Equinor selects Optime Subsea to deliver remotely controlled well completion systems

Equinor has contracted Optime Subsea to deliver two remotely operated control systems (ROCS) for use at the operator’s Irpa field development. This award comes only three months after Equinor ordered a ROCS for use at its Rosebank field, west of Shetland, UK.

Optime Subsea’s ROCS eliminates the need for both the umbilical, which traditionally connects the surface to the seabed for controlling the tubing hanger in subsea well completions, and the topside hydraulic control unit. This innovation cuts costs and reduces the amount of deck space required for these operations. Utilizing ROCS also creates HSE benefits as the system reduces the need for personnel in the red zone on the rig.

“We are seeing that ROCS is gradually becoming the new standard for well completion operations due to substantially lower capex, opex and smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional systems,” said Jan-Fredrik Carlsen, CEO of Optime Subsea.

Optime Subsea will manufacture the two ROCS systems at the company’s headquarters in Notodden, Norway, and deliver them to Equinor’s offshore base at Sandnessjøen in North Norway in 2025. Optime Subsea has not disclosed the value of the contract.

Equinor will use one system for a well completion campaign at Irpa that is planned for 2026, while the other will be a backup system. Irpa is a gas field located at a depth of approximately 1,350 m in the Norwegian Sea, 340 km offshore Bodø, North Norway. Irpa will be developed as a tie-in to the Aasta Hansteen FPSO.