12
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Heavy Oil Development – A Flow Assurance Challenge
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Non-Newtonian viscosities dependent on shear rate
Heavy oils, fluids that deviate from the classic Newtonian behaviour
Non-Newtonian Fluids
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Heavy Oil Development – A Flow Assurance Challenge
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Non-Newtonian Fluids
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Non-Newtonian Fluids
Properties of non-Newtonian fluidBentley
Kraken
Mariner/Bressay
Corona
Captain
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Heavy Oil Development – A Flow Assurance Challenge
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Multiphase Simulator
Model
Interpretation
Data
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Heavy Oil
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Heavy Oil – Main Challenges• Transport• High Pressure Drop• Gathering valid lab data
• Emulsions and Separation during testing
50% WC at 40DegC40% WC at 40DegC
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Thermodynamics• Need good lab test data• Must tune the fluid files
to match lab data before any analysis performed
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OLGAOLGA fails to predict the separation of the phases when the emulsion breaks
How to tackle this issue?
Start-up after cooldown non-representative of real system
• Initial Conditions for start-up
• Plugs in system (oil and water allowed to separate)
• Complex Fluid ModuleIs core annular flow scalable?
Interpretation
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OLGA
Complex Fluid Module
High Viscosity or Shear Thinning or High Yield Stress
Bingham, Power law or Newtonian (High Viscosity)
• This method will significantly improve the results and the accuracy
of the model;
• It requires trial and error to benchmark results with lab data
(viscosity) to define the yield stress/consistency factor.
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Greenfield vs Brownfield
Reservoir Subsea System Topsides
• New Technologies
• Control Production
• Artificial Lift
• Separation Efficiency
• Cost Benefit
