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Bottlenecking
The following case study is used to explain the use of bottlenecks in Maros. This chapter assumes
that the user understands the concept of block flow diagram and production profiles.

An offshore production facility is under operation (past the design phase) described using the
following block flow diagram:

Figure 445: Block Flow Diagram

The main assumptions for this case study are listed below:

- The node design capacities are indicated in parenthesis. Each export node has the node
design capacity of

o Oil export: 100 mbbls/day

o Water production: 100 mbbls/day

o Gas compression: 100 mmscf/day

- Two systems are defined: Compression and Pumping system

- Each system is formed with parallel blocks with one equipment item

- Each parallel block unit are using the following capacities:

Table 9: Parallel Block capacity per unit

Parallel Block Equipment Unit 1 Unit 2

The reservoir profile is described using the following production profile:

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Figure 446: Oil, Water and Gas Production Profile

A new reservoir profile is calculated where the water production has increased considerably for
the next 10 years.

Figure 447: Water Production profile for Base case and Sensitivity case

Adding this new production profile at the Flow Grid in Maros will prompt the following error
message in the Water Production Node:

Figure 448: Error message when production is bottlenecked by Node Design Capacity

As the error indicates, the node capacity of 100 mbbls/Day is not sufficient to handle the newly
defined flow of 125 mbbls/day. Maros will identify all nodes where the system is unable to
process the production rates defined at the Flow Grid.

As the error message indicates, this problem can be resolved by:

- Change the Node Design Capacity to meet the peak production rate for the associated stream
in the Flow Grid or;

- Select the option to "Allow Bottlenecks" in the Settings tab

The first solution is not feasible for assets that are under operations – design configuration is
fixed. Thus, to allow the model to run with this current bottleneck, the user needs to select the
option to "Allow Bottlenecks" in the Settings tab:

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Figure 449: Allow Bottlenecks in the Setting Tab

This will convert the error message into a warning message. The red icon indicates an error
message and you cannot run the model . The yellow icon indicates a warning which will
allow you to run the model but made you aware of a specific issue in the model.

This will impact mainly two areas of the flow calculation:

· Bottlenecked production caused by the inability to flow all the water production and the
requirement to maintain the gas and oil ratio (GOR)

· Spare capacity available when the nodes are not 100% utilized

The following section discuss the impact of these different changes to the flow calculation:

More:

Bottlenecked production

Spare capacity change

Controlling the bottleneck

Bottlenecking

Bottlenecked production
The bottlenecked production can be easily identified by playing the animation mode. The flow of
water is bottlenecked in year 6, as described in the error message:

Figure 450: Playing the Animation mode

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Figure 451: Animation mode is defined for Year 6

The water production is bottlenecked by 80%. This is calculated by referring the Node Design
Capacity for node which is to meet the potential production demand. In this case, the water
production node design capacity is 100 mbbls/day and the potential flow is 125 mbbls/day i.e.
100/125 = 0.8.

To maintain the gas and oil ratio, this bottleneck is spread to all the nodes in the block flow
diagram:

- Oil export node is now showing a production of 80 mbbls/day (i.e. 80% x 100 mbbls/day)
and;

- Gas export node is now showing a production of 60 mmscf /day (i.e. 80% x 75 mmscf/day).

This will obviously cause an impact to the main Key Performance Indicators in the system. It is
important to note that Maros will always report the Production Efficiency. Production efficiency
is defined as the total volume produced at the export node to that which would have produced had
all equipment run without failures throughout the system life.

Production Efficiency = Production of Export Node / Potential Production of Export Node

Taking this case study, the last three years of the platform are constrained by the water production
node. So, after removing events that would cause production loss, the maximum production
efficiency this platform can achieve is 92%. This can be easily calculated by taking the production
profile of oil and referring to the actual profile:

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Figure 452: Potential VERSUS Actual Production Volume (mbbls)

The total production for the actual production volume is 3,358,000 mbbls and the total potential
production volume is 3,650,000 mbbls.

To assist users on understanding the impact of bottlenecks to the system, a new KPI has been
introduced to the performance summary: Volumetric Production against Plant capacity.

Figure 453: Volumetric production against plant capacity

For the case where there is no production loss, this KPI will be showing 100%. This KPI can be
used as a reference point to the overall efficiency of the model without looking at the bottlenecked
production.

Bottlenecking

Spare capacity change

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transient spare capacity. The importance of identifying spare capacity for the different product
streams is thoroughly discussed in Chapter 9.

The impact of the flow change to the spare capacity is discussed in the following section.

Let’s start by taking the example of failures in the Compression system during the first 3 years of
operation, when the production rate is equal to 100 mmscf per day. The failure of one of the
parallel block units, which can produce up to 75% of the Node Design Capacity (i.e. 75 mmscf
per day), will reduce the production for all streams proportionally. In this case, the system is
constrained to produce at 75% of its capacity – 75 mmscf/day is available of 100 mmscf/day of
potential.

Figure 454: Spare capacity in the Water Production Node prevent impact to production

Now considering failures in the Water production system during the same period. In this case,
because the system is not fully utilizing the Node Design Capacity, no production loss is
computed.

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Figure 455: Spare capacity in the Water Production Node prevent impact to production

Running the same analysis for the period where the gas production is reduced to 75 mmscf per
day will follow the same logic. This is shown in the next screenshot:

Figure 456: Spare capacity in the Gas Export Node prevent impact to production

Analysing the water production profile for the same period will show the maximum water is 40
mbbls per day. This means that, similarly to the compression system, failures to the water
production system will not cause any production loss. Same logic applies – because the system is
not utilizing its full capacity, the spare capacity can maintain production, avoiding production
loss.

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Figure 457: Water Production System failure for the Base Case, doesn't impact the export of other
streams

However, the reviewed production profile now predicts a maximum production of 90 mbbls per
day for this period. This means that a failure in the water production will now constraint the water
production system which will then impact the production of all other product streams.

Figure 458: Water Production System failure for the model with new reservoir information,
impacting the export for other streams

The production loss associated with this failure can be computed by calculating how much the
system is constrained and mapping out the using the gas and oil ratio.

In this case, the Water production system is required to produce at 90 mbbls per day and it is now

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constrained to 60 mbbls per day. This means a 33.3% of reduction which is then passed into all
other nodes. This results in:

- Oil export system is now producing at 66.67 mbbls per day

- Gas export system is now producing at 50 mmscf per day.

For the last step of the simulation, where the Water production system is bottlenecked, the impact
of decreased spare capacity must be combined. This will provide the overall view of production
losses which are associated with the bottlenecked production.

Bottlenecking

Controlling the bottleneck

- Node design capacity bottlenecks: those nodes which are unable to meet the production
profile defined at the Flow Grid

- Transient Rate Profiles: ability to control the flow for a specific node

The following section describes how this will impact the model and its results:

More:

Node design capacity bottlenecks

Rate Profile

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Bottlenecking > Controlling the bottleneck

Node design capacity bottlenecks

Bottlenecks that involve Node Design Capacity will impact mainly the flow calculation for nodes
where the Production rate defined at the Flow Grid is higher than the Node Design Capacity. It is
important to note that, changing the Node Design Capacity will change the reference point for the
Capacity Loss factor defined at the Failure Mode, Scheduled Activity and Trigger set level.
Another important change will be the model’s inability to boost the system to production rates
that were previously available.

Figure 459: Defining Design Capacity

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Bottlenecking > Controlling the bottleneck

Rate Profile

This new feature allows the user to define the required flow running through a specific node. This
is an additional set of information which will be used to constrained the production to a certain
level for specific nodes. Now, the user can define transient changes for nodes that need to be
controlled for its flow.

Figure 460: Defining Rate Profile

This bottleneck will be spread throughout the different nodes in the model. Similarly to
bottlenecks caused by Node Design Capacity, this change will mainly impact those nodes where
the Production rate defined at the Flow Grid is higher than Transient Rate Profile. One important
difference is that this will not change the reference point for the calculation of Capacity Loss as
the Node Design capacity remains the same. The same restriction to boosting operations is
expected.

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Rate profiles can only be used at intermediary nodes and the flow can only be controlled by
constant production rates.

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