Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO

G R O U P

OFFSHORE-ONSHORE delivery system

Operability / Deliverabilty & Flow Assurance
during PLEM replacement

San Donato Milanese - October the 24th-25th 2006

Student Company Tutor

Amalia Bianco Ing. Lucia Corbetta

University Tutor
Prof. Ing. Francesca Verga
Division Exploration & Production
Unit PROD-OPSO
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Aim Of The Work

•Safe Production during Plem Replacement Operation avoiding

total field Shut-Down

•Perform an Optimization Study for production Ramp-Up and

Shut-Down and Liquid Hold-Up management during Plem
Replacement

•Make correlation of Plant Parameters with the evaluation of

liquid Hold Up in the Line

•Build an Updated Assessment of the Flow Assurance issues of

the line
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
9Environment & Delivery System Definition

9Deliverability & Operability

9Plem Replacement Case

9Sea Line Flow Assurance

9Plant Description & Analysis

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
9Environment & Delivery System Definition

Deliverability & Operability

Plem Replacement Case

Sea Line Flow Assurance

Plant Description & Analisys

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
•Delivery System G R O U P

•Off Shore
Platforms 3(A-T4-T2)
•On Shore
Wells 9
Plant
Producing 7 Description
facilities
Condensate 6 fingers
Fluid Type Slug Catcher
Gas 135 mt x 42"
Gas rate 11 MSCMD LTS(No) 5 units
Capacity 20 MSCMD
Condensate Stabilizer(No) 4 Units
23100 bpd
rate Capacity 36,000 BBLSD
•Sea Line Glycol
A-Plem Injection 3 units
6”/12” (No)
Cond/Gas Line
T4-Plem
10”/24”
Cond/Gas Line
T2-Plem
10”/24”
Cond/Gas Line
Plem-On Shore
12”/32”
Cond/Gas Line
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
Environment & Delivery System Definition

9Deliverability & Operability

Plem Replacement Case

Sea Line Flow Assurance

Plant Description & Analisys

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO

•Sealine Analysis G R O U P

•Deliverability •Operability
Condition STEADY STATE TRANSIENT STATE

Application FACILITY DESIGN / FULL SYSTEM PLANNED/UNPLANNED

time LIFECICLE PHASE OFFNORMAL CONDITION

SEALINE DIAMETERS, FLOW RATES, TRANSIENT TIME,

Operating PIPE INSULATION, ONSHORE SURGE VOLUME,
parameters FACILITIES TIPOLOGY DRAIN RATE

OPERATING PARAMETERS
Operating SYSTEM DESIGN, OPERATING OPTIMIZATION BY
deliverables STRATEGY AND PROCEDURE OPERATING PROCEDURE

IMPROVE SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY;

Scope SYSTEM BUILT AND OPERATED
SAFE OPERATION OUT OF
SUCCESSFULLY ECONOMICALLY
NORMAL CONDITION
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
Enviroment & Delivery System Definition

Deliverability & Operability

9Plem Replacement Case

Sea Line Flow Assurance

Plant Description & Analisys

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Plem Replacement Case

Operation Guidelines
• Sequencial Plems Replacement :
1. Condensate Plem Replacement-Producing in multiphase flow
into Gas Network
2. Gas Plem Replecement-Producing in multiphase flow into
Condensate Network
• Operating Constraints:
1. OffShore production rate
2. OnShore Plant capability
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Plem Replacement Case

1. Operation Workflow/Condensate Plem Replacement
TRANSITORY
START-UP

1 ROUTING CONDENSATE TO GAS NETWORK

2 GAS NETWORK MULTIPHASE PRODUCTION

3 CONDENSATE NET SHUTDOWN & DEPRESSURIZATION

4 CONDENSATE PLEM REPLACEMENT

5 SINGLE PHASE PRODUCTION RESTART

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

1 ROUTING CONDENSATE TO GAS NETWORK

•CONSTRAINTS
Slug Catcher drain rate 25000bpd 12000 27500

Slug Catcher surge volume 330 m3 11500 25000

11000 22500

Liquid flowrate (bpd) @ El Gamil

10500
•OPERATING PARAMETER 20000

Liquid Content (m3)

10000
17500
Ramp Up Time 9500 Liquid Content
15000
9000 Liquid Flowrate
12500
8500
•OPERATION MANAGEMENT 8000
10000

RESULTS 7500
7500

5000
•Instantaneous swap from 7000
2500
6500
condensate to gas network 6000 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280
•Liquid outlet rate = 22500 bopd Time (h)
•Hold Up Transient time =35 hr
•Conclusions
TRANSITORY No Issue in this phase
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP
2 GAS NETWORK MULTIPHASE PRODUCTION
•ISSUES
1. Hold Up growth from 300
2400 m3 to 6500 m3 290
280
270
Multiphase Hydrate Curve
Multiphase Wax Cloud Point Curve
260 Minimum Operative Arrival Pressure

2. Sealine arrival Pressure 250

240
230
Maximum Operative Pressure
Sea Temperature
Platform Fluid Temperature
220
> 45 bar (related to 210
200
190 Hydrate

Pressure (bara)
critical erosional velocity) 180
170
160
Formation
Occurrence
Wax
Deposition

150
3. Wax & Hydrate possible 140
130
120
110
existence conditions 100
90
80
70 Multiphase System Expected Working Envelope Area
60
• REQUIREMENTS 50
40
30
20
10
0
1. Pressure drop monitoring -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Temperature (°C)
2. Chemical injection (i.e.
Glycol, Methanol) during
TRANSITORY operations
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

3 CONDENSATE NET SHUTDOWN & DEPRESSURIZATION

•DEPRESSURIZATION
PROCEDURE
1 10

1. Flaring gas trough flare 0.9 0

system 0.8 -10

0.7 -20
2. Recovering condensate into

Elevation [m]
0.6 -30
KO Drum (KO Drum surge

Hold Up
0.5 -40

volume= 50 m3; KO Drum 0.4 -50

Drain Rate=6000bpd) 0.3 -60

0.2 -70

•RECOMMENDATIONS 0.1 Hold Up

-80
Line Profile
0 -90

1. Opening/closing multistep 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 55000 60000 65000
PLEM - E.G. distance [m]
inlet valve
2. Depressurization time =40 hr
TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

4 CONDENSATE PLEM REPLACEMENT

•REMARKS
•Replacement Pressure 10 bar
•Pig Launcher line closure

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP
5 SINGLE PHASE PRODUCTION RESTART

45 10
•ISSUE 0
Large Sealine liquid 40

Pressure [bara] - Temperature [°C]

-10
accumulation -20
35

Elevation [m]
-30

30 -40

•OPERATIVE PROCEDURE -50

25
-60
•Highest possible pressure Pressure
Temperature
-70
restart 20 Line Profile

-80
•Ramp Up Time Control
15 -90
•Slug monitoring 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 55000 60000 65000
PLEM - E.G. distance [m]

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Plem Replacement Case

2. Operation Workflow/Gas Plem Replacement
TRANSITORY
START-UP

1 ROUTING GAS TO CONDENSATE NETWORK

2 CONDENSATE NETWORK MULTIPHASE PRODUCTION

3 GAS NET SHUTDOWN & DEPRESSURIZATION

4 GAS PLEM REPLACEMENT

5 SINGLE PHASE PRODUCTION RESTART

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP
1 ROUTING GAS TO CONDENSATE NETWORK

•CONSTRAINTS 2500
Drain rate: Remaining slugcatcher
drain rate: 8300 bpd
2250
Ramp up rate:24h
Max gas rate 1.8 MSCMD 2000
Ramp up rate:24h
Ramp up rate:72h
Ramp up rate:72h
Max separator pressure 140bar 1750
Ramp up rate:96h
Ramp up rate:96h

Surge Volume (m3)

Available Slugcatcher Surge Volume

1500

1250 Drain rate: 39000bpd

@ stabilization tower

1000 Drain rate: 27200bpd

•OPERATING PROCEDURE 750

@ stabilization tower

Drain rate: 25000bpd

@ stabilization tower
500
1. Network pressurization
250
with well fluid
0
2. Slug Catcher tied-in 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Time (h)
3. Ramp Up Time 72 hr
TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

2 CONDENSATE NETWORK MULTIPHASE PRODUCTION

140 4500

4000
120

•MAIN PARAMETERS 100

3500

Liquid content (m3)

3000
Akhen inlet pressure

Pressure (bara)
A inlet Pressure
•Plem Pressure= 120 bar 80 T4 inlet Pressure
T4 inlet pressure
T2 inlet Pressure
2500

PLEMTNW2 inlet pressure

Pressure
•Arrival Pressure = 94 bar 60 TOTPLEM
LiquidContent
pressure
2000

•Max Gas Rate = 1.8 MSCMD 40

1500

•Liquid Flow Rate= 3600 bopd 20

1000

Ramp up rate: 24h 500

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
Time (h)

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

3 GAS NET SHUTDOWN & DEPRESSURIZATION

40
Hydrate Curve

P upstream-T upstream valve

•ISSUES P upstream-T downstream
35
time: 42 min
valve
30

1. Liquid drop out

Pressure (bara)
25

2. Hydrate formation
20

15

10
•REQUIREMENTS time: 15 h
5
Foresee Methanol Injection
0

plan during transient operation -20 -16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

Temperature [°C]

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

4 GAS PLEM REPLACEMENT

•REMARKS

•Replacement Pressure 10 bar

•Pig line closure

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

TRANSITORY
START-UP

5 SINGLE PHASE PRODUCTION RESTART

100 10
•ISSUES 0
90

Pressure [bara] - Temperature [°C]

-10
1. Large liquid accumulation 80
-20
2. Swinging in liquid outlet 70

Elevation [m]
-30
60
-40
50
-50
40
•REQUIREMENTS Pressure
Temperature
-60
30 Line Profile -70

•Ramp Up Time = 48 hr 20 -80

•Residual Hold Up=2900 m3 10

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 55000 60000 65000
-90

•Liquid outlet monitoring PLEM - E.G. distance [m]

TRANSITORY
END
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
Enviroment & Delivery System Definition

Deliverability & Operability

Plem Replacement Case

9Sea Line Flow Assurance

Plant Description & Analisys

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

FLOW ASSURANCE

•DESIGN •EXECUTION •PRODUCTION

PHASE

Feasibility
Detailed Engineering/
WHEN Study/FEED Mature Field
Start Up

Fluid composition
Production
MAIN analysis Chemical Injection
Optimization
CONCERNS Fluid Stability Range planning
Study

COST PLANT
PLANT CAPEX PLANT OPEX
REDUCTION CAPEX/OPEX
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

SeaLine Flow Assurance Pattern

SAMPLING

LAB TEST

MODELLING

SYSTEM OPERABILITY REMEDIAL / MONITORING

DEFINITION STRATEGY MITIGATING & CONTROL
STRATEGY FOR
PRODUCTION
OPTIMIZATION
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
•Condensate Line Wax Issue G R O U P

•Data •Input •Output

CONDENSATE
COMPOSITION
TERMODYNAMIC
FILE •DEPOSITION
CLOUD POINT RATE
TEMPERATURE & EVOLUTION
PRESSURE
•TEMPERATURE
PROFILE
LINE
PIPELINE
PARAMETERS, •WAX DEPOSIT
FILE
OIL PROPERTY VOLUME

VISCOSITY VISCOSITY
DATA FILE
Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

•Main Results
1,8

35
45 days 67 days 90 days 112 days 120 days
1,6
30

1,4
25

Temperature (°C)
Deposit Thickness (mm)
1,2 20

15
1

10
0,8
5

0,6
0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000
0,4 Distance (m)

•Increasing Pressure Drop

0,2

•Increasing Roughness
0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000

Distance (m)

Temperature
under Cloud Point •Thermodynamic
affects wax appearance
Thermal Gradient •Kinetics affect wax
along pipe radius growth
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

WAX BUILD UP
12

10
Wax Growing during production
Deposit Volume (m3)

6
•A high Cloud Point compared to
4
ambient or wall temperature means wax
2 deposition during production
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Time (days)

120

100
Wax Affects Condensate Flow Behavior

viscosity (cP)
80
•NonNewtonian reological behavior
60
under Cloud Point
40
•Quick viscosity increase 20

•Cold Restart Issue 0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
T (°C)
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

•Flow Assurance Management Plan

Sea Line Pressure Drop Monitoring

¾

Time Lag for critical restriction Evaluation

¾

PPD Injection Plan

¾

Pigging procedure planning in normal condition

¾

¾Pigging operations planning during transitory

multiphase flow into condensate line
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
Environment & Delivery System Definition

Deliverability & Operability

Plem Replacement Case

Sea Line Flow Assurance

9Plant Description & Analysis

Conclusions
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Plant constraints

LTS

SLUG CATCHER STABILIZER

 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

•Plant Analysis

•During Steady State operations no Plant issue is detected

•During transient operation Hold Up variation causes large liquid
drop-out to OnShore facilities
•Large liquid rate to Slug Catcher causes abnormal liquid carry
over to LTS and negatively affects LTS efficiency
•Liquid rate over Stabilizer nominal drain rate determines Off-Spec
products
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Summary
Environment & Delivery System Definition
Deliverability & Operability
Plem Replacement Case
Sea Line Flow Assurance
Plant Description & Analysis
9 Conclusions
 Master INGEGNERIA DEL PETROLIO
G R O U P

Conclusions

¾ A sequential Replacement Procedure grant to Safe Production

(although with some rates reduction) in respect to the Plant
Capability
¾ Continuous Pressure Drop Monitoring Across the line allows
to detect and control Hold Up variation

¾ Flow Assurance Assessment revealed the following

requirements:
1. Batch Chemical Injection during Multiphase flow
2. Continuous PPD & Paraffin Solver Injection into
Condensate line