PRESENTATION :

FLOW ASSURANCE
FLOW ASSURANCE?
• Flow assurance is the engineering analysis
process of developing operating procedures to
maintain production under all present and future
conditions. Flow assurance issues include the
prediction and control of: Hydrates, slugging,
wax, pigging philosophies, e.t.c
CHALLENGE : TO OPTIMISE
PRODUCTION
 HYDRATES
• Hydrates are solid crystals (like ice) that may be formed by light
hydrocarbons (from methane to butane), CO2, H2S, N2 in contact
with water at low temperature or relatively high pressure.
`Drivers: T , P ,C , Wc
• Hydrates nature varies from hard ice to slush
• Contrary to waxes (continuous deposition), hydrates may form as
a plug which could cause a blockage of the pipeline over a short
period of time
• The hydrate formation curve, function of the temperature and the
pressure, depends somewhat on the fluid but is typically around
20°C
HYDRATES
 WAX
• Waxes are hydrocarbon long chains, paraffinic (>C15), contained in
the produced oil that may gel or solidify below the WAT : Wax
Appearance Temperature . Drivers : T, P, C
• Wax may be soft or hard (become harder in continuous flow)
• Wax crystals deposition takes place on the inner pipe wall
• Wax deposit thickness will increase progressively over time
increasing the pipe wall roughness and decreasing the pipe internal
diameter.
• Wax deposit thickness increase can go up to the blockage of the
pipeline
• The WAT varies widely between fluids, even in the same
geographical area
WAX
 OVERVIEW
Goals and Objectives:
• Because a project starts with flow assurance and
finishes with flow assurance

• It is very important to deepwater and subsea

production systems

• To help with operating strategies & system operability

• The general flow assurance design process and key

interfaces
RELEVANCE OF FLOW ASSURACE TO
SUBSEA ENGINEERING

DESIGN STAGES

9
 FLOW ASSURANCE TOOLS

STEADY-STATE ANALYSIS:
• PIPESIM
• MULTIFLASH

STEADY-STATE & TRANSIENT

ANALYSIS:
• OLGA
• PVTSIM
 STAGES IN FLOW ASSURANCE
ANAYSIS
• INITIAL ANALYSIS

• HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS

• THERMAL ANALYSIS

• TRANSIENT ANALYSIS
 STEADY STATE ANAYSIS

INITIAL ANALYSIS:
• Data gathering(water depth , comp., temp)
• Fluid modeling
• Setting up the model
• Phase envelopes
• Oil and water production profiles
 ESTABLISH DESIGN BASIS

Gather input information from Client

Document all input information and assumptions

in Design Basis document

Send design basis for client approval

Request Has client

Correct Info. N approved?
Steady-state
hydraulic
Y analysis

13
Flow Assurance Process
Well Fluid Conditions
Well Completion Data Processing
Well Fluid Data WHFT, WHFP, PI
CSG, TBG, Fluids Conditions
Flow Rate (Min. Max.)

Determine Steady-State P T
Develop PVT Analysis
Range ∆ P, ∆ T

Steady-State Analysis
Determine
Select a Line Size Line Profile
Depressurizing Conditions
@ Sea Floor Temperature
Determine Steady-State Flow Regime,
Limit of Heavy Slugging and GL Requirements

Select an OHTC

Verify the Minimum Flow Rate

Conditions Matching the Available ∆ T

Shutdow
Chemical Injection Volume Estimation

n
Next Page
 HYDRAULIC ANAYSIS

• Pressure drop profiles

• Erosional velocity ratios
• Liquid hold-up
• Optimum pig velocities
• Gas void fraction
• Hydraulic capacity
 STEADY-STATE HYDRAULIC
ANALYSIS

Using design basis data, build model

Run steady-state hydraulic simulations for a selected

flowline / riser ID

- Is fluid velocity
Change N < erosional limit
Pipeline ID - Can
production be
achieved
(Thru Life)
Steady-state
thermal analysis
Y

16
 THERMAL ANAYSIS

• Temperature profiles

• Insulation analysis

• Burial analysis

• Receiving facility temperature constraints

 STEADY-STATE
THERMAL ANALYSIS

Establish operating philosophy

Input U value for flowline and

riser, Run model

Check temperature profile

Satisfy
Y Operating
Philosophy N
? Decrease U-
(Thru life) value
N

Is U-value Y
Transient
acceptable Analysis
18
 TRANSIENT ANAYSIS
• Time-dependent processes (blowdown ,
shut-in, ramp-up and start-up )
• Depressurization times
• Cool down properties of insulated materials
• Sub-zero temperatures during well start-up
• Slugging analysis
• Pigging analysis
• Warm-up of production systems during
restart
 TRANSIENT ANALYSIS

Build layered pipeline model using thermal-physical properties

of the decided insulation material (OLGA)

Run transient simulations: Well start-up, shut-in,

blowdown, etc...

Does current
system meet Re-run
cooldown / steady-state
warmup thermal
requirements? N
analysis

Report all information to client and wait for approval

20
WELL START-UP PLOT
COOLDOWN PLOT
 BLOWDOWN PLOT
Depressurization with 1" BD Orifice

80
Day 1 Blowdown
Early Life Blowdown
70
Mid Life Blowdown
End of Life
Gas Rate into Flare System (MMscfd)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (hrs)
PRESSURE PROFILE PLOT
 BASIC FLOW ASSURACE ROLES
Establish the most feasible production system:
• Pipeline size. Insulation. Chemical injection
Aid in establishing an operation philosophy:
• Operate above wax/hydrate formation
temperatures
• Establish minimum cooldown time for flowlines
Identify and remediate potential hazards:
• Hydrates . Waxes. Severe slugging
 POTENTIAL HAZARDS
Some practical cases include:
• Hydrates during shut-in
• Large pipeline liquid inventory at low flow rates
• Large pressure differential across choke
• Sub-zero temperatures during well start-up
• Low liquid and pipe wall temperatures at start-up
• Severe slugging
 REFERNCES
For more information:
• www.spt.com
• www.wikipedia.org
• www.offshore-mag.com
• Oceon Library
• Pegasus Library
• OLGA results
• PIPESIM results
THANK YOU!