Safe Marine Transfer, LLC (SMT) and its partners, LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI), a Berkshire Hathaway Company, and Subsea 7, deliver a full-service solution to increase subsea production by alleviating flow restrictions and increasing flowrates in existing subsea production lines, subsea gathering lines, and subsea trunk lines.
Safe Marine Transfer, LLC (SMT) was established in 2012 with a focus on safe subsea chemical injection to economically extend deepwater subsea tiebacks.
To achieve this objective, SMT worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA), and several industry stakeholders.
Today, SMT is focused on increasing subsea production and pipeline flow for its customers. This focus is supported through a partnership with LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI), a Berkshire Hathaway Company, and Subsea 7.
Safe Marine Transfer, LLC (SMT), LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI), a Berkshire Hathaway Company, and Subsea 7 bring a combination of proven applications, market leading technology and industry expertise to deliver full-service subsea production and pipeline flow increase for offshore needs.
LSPI’s drag reducing agents (DRA), also known as flow improvers, can be delivered subsea via SMT’s patented, all-electric dual barrier subsea DRA storage and injection technology. In conjunction, Subsea 7 offers delivery of SMT’s technology and LSPI products on a global basis, through its global fleet of marine equipment, marine support, manufacturing, and assembly sites.
Drag reducing agents (DRAs) cost-effectively reduce pipeline pressure losses and maximize flowrates of onshore and offshore pipelines. Injecting DRA at the subsea well/drill center offers customers the ability to significantly increase production by increasing flow rates in existing subsea production lines, subsea gathering lines, and subsea trunk lines. Using DRA may also minimize or eliminate the need for subsea boosting.
Higher production rates are achieved as the DRA reduces the flowline back pressure on the wells and allows the wells to flow more freely:
With over 40 years of proven, value-add results, LSPI provides DRA for subsea applications through the partnership with LSPI, SMT and Subsea 7.
Since inventing and commercializing the very first drag reducer for crude oil pipelines in 1979, LSPI has remained the global market leader in flow improver technology and performance.
Drag reducers, also known as drag reducing agents (DRA) and flow improvers, reduce frictional pressure loss during fluid flow in a conduit or pipeline.
DRA consist of long-chain hydrocarbon polymers that act as turbulence inhibitors along the pipe wall to decrease the amount of energy lost in turbulent activity. Pressure loss reduction is achieved by reducing the level of turbulent motion in the flow.
DRA has been used extensively onshore and in offshore export pipelines and multiphase systems to increase flowrate and/or reduce pressure.
SMT provides subsea DRA storage and injection through its Subsea DRA Injection Unit, engineered for modular industrial fabrication.
Through its partnership with SMT and LSPI, Subsea 7 supports the deployment, recovery, and maintenance of the Subsea DRA Injection Unit.
Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry. Subsea 7’s offshore operations span five decades, successfully completing over 1,000 projects. Subsea 7’s engineering expertise, alliances and specialist technologies deliver safe and reliable solutions in all water depths and across all energy hubs.
Subsea 7 provides a variety of services across the full energy lifecycle, including:
Darren L. Wyatt is Chief Financial Officer and VP of Manufacturing for LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. Mr. Wyatt joined LSPI in 2006 and was responsible for a variety of departments including finance, marketing, strategy, business development, and global regulatory compliance. In 2015, Mr. Wyatt accepted a position with the Lubrizol Corporation as Vice President of Finance – a position he held for two years until being appointed Chief Financial Officer for LSPI in January 2017. In 2021, Mr. Wyatt was given the added responsibility of VP of Manufacturing. He has global responsibility for LSPI’s finance organization, Manufacturing Operations, Information Systems (IS), Procurement, and Capital Projects. Prior to joining LSPI, Mr. Wyatt held a variety of leadership roles at Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips. Mr. Wyatt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Regis University in Denver, Colorado and is a board member for several non-profit organizations.
Dr. Yung Lee is the DRA fellow for LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI). He has been involved in the development and evolution of drag reducing agents (DRA) technology for over 35 years and has played an instrumental role in LSPI’s 48-year track record of global DRA technology leadership. Launched under Conoco, the business continued under ConocoPhillips when the two companies merged, and under Phillips 66 when it spun off from ConocoPhillips, prior to the acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway in 2014.
Dr. Lee has been granted 5 patents around the development of new DRA products for the pipeline industry and has written and presented numerous papers focused on fluid flow and DRA applications.
Dr. Lee holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. Prior to joining the business in 1988 he held a variety of positions in research and engineering for several different organizations.
Mr. Gillespie is the Director of Business Development for LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI) and principally responsible for mergers and acquisitions.
Since 1989, he has been in the domestic and international oil and gas industry primarily with Duke Energy, Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 and LSPI. His experience includes project management, sales, contract negations, pipelines, and terminals.
Mr. Gillespie has been in the drag reducer industry since 2000 and has been granted a patent around the storage and injection of DRA.
Mr. Gillespie holds a Master and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Oklahoma State University.
Richard Baudier is the Business Development, Subsea and Distribution Manager for LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI) and a member of LSPI’s Commercial Leadership Team. Mr. Baudier manages Distributors in both domestic and international markets.
Mr. Baudier has been in the oil and gas industry since 2012 and joined LSPI in 2019 and held roles as Equipment Engineer and Technical Sales Engineer. His experience spans technical execution, project management, sales, contract negotiations, and pipeline-related markets.
Mr. Baudier holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University.
Paul is a Technology Manager at Subsea7 with 25 years of experience delivering complex subsea development projects. Over the past six years, he has led technology strategy, university engagement, and technology development initiatives across the company. His background includes major capital projects in the Gulf of America, Brazil, and Australia, where he supported diverse teams in delivering challenging subsea infrastructure. He brings a deep understanding of offshore engineering, operations, and cross discipline collaboration to the development of innovative solutions shaping the future of subsea projects.
Laura Reinosa is Vice President of Finance and Treasury at LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. Ms. Reinosa has over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance, working for various firms and organizations in Venezuela and other countries. She leads the financial function of LSPI which includes accountability for external and internal financial, reporting, planning, and accounting, assuring compliance with SEC and other governmental regulations, GAAP and Company policy, credit/treasury activities and foreign entity accounting and support. Her position interacts throughout the Company internally, and with auditors, outside counsel, government agencies, consultants, and financial and industry executives externally. Ms. Reinosa is also LSPI’s Ethics and Compliance Director, leading and overseeing the company Ethics program worldwide. Ms. Reinosa holds a B.S. in Accounting from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello.
Dr. Kommareddi is the Technology Director at LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI) and manages the research and development group.
Dr. Kommareddi held various roles with LSPI, including Director of New Business Development and Director of Manufacturing R&D and has over 30 years of experience with drag reducers which include manufacturing plant design, construction, and operations.
Dr. Kommareddi holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University and an MBA from Oklahoma State University.
