Saipem, Total, Veolia bring water treatment to market

Italy's Saipem is to lead the industrialization and commercialization of Springs ("Subsea PRocess and INjection Gear for Seawater"), a subsea water treatment technology designed for deep water application, developed in collaboration with oil major Total and water treatment specialist Veolia. 

Springs is a nanofiltration-based sulphate removal unit designed for subsea use in deep water environments. Saipem has entered into an agreement with partners Total and Veolia for the co-ownership and exclusive commercialization of the technology. A deepsea test was successfully completed last year to prove the validity of the process in a relevant environment offshore West Africa.

A cost effective alternative to conventional topsides water treatment and injection units, Springs moves the sulphate removal process subsea, thus enhancing the economics of oil recovery by: 

• eliminating water injection sealines
• producing savings in terms of topsides weight and deck space, freeing up vital topside space for production equipment
• easing brownfield retrofits, especially on FPSOs 
• making distant, deep injection wells economical.

Saipem’s CEO Stefano Cao says: “The signing of the agreement is in line with Saipem’s commitment to develop innovative technologies and deploy its capabilities in the subsea environment with a view to reducing clients’ overall costs and enabling new business opportunities.”