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Overview of Flow Assurance Challenges

6th COPEDI Meeting Rio de Janeiro

May 2015

Agenda

• Morning Session:

• Overview (Daniel Merino-Garcia, Repsol Sinopec Brasil)

• Afternoon Session:

• MULTIPHASE FLOW (Rigoberto Morales, UTFPR)

• ONLINE MONITORING (Reda Boumra, ONESUBSEA)

• TEMPERATURE CONTROL (Roberta Pires, TECHNIP)

Flow Assurance

Production Challenges

- Flow Instabilities

- Blockages

Production Profiles

- Recovery Factor

Flow Assurance

MOL WEIGHT

Saturates Light-

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Temperature

Experimental Composition & Behavior

Models & Software for Equilibria & Flow

Analysis Options for Control & Mitigation

• Flow Assurance Risk Assessment

Fluid Composition

All fluids with same API and GOR

ARE EQUIVALENT?

• API Density (10 is water density)

• Gas Density (normalized vs. air)

• Gas-Oil Ratio

Fluid Composition

Saturates Light- Ends

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

• Fluid Composition depends on Source Rock Maturity

Fluid Composition

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

Fluid Composition

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

Fluid Composition

Saturates

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

Light- Ends

Fluid Composition

Saturates

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

Light- Ends

Fluid Composition

Saturates

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Medium

Very Low

Light- Ends

Fluid Composition

• Fluid Composition depends on:

• Secondary Charges

• Homogenization

• In-Situ Alterations

Fractionation

Biodegradation

Washing

Hydrocarbon Challenges

• Wax:

Heavy non-polar molecules solidify due to cooling. They will generate restrictions during flow (Deposition) and Blockage upon shutdown (Gelation).

• Asphaltenes:

Heavy polar components that solidify due to loss of pressure or mixing of incompatible streams.

MOL WEIGHT

Saturates Light-

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Water-Related Challenges

MOL WEIGHT

Saturates Light-

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

• Hydrates:

Light-ends mixed with water solidify due to cooling at high pressure.

• Naphthenates:

Organic acids that solidify (with Ca2+) due to pressure / temperature / pH, or form tight emulsions (with Na+).

• Inorganic Scales:

Ions in water that solidify due to cooling, depressurization or mixing.

Multiphase Flow Challenges

• Slugging:

Discontinuous liquid / gas flow during multi-phase flow due to bathymetry / fluid velocities

• Viscosity:

High pumping requirements associated to the presence of acids, asphaltenes, solids or emulsions

• Emulsion / Foams:

Stabilization of water-oil interface / gas-liquid interface by polar components or solids

MOL WEIGHT

Saturates Light-

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Flow Assurance Challenges

FLOW ASSURANCE

ORGANICS

• Asphaltenes

• Waxes

• Hydrates

• Naphtenates

INORGANICS

• Scales

MULTIPHASE

• Slugging

VISCOSITY

• Heavy Oil

• Solids

EMULSIONS

• Separability

FLUID DYNAMICS

SOLID FORMATION

Flow Assurance Brazil

Biodegraded Oils

Heavy Oils

Naphthenic Oils

Lacustrine Waxy Oils

High Salinity Water

Asphaltenic Oils

High GOR Fluids

High CO2 content

Summary - Experimental

• Fluid Composition (Geochemistry) defines the potential FA problems • Experimental work required to understand behavior (few standards)

Phase Envelopes

• Compositional data and lab experiments allow defining the equilibrium lines for all organic / inorganic solids

Hydrates vs Temp.

Waxes vs Temp.

Asphaltenes vs Press.

Kinetics of Solid Formation

• Deposition Rate for Waxes

• Agglomeration Rate for Hydrates

• Nothing well established for Asphaltenes / Scales

Fluid-Dynamic Simulators

• Commercial Steady State Tools (Prosper / Hysys / PIPESIM etc.)

• Transient Simulators (OLGA / FlowManager / MAST / LedaFlow / CFD etc.)

Multiphase Flow

• #1 PRESENTATION – RIGOBERTO MORALES (UTFPR)

Phase Envelopes

Liq-Vap Hydrates Scales Waxes Asphalt.

Understanding the

Phenomena

Thermodynamic

Equilibrium

Fluid-dynamic

Behaviour

Interaction with

water, chemicals,…

Agglomeration

CO2 / Heavy Oil

HPHT Kinetics

Re-Start

Summary - Modeling

• Models exist to describe behavior (lack of predicting ability) • Validity depends on how much we understand the phenomena

Field Architecture

• Field Architecture

Subsea processing (separation, boosting, compression etc.) acts as an enabler for longer tie-backs and can minimize the risks associated to Flow Assurance issues.

Integrated Asset Modeling is required to account for IPR changes

• Coupled reservoir – subsea – topsides simulations are required. Quick Assessment of subsea architecture?

Pressure-Related Issues

• Pressure Control

Difficult to avoid

Possible to “protect” the reservoir (water/gas injection)

• Subsea boosting

Temperature-Related Issues

• Temperature Control

Insulation

Electrical Heating

Hot Fluid Circulation

• Vertical Flow and bulk cooling associated to gas flow

• #2 PRESENTATION – ROBERTA PIRES (TECHNIP)

Control & Mitigation

• Temperature Control

Slurry Generation

• Temperature “Uncontrol”

COLD FLOW

Technologies to force fluids to quickly cool and generate all the solids in a controlled manner so that the slurry can be transported long distances

• Solid formation Black Box

• Stability in steady state and shutdown

HYDRAFLOW Concept, Heriott Watt U.

Chemical Treatments

• Inhibitors

Products to change the phase envelop (MEG vs Hydrates) or to reduce the nucleation rates or the aggregation tendency (dispersants)

• Placement via umbilicals over long distances

• Compatibility of products and among treatments

• Low dosage inhibitors

• HSE

Dissociation of Hydrate Plugs

• Depressurization

One-way or two-way depressurization is possible.

Hydrate Remediation skids for rigids.

• And Flexibles?

Active Heating for safe dissociation of plugs

ETH PiP / Technip

Oceaneering

Removal of Deposits

• Mechanical Removal

Pigging solutions to scrap waxes from walls (with by-pass)

Asphaltenes are not piggable (solvents required)

• Active heating to melt deposits?

• #3 PRESENTATION – REDA BOUMRA (ONESUBSEA)

• Monitoring Technologies

Control & Mitigation

Summary – Control & Mitigation

• Variety of methods to control FA challenges (room for improvement) • Instrumentation / Monitoring is key to keep the productivity

Flow Assurance

MOL WEIGHT

Saturates Light-

Aromatics

Resins

Asphaltenes

Temperature

• Summary

Summary – Flow Assurance

• Input data is not standardized. Cannot simply use composition, need to check behavior at the lab

• Modeling depends on how much we understand the phenomena

• Control and Mitigation

• FA does not define the final field architecture but can limit the options

• Subsea processing is beneficial for FA

• FA solutions are maybe a problem for other areas (compatibility)

• Balance between CAPEX / OPEX - Entering the solid formation region?

• Monitoring is key to assure optimal performance

Summary – R&D Opportunities

• Collaborative efforts under the ANP levy

Academia Supplier Operator

THANK YOU!

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