Subsea trees are an important part of the hydrocarbon production process. A subsea tree is a complex assembly of valves, flow pathways, piping, and connectors placed between the wellhead and the flowline/manifold to monitor and control production flow and manage gas or fluid injection during production. Subsea trees can be installed on a satellite well and connected to a flowline, or on a template drilled well and connected to piping in the template or to a manifold.

There are two types of subsea tree systems: horizontal (spool tree) and vertical for use in shallow-water, deep-water, ultra-deepwater, and template applications. The hybrid combination is also used in some cases, according to the project application.

Vertical subsea trees are manufactured in a single and twin bore configurations and serve a variety of functions in shallow and deep waters. In the vertical configuration, production tubing is suspended in the wellhead.

The horizontal tree is built so that all flow control valves are located outside the central wellbore. It provides easy access for tubing retrieval because the valves are not located at the centre of the wellbore. In the horizontal configuration, production tubing is suspended in the tree.

The functional requirements of vertical, horizontal, and hybrid kits’ subsea tree systems include providing well integrity, connecting the wellhead and flowline to direct flow, isolating flow from the well, regulating flow at the choke, and providing access for well intervention operations.

According to GlobalData’s contracts database, TechnipFMC is the top subsea tree provider to the oil and gas industry, followed by Schlumberger and its subsidiary, Onsubsea.

Other key suppliers include Aker Solutions, Baker Hughes, Singapore WEFIC Ocean Technologies, Subsea 7 SA, Rein Wellhead Equipment, Dril-Quip, McDermott International, Acteon Group, and Expo International Group.

Finding the best subsea tree providers

Offshore Technology has listed leading suppliers of subsea trees, based on analysis of GlobalData’s oil and gas contracts database.

The list covers key suppliers who provide a range of vertical, horizontal and hybrid subsea trees for applications, ranging from shallow-water templates to deepwater satellites.

The information contained within the download document is designed for offshore production managers, procurement managers, facility managers, production planning and control managers, maintenance and safety managers, EPC contractors, inspection managers, and any other individual involved in subsea oil and gas production process.

The free Buyers Guide is available to download and contains detailed information on the suppliers and their product lines, alongside contact details to aid your purchasing decision.

Related Buyer’s Guides which cover an extensive range of offshore technology, equipment and manufacturers can also be found here.