Setrium has delivered an FPU for deployment at Shell’s Whale project located in the Alaminos Canyon in the US, part of the Gulf of Mexico. The Whale development, owned by Shell Offshore Inc. and Chevron USA Inc., is expected to reach peak production of approximately 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Currently, it has an estimated recoverable resource volume of 490 million. Whale will be Shell’s 12th deepwater host in the Gulf of Mexico and is scheduled to begin production in 2024.

Mechartes conducted pulsation analysis for suction and discharge piping networks, considering operational scenarios with the pump and standby pumps working. Peak-to-peak pressure variations were assessed to predict liquid hammer conditions, adhering to Design Approach-2 API-674 3rd edition guidelines. Vibration and harmonic loads throughout the pipeline length were evaluated using PULS software.

Mechanical vibration analysis in Bentley AutoPIPE ensured pipeline natural frequencies did not coincide with pump frequencies. Harmonic loads identified by Bentley PULS were then simulated in AutoPIPE to assess stress and deflection. Based on these analyses, Mechartes recommended design modifications such as adjusting pulsation dampener volumes, orifice plates, and pipe supports to optimize pipeline performance and reliability.

Additionally, pipe stress analysis was performed on the connected piping network to determine suitable support types and locations.