Flow Assurance Modeling
Flow Assurance engineering from modeling to operations requires seasoned professionals that understand the subject, the needs of the clients and the project challenges to optimally design operational strategies with the use of the state of the art modeling tools such as Prho™ and OLGA® Modeling Multi-phase flow transient simulator.
Viking Flow Assurance Engineers Focus
Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis/Network Modeling
Corrosion & Chemical Thermodynamic Modeling
Multiphase Transient & Steady State Simulator (Prho™), OLGA® Modeling
Line Sizing and Thermohydraulics Studies
Shut-In, Start-Up, Restart, Ramp-Up/Down, Gas Lift
Water Hammer and Pigging Studies
Rigorous Choke Modeling
Integrating Production Chemistry to Flow Assurance Related Issues
Design Operational Guidelines and Procedures
Project Experiences & Case Studies
BP Pipeline oversees the operation of 9 total oil and gas export systems from more than 20 different platforms in the GoM. The pipeline systems transport almost half-million barrels of oil and hundreds of MMSCF of gas daily from the producing platforms to onshore processing facilities.
The FAMP has been developed for BP Pipeline assets to ensure proper working of the high volume systems by organizing and delegating between operators, facilities, laboratories and onshore offices. By facilitating the review of system performance and operation, this information provides the basis of a continuous improvement approach.
GATE was responsible for formulating a detailed flow assurance strategy for the successful operation of Juniper production system. The project involved extensive cross-functional interaction, detailed study of the lessons learnt from similar fields in the region (offshore Trinidad), simulating a wide variety of what-if scenarios (both steady state and transient) to draft the flow assurance strategy and operability logic for optimized production.
GATE was involved in formulating the strategy for hot oil circulation and pigging operations for Chissonga. The hot oil circulation study involved optimization of the hot oil injection pressures and temperatures required to displace the cold dead leg in the pigging loop following an extended shutdown. The pigging study involved optimizing the pigging frequency, topsides injection pressures and pig velocities taking into account the production function for the entire life of the field.
The project involved detailed steady state and transient modeling and analysis of gas and oil production systems. Strategies were developed for pigging based on the liquid dropout pattern and fluid velocities.
Phase envelopes of the individual gas streams and gas-mixtures were studies in detail using the software PVTSIM and optimum operating pressures and temperatures were suggested to minimize the liquid drop out.
GATE was responsible for the flow assurance modeling to support Detailed Engineering, Final Commissioning and Startup and Operations Readiness for the Aseng Development. This included steady-state and transient modeling of the production, gas injection, and water injection systems.
GATE was approached by Tullow to provide a detailed view of the several options available in the industry for remediation of hydrate plugs in oil and gas lines, merits and demerits of each strategy and their applicability to the Jubilee field. The project also involves developing detailed procedures for hydrate remediation/removal for Jubilee considering the available topsides and subsea infrastructure.
GATE was involved in performing studies on the gas export line at different flowrates and platform pressures using the transient analysis software OLGA®. This includes calculation of the gas compressor requirements considering the characteristic curves and limitation on the compressor power) was calculated for a fixed export pipe ID.
GATE was engaged to evaluate the current condition and remaining life of the subsea jumpers and flowline of a deepwater oil and gas facility in the Gulf of Mexico.
The subsea field, which was comprised of multiple oil wells, was produced at a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) with a nominal capacity to produce 100,000 barrels of oil and 50 million cubic feet of gas per day. The subsea and topsides facilities were designed to operate with an expected maximum carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration of 0.15 mole percent from any given producing well.
After an in-line inspection of a pipeline in West Africa, a client discovered significant wall loss in the first three miles of the line. The tool also returned significant wax deposits, casting doubt on the current wax management efforts in place.
The wells producing to the pipeline historically produced H2S; however, the worst offenders were shut-in quickly after it was discovered that they were producing extremely high concentrations of the sour gas.
Developed standalone tool for operator to proactively monitor flow assurance risks based on the field specific reservoir fluids, subsea infrastructure and current operating conditions.
Provided complete hydrate blockage remediation support from initial onshore Engineering Assessment to execution planning and eventual successful field execution using nitrogen.
A Gulf of Mexico (GoM) operator in the process of decommissioning one of its fields requested the engineering assessment of a blockage existing in their flowline-riser. The reservoir fluid characteristics and the field’s operational history were extensively reviewed. The review indicated hydrates to be the likely cause of the blockage.
Custom solvent products and flow assurance engineering provide total approach to plugged GoM pipeline.
LiquiGel® pig maps internal pipeline geography and provides target area for remediation pill with no shut-in required.
A West Africa field operator witnessed an abnormal increase in pressure topsides when the flowline circulation pump was used to pump dead oil into the production line. No increase in subsea pressure was observed. Operational history prior to blockage hinted at the possibility of the presence of one or both wax and hydrate blockages in the production line. Depressurization options were limited by the blocked gas lift line.
Consult a Specialist
Engineering Manager | Production & Reservoir
Nelson is a Chemical and Petroleum Engineer with more than 20 years of experience. Nelson started his career as a Field Operations Engineer in Colombia and later moved to the USA working with ScandPower Petroleum Technology (now part of Schlumberger), GATE, and currently Viking Engineering. His experience includes onshore and offshore projects worldwide.
Phone: 281.870.8455
Resources
Through recognizing our clients’ needs, our engineering expertise, and our proprietary in-house GATE Prho™ software engine, we provide customizable, cost-effective, easy-to use software tools to deliver better client outcomes quicker.
This course will cover: Single-phase flow fundamentals, application examples in oil and gas industry, how to perform calculations, and modeling best practices.
This course contains application examples of single-phase fluid flow in oil and gas industry and step-by-step modeling.
This online course gives an overview of multiphase flow, how multiphase flow is different from two phase flow, the importance of understanding multiphase flow and the factors that influence multiphase flow.
This article will outline the challenges during integrity management, and the best practices that ultimately deliver a coordinated, effective, and cost-optimized IM plan.
This GATEKEEPER article focuses on the prediction, prevention and remediation of liquid loading, including discussion of liquid loading analysis.
The objective of this GATEKEEPER is to provide a high-level overview of the model commonly used in the industry to estimate the wax deposition.
The design and development of a viable, robust wax management strategy relies upon the economical evaluation of available management techniques.
Wax management strategies developed during Front End Engineering Design (FEED) can mitigate or perhaps even prevent these costs. The goal of this GATEKEEPER series is to provide high-level insight into the planning, execution, and maintenance of wax management strategies.
One of the primary flow assurance challenges in the production of hydrocarbons is the prevention of pipeline blockages.
As new industry challenges arise, a new approach to multiphase analysis called Computational Multiphase Fluid Dynamics (CMFD) has appeared as a possible solution.
This GATEKEEPER will discuss the basic factors influencing corrosion modeling, while a later installment will elaborate on the different corrosion models available and their respective advantages and limitations.
Proper sizing of the flowlines and risers coupled with optimal choking and gas-lift will greatly reduce the risk of slugging and help in efficient management of slugs throughout the life of the field.
Paraffin precipitation and deposition in flowlines and pipelines is an issue impacting the development of deepwater subsea hydrocarbon reservoirs.
In this paper, the most commonly used In-Line Inspection (ILI) techniques, methodology and limitations applicable to detecting metal loss and wall thickness measurements are presented.
This paper is the first part of a two part series and presents an overview of pig selection criteria for cleaning and maintenance of the pipelines, and covers high level guidance on establishing a progressive pigging strategy.
In subsea oil production systems, hydrate mitigation methods during steady state operation are almost always based around heat conservation.
CO2 corrosion modeling is a common practice to evaluate carbon steel flowlines and piping, both with and without inhibition, to ensure they achieve their intended design life. Modeling is also used to help determine if a corrosion resistant alloy should be used and can also be utilized to determine corrosion allowance and inhibition requirements.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Thermo-hydraulic Modeling, Corrosion and Erosion Modeling, Fracture Mechanics Modeling, Fatigue and Stress Analysis, Thermodynamic Modeling and Fit-for-Purpose Software Design
This series of two articles discusses the diagnosis, detection and remediation of oil and gas production system blockages in detail. The current issue focuses on blockage characterization and detection.