An offshore oil and gas processor needed a full processing installation on the seabed, but first needed to prove that multiphase fluids – oil, gas, brine, sand and more – could be pumped in deep water. After careful review, the company settled on a pump design that could be tested in depths below 1600m. Pump reliability would be key to reducing extraction and repair costs along with productivity losses. The short-term goal was to operate the equipment maintenance-free for five years or more, even under severe load, shaft deflection and lubricant conditions.
Working closely with both the customer and pump manufacturer, SKF provided several sets of specially designed CARB toroidal roller bearings. SKF provided supertough stainless steel bearing rings with NoWear coated rollers to handle radial loads, while other specially designed bearings were delivered for the drives. After long-term field-testing, SKF reported that its specially designed bearing solution had shown no signs of wear.
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