Subsea templates

The Subsea Production Template is generally recommended for use with six or more wells. It is commonly used when an operator has a firm idea of the number of wells that... 

As the first well is being drilled the template is connected to the host facility with flowlines, umbilicals and risers. A Chemical Injection Umbilical will also typically be laid to the template or subsea facility and connected to a distribution manifold. 

As soon as the subsea tree on the first well has been commissioned, production can commence. The rig will then move to another template slot and start drilling the next well. 

If one or more clusters of single wells are required then an Underwater Manifold System can be deployed and used as a subsea focal point to connect each well. The subsea trees sit on the seabed around the main manifold (compared to the template). 

The manifold is typically a tubular steel structure (similar to a template) which is host to a series of remotely operated valves and chokes. It is common for subsea tree control systems to be mounted on the manifold and not on the individual trees. A complex manifold will generally have its own set of dedicated subsea control modules (for controlling manifold valves and monitoring flowline sensors). 

Subsea facilities are easily decommissioned as they are relatively small and easy to lift. However, subsea manifolds and templates can weigh in excess of 1,000 tons and will require heavy lift barges for removal. 

Offshore deep-water oil and gas fields are increasingly developed with subsea production systems. By subsea production systems, we understand production (X-mas) trees, templates, manifolds, pumps, separators, and associated equipment that are placed on the seabed. 

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