Overview
Flexible solutions that evolve throughout field life
The Baker Hughes Aptara™ family of TOTEX-lite products is born from our life-of-field approach. The Aptara name is derived from Latin for “adapt” or “fit”. It signifies the flexibility of this range of products to meet the evolving needs of operators from installation right through to end of field life. We have re-engineered the subsea system to make installation, production, and intervention simpler and more efficient—dramatically lowering total cost of ownership (TCO).
Next-generation technology
Our next-generation technology is smarter, simpler, and more efficient. It is designed ensure your subsea system is easier and more economic to install, operates smoothly, and has the flexibility to evolve over the life of your field.
Innovative life-of-field approach
The Aptara family of products combines an innovative approach with industry-first patented technologies to deliver subsea systems that have shorter lead times, lowering initial CAPEX and ensuring OPEX savings over the life of your field—making it a TOTEX-lite family. Our radically different life-of-field approach brings you a suite of products that is lightweight, compact and optimized to reduce TCO. The main building blocks of the Aptara subsea system are:
- Aptara lightweight compact tree
- Aptara modular compact manifold
- Aptara modular compact pump
- Aptara composite flexibles
- Aptara SFX wellhead solution
- Aptara subsea connection systems
- FLX360 multi-quick connection system
- HCCS-L lightweight horizontal clamp connection system
Aptara lightweight compact tree
The Aptara lightweight compact tree uses unique, patented tree caps that allow the tree to be configured to suit changing requirements—reducing cost and increasing value over the life of your field. These innovative caps also eliminate the need for independent modules and connections, reducing your costs further. Being 50% lighter than traditional trees, and with a considerably smaller footprint, Aptara lightweight compact trees can reduce your subsea system’s CAPEX and OPEX by up to 50% over the life of the field.
Aptara modular compact manifold
The Aptara compact block manifold addresses the industry’s need for modular, pre-engineered manifolds that use off-the-shelf components, reducing cycle time, cost, and footprint. We have achieved a level of standardization that limits the engineering to the manifold header, structural steel, and foundation, resulting in faster delivery, with reduced risks and costs. For the most common configuration, the manifold will be a make-to-order variant with zero product engineering—and delivered in 10 months from the award of contract.
Aptara modular compact pump (MCP)
The Aptara MCP subsea system is the world’s first subsea multi-phase pump without a barrier fluid system, reducing topside footprint by 50% and cutting system costs. The standard pre-qualified 1 MW building blocks enable the MCP to be configured to different field requirements quickly and easily, and our life-of-field approach to design is evident in unique features that reduce the TCO.
The stages are controlled individually by local subsea variable-speed drives that allow the pump to react and adapt dynamically to changes in wellstream conditions. This ensures high inherent reliability as high-risk items such as mechanical seals are not needed. It also effectively eliminates the need to re-bundle the hydraulics during the life of the field.
Aptara composite flexibles
The composite riser flexible pipe is a step-change product. It provides a cost-effective solution for ultra-deepwater applications in water depths up to around 10,000 ft (3,048 m). This new product is a hybrid of traditional flexible pipe designs, introducing 21st-century materials technology for one specific layer—bringing 30% weight savings without affecting bending radius or compressive load capability.
For risers, this is achieved by reducing hang-off weights and platform burdens, simplifying riser configurations, and minimizing ancillaries and subsea infrastructure, while keeping exposure to new technology to a minimum. The product eliminates riser-system complexity and reduces cost and installation time, while delivering predictable and stable hydrodynamic performance over the full product lifecycle.
For flowlines and jumpers, we retain the flexibility this product brings with regard to final layouts, accommodating re-spuds and early deployment/wet storing of pipe to suit installation windows of opportunity, which may occur off the project critical path. For high-sour and high-CO2 developments in particular, this hybrid composite pipe significantly reduces permeated gas-flow rate through the pipe annulus, reducing operational risk and bringing cost benefits over the field lifecycle.
Aptara SFX wellhead solution
The Aptara SFX wellhead solution is focused on improved fatigue resistance to maximize life-of-field options for the operator. The Baker Hughes life-of-field approach to design translates into production enhancement through well intervention activities even in late life and longevity of field operations—all with a lower risk profile than traditional wellhead systems. The Aptara SFX wellhead solution enables you to plan your well activities reliably and with greater confidence for years to come.
Aptara subsea connection systems
The Aptara FLX360 multi-quick connection (MQC) system enables fast and reliable connections between all elements of the subsea distribution system. It uses a patented locking mechanism that leaves a single moving part of the design on the seabed. The complexity of the connection system is housed within the retrievable and serviceable ROV tooling. Its unique life-of-field design also allows maintenance in situ with no need for disconnection of the connector, thereby reducing TCO. The Aptara FLX360 family is extended to provide reliable and compact connection for steel tube flying leads, as well as umbilical termination in a cobra head assembly.
The Aptara HCCS-L subsea system is a proven horizontal connector suitable for rigid and flexible jumpers and spools, as well as umbilical termination with use of multi-bore hub technology. The HCCS-L range is designed to be lighter, smaller and optimized to reduce make-up time, allowing for rapid installation. The range comes with a pre-mounted stroking tool and requires fewer subsea operations, reducing connection time by more than 30%. The unique Baker Hughes push-type stroking functionality allows full access for cleaning and cap replacement with the pre-mounted stroking tool.
