than is usual for where an FPSO might operate, the drain pump in the wash-down sump, which is located in the bow of the vessel, was liable to submersion during heavy seas. Amarinth worked closely with London Marine Consultants to design a pump that could withstand the demanding conditions, modifying its proven T-Series vertical sump pump to be fully IP66 rated, which is defined as “dust tight and protected against heavy seas or powerful jets of water”. The IP66 rating covered the pump, motor and transmitters and even the control panel which was also open to the elements. Level transmitters were installed to automatically start the pump when the sump has filled, pumping the water to the cleaning package before its return to the sea, and to switch off the pump once the sump has been emptied.

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director of Amarinth, commented: “This was our first order from London Marine Consultants and also for the Libra field and we are pleased that we have been able to provide this IP66 rated vertical sump pump so that the vessel can be completed on schedule. We are looking forward to leveraging our expertise gained on this project into new projects for the Libra field that we are starting to see as it is being developed.”