A Gas Booster System plays a key part in shutting down subsea oilfield leaks

Haskel, the leading designer and manufacturer of high-pressure generating equipment and controls, developed a new concept that will play an integral role in a complex unit designed and delivered by the Norwegian subsidiary of Oceaneering, a global provider of engineered services and products to the oil and gas industry.

Oil companies use blowout preventers (BOPs) to shut down wells on the sea bed. Shutting down subsea oil field leaks must be done very quickly. In case the BOP fails it may be possible to shut the well down using subsea accumulators to activate the BOP, which is where the Haskel gas booster system comes in. The gas booster system charges accumulator tanks which are then attached to the BOP. In an emergency, energy from the high pressure nitrogen accumulator tanks pushes large volumes of fluid into the BOP in order to attempt to shut down the flow of hydrocarbons.

The new design uses gas boosters in tandem to create sufficient pressure to close down the system. It is the kind of equipment that is hardly ever needed, but when it is, it is crucial.