GE Oil & Gas announced that E.ON Exploration & Production is the first offshore company to deploy its next-generation VetcoGray SVXT™ S-Series vertical production subsea tree for use in a shallow water project in the North Sea.

The tree, manufactured in GE’s Broadfold Road plant in Aberdeen, Scotland, further cements GE’s place as a global leader in shallow water subsea tree innovation and technology. The SVXT S-Series model is designed to be run from a jack-up rig operating in water depths up to 100 meters.

E.ON Exploration & Production utilized a heavy duty jack-up that was on long-term contract to deploy its SVXT S-Series tree in the southern North Sea’s Johnston field, located 85 kilometers off the English coast in the Sole Pit sub-basin of the Southern Gas Basin (Block 43/27).

The project was supported by GE’s Great Yarmouth service organization, with the well pre-drilled using a GE Oil & Gas 13-5/8 inch-SG1 wellhead system that offers a cost-effective solution for shallow water production wells.

“The continued commitment of GE’s customer, E.ON Exploration & Production, reflects the world-class reputation and proven track record of our shallow water tree-on-mudline solution,” said Rod Christie, CEO—Subsea Systems, GE Oil & Gas. “Building on 20 years of proven field experience, GE’s VetcoGray subsea tree systems are widely considered the industry benchmark for harsh shallow-water environments around the world. GE Oil & Gas’ Subsea Systems business is the global leader in shallow water tree solutions, with 107 trees ordered to date.”

The redesigned S-Series builds on this heritage, integrating GE's latest technologies to deliver high performance while reducing installation and operating costs. The SVXT S-Series subsea tree merges horizontal and vertical tree technology, reducing weight by 20 percent, decreasing height and also delivering essential functionality in a pre-engineered, pre-configured modular approach. Low-cost installation of the new SVXT is achieved through a design that enables deployment using standard offshore jack-up drilling rigs without the need for major modifications.

Additional SVXT design features include smaller tree and fishing trawler-friendly wellhead protection structures, as well as an innovative barrier approach that removes the need for a separate tree cap.

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