Enabling Technologies for Low Cost Subsea Field Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Cantinelli Sevillano ◽  
Audun Faanes ◽  
Tor Berge Gjersvik ◽  
Sigbjørn Sangesland
Keyword(s):  
Production System ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Subsea Production System

Abstract The oil and gas industry faces many challenges as it is committed to provide energy to a world in transition. Declining prices impose constraints to new developments, either greenfield or brownfield. Additionally, the industry’s commitment to long-term value creation with reduced carbon footprint is confronted with the traditional solutions for well construction, production and processing, which consume significant amount of energy with corresponding high CO2 emissions. In this scenario, subsea production and processing technology has been a key enabler for the exploitation of oil and gas resources. This paper presents a holistic review of trends in subsea technology development over recent years which have direct impact on the heart of the subsea production system, namely the subsea tree. The technological developments considered are in different subsea applications such as robotic automation, communication systems, and all-electric systems. The objective of the ongoing research is to perform structural and fundamental analysis of subsea production and injection systems and address the question on how technological developments can be utilized to design an overall better subsea production system so the industry may fully benefit from the economic and ecological impact brought by the joint use of these technologies. Opportunities for reevaluating barrier philosophy to identify technical and economic opportunities for design simplifications of subsea trees that still leave enough pressure barriers in all operational modes are also considered. The analyses presented indicate the current stage of the examined technologies and their potential at reducing both capital and operational cost of subsea systems. These results will be the basis for the future evaluation of improved and new design solutions within the scope of the ongoing project performed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and its industrial partners.

scholarly journals The Limpet: A ROS-Enabled Multi-Sensing Platform for the ORCA Hub

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed E. Sayed ◽  
Markus P. Nemitz ◽  
Simona Aracri ◽  
Alistair C. McConnell ◽  
Ross M. McKenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Condition Monitoring ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Offshore Structures ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Offshore Platforms

The oil and gas industry faces increasing pressure to remove people from dangerous offshore environments. Robots present a cost-effective and safe method for inspection, repair and maintenance of topside and marine offshore infrastructure. In this work, we introduce a new immobile multi-sensing robot, the Limpet, which is designed to be low-cost and highly manufacturable, and thus can be deployed in huge collectives for monitoring offshore platforms. The Limpet can be considered an instrument, where in abstract terms, an instrument is a device that transforms a physical variable of interest (measurand) into a form that is suitable for recording (measurement). The Limpet is designed to be part of the ORCA (Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets) Hub System, which consists of the offshore assets and all the robots (UAVs, drones, mobile legged robots etc.) interacting with them. The Limpet comprises the sensing aspect of the ORCA Hub System. We integrated the Limpet with Robot Operating System (ROS), which allows it to interact with other robots in the ORCA Hub System. In this work, we demonstrate how the Limpet can be used to achieve real-time condition monitoring for offshore structures, by combining remote sensing with signal processing techniques. We show an example of this approach for monitoring offshore wind turbines. We demonstrate the use of four different communication systems (WiFi, serial, LoRa and optical communication) for the condition monitoring process. By processing the sensor data on-board, we reduce the information density of our transmissions, which allows us to substitute short-range high-bandwidth communication systems with low-bandwidth long-range communication systems. We train our classifier offline and transfer its parameters to the Limpet for online classification, where it makes an autonomous decision based on the condition of the monitored structure.

Proxy Model for Real-Time Estimation of Cool Down Time of Subsea Production System to Prevent Hydrates Formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Rizzo Cascio ◽  
Antonio Da Silva ◽  
Martino Ghetti ◽  
Martino Corti ◽  
Marco Montini
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Production System ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Time Estimation ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Proxy Model ◽  
Real Time Estimation ◽  
Subsea Production System ◽  
Formation Of Hydrates

Abstract Objectives/Scope The benefits of real-time estimation of the cool down time of Subsea Production System (SPS) to prevent formation of hydrates are shown on a real oil and gas facility. The innovative tool developed is based on an integrated approach, which embeds a proxy model of SPS and hydrate curves, exploiting real-time field data from the Eni Digital Oil Field (eDOF, an OSIsoft PI based application developed and managed by Eni) to continuously estimate the cool down time before hydrates are formed during the shutdown. Methods, Procedures, Process The Asset value optimization and the Asset integrity of hydrocarbon production systems are complex and multi-disciplinary tasks in the oil and gas industry, due to the high number of variables and their synergy. An accurate physical model of SPS is built and, then, used to develop a proxy model, which integrates hydrate curves at different MeOH concentration, being able to estimate in real time the cool down time of SPS during the shutdown exploiting data from subsea transmitters made available by eDOF in order to prevent formation of hydrates. The tool is also integrated with a user-friendly interface, making all relevant information readily available to the operators on field. Results, Observations, Conclusions The integrated approach provides a continues estimation of cool down time based on real time field data (eDOF) in order to prevent formation of hydrates and activate preservation actions. An accurate physical model of SPS is built on a real business case using Olga software and cool down curves simulated considering different operating shutdown scenarios. Hydrate curves of the considered production fluid are also simulated at different MeOH concentration using PVTsim NOVA software. Off-line simulated curves are then implemented as numerical tables combined with eDOF data by an Eni developed fast executing proxy model to produce estimated cool down time before hydrates are formed. A graphic representation of SPS behavior and its cool down time estimation during shutdown are displayed and ready to use by the operators on field in support of the operations, saving cost and time. Novel/Additive Information The benefits of real time estimation of the cool down time of SPS to prevent hydrates formation are shown in terms of saving of time and cost during the shutdown operations on a real case application. This integrated approach allows to rely on a continue, automatic and acceptably accurate estimate of the available time before hydrates are formed in SPS, including the possibility to be further developed for cases where subsea transmitters are not available or extended to other flow assurance issues.

Challenges in Hydrate Plug Prevention in Pipelines Seen Over the Lifetime of a Field

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casper Hadsbjerg ◽  
Kristian Krejbjerg
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Hydrate Formation ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
High Water ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Hydrate Plug ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

When the oil and gas industry explores subsea resources in remote areas and at high water depths, it is important to have advanced simulation tools available in order to assess the risks associated with these expensive projects. A major issue is whether hydrates will form when the hydrocarbons are transported to shore in subsea pipelines, since the formation of a hydrate plug might shut down a pipeline for an extended period of time, leading to severe losses. The industry practices a conservative approach to hydrate plug prevention, which is the addition of inhibitors to ensure that hydrates cannot form under pipeline pressure and temperature conditions. The addition of inhibitors to subsea pipelines is environmentally unfriendly and also a very costly procedure. Recent efforts has therefore focused on developing models for the hydrate formation rate (hydrate kinetics models), which can help determine how fast hydrates might form a plug in a pipeline, and whether the amount of inhibitor can be reduced without increasing the risk of hydrate plug formation. The main variables determining whether hydrate plugs form in a pipeline are: 1) the ratio of hydrocarbons to water, 2) the composition of the hydrocarbons, 3) the flowrates/flow regimes in the pipeline, 4) the amount of inhibitor in the system. Over the lifetime of a field, all 4 variables will change, and so will the challenge of hydrate plug prevention. This paper will examine the prevention of hydrate plugs in a pipeline, seen from a hydrate kinetics point of view. Different scenarios that can occur over the lifetime of a field will be investigated. Exemplified through a subsea field development, a pipeline simulator that considers hydrate formation in a pipeline is used to carry out a study to shed light on the most important issues to consider as conditions change. The information gained from this study can be used to cut down on inhibitor dosage, or possibly completely remove the need for inhibitor.

Utilizing Pseudo Well Connections to Simulate Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing - Example Based On the Study of a Tight Gas Asset

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aamir Lokhandwala ◽  
Vaibhav Joshi ◽  
Ankit Dutt
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Hydraulic Fractures ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Fracture Modeling

Abstract Hydraulic fracturing is a widespread well stimulation treatment in the oil and gas industry. It is particularly prevalent in shale gas fields, where virtually all production can be attributed to the practice of fracturing. It is also used in the context of tight oil and gas reservoirs, for example in deep-water scenarios where the cost of drilling and completion is very high; well productivity, which is dictated by hydraulic fractures, is vital. The correct modeling in reservoir simulation can be critical in such settings because hydraulic fracturing can dramatically change the flow dynamics of a reservoir. What presents a challenge in flow simulation due to hydraulic fractures is that they introduce effects that operate on a different length and time scale than the usual dynamics of a reservoir. Capturing these effects and utilizing them to advantage can be critical for any operator in context of a field development plan for any unconventional or tight field. This paper focuses on a study that was undertaken to compare different methods of simulating hydraulic fractures to formulate a field development plan for a tight gas field. To maintaing the confidentiality of data and to showcase only the technical aspect of the workflow, we will refer to the asset as Field A in subsequent sections of this paper. Field A is a low permeability (0.01md-0.1md), tight (8% to 12% porosity) gas-condensate (API ~51deg and CGR~65 stb/mmscf) reservoir at ~3000m depth. Being structurally complex, it has a large number of erosional features and pinch-outs. The study involved comparing analytical fracture modeling, explicit modeling using local grid refinements, tartan gridding, pseudo-well connection approach and full-field unconventional fracture modeling. The result of the study was to use, for the first time for Field A, a system of generating pseudo well connections to simulate hydraulic fractures. The approach was found to be efficient both terms of replicating field data for a 10 year period while drastically reducing simulation runtime for the subsequent 10 year-period too. It helped the subsurface team to test multiple scenarios in a limited time-frame leading to improved project management.

Challenges of Developing Marginal Fields in the Current Climate of Oil and Gas Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina Danmadami ◽  
Ibiye Iyalla ◽  
Gbenga Oluyemi ◽  
Jesse Andrawus
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Quality Technology ◽  
Indigenous Participation ◽  
Marginal Field

Abstract Marginal field development has gained relevance in oil producing countries because of the huge potential economic benefits it offers. The Federal Government of Nigeria commenced a Marginal Fields program in 2001 as part of her policy to improve the nation’s strategic oil and gas reserves and promote indigenous participation in the upstream sector. Twenty years after the award of marginal fields to indigenous companies to develop, 50% have developed and in production, 13% have made some progress with their acquisition while 37% remain undeveloped. The poor performance of the marginal field operators is due to certain challenges which have impeded their progress. A review of challenges of developing marginal fields in the current industry climate was conducted on marginal fields in Nigeria to identify keys issues. These were identified as: funding, technical, and public policy. Considering the complex, competitive and dynamic environment in which these oil and gas companies operate, with competition from renewables, pressure to reduce carbon footprint, low oil price and investors expectation of a good return, companies must maintain tight financial plan, minimize emissions from their operations and focus on efficiency through innovation. The study identifies the need for a decision-making approach that takes into consideration multi criteria such as cost, regulation, quality, technology, security, stakeholders, safety and environment, as important criteria based on which to evaluate the selection of appropriate development option for marginal fields.

Three-Phase Flow Profile Determination of A Horizontal Well in Offshore by Tracer Technology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Katashov ◽  
Igor Novikov ◽  
Evgeny Malyavko ◽  
Nadir Husein
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
World Market ◽  
Dynamic Mode ◽  
Flow Profile ◽  
Offshore Platforms ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Coiled Tubing ◽  
Three Phase

Abstract Over the past few years, the oil and gas industry has faced a situation of high fluctuations in hydrocarbon prices on the world market. In addition, the trend for the depletion of traditional hydrocarbon reservoirs and the search for new effective solutions for the management and control of field development using horizontal and multilateral wells is still relevant. The most common method for horizontal wells testing is production logging tools (PLT) on coiled tubing (CT) or downhole tractor, which is associated with HSE risks and high cost, especially on offshore platforms, which limits the widespread use of this technology. The solution without such risks is the method of marker well monitoring, which allows obtaining information about the profile and composition of the inflow in a dynamic mode in horizontal wells without well intervention. There are several types of tracer (marker) carriers and today we will consider an approach to placing marker monitoring systems as part of a completion for three-phase oil, water and gas monitoring.

Quantifying Economic Uncertainties and Risks in the Oil and Gas Industry

2021 ◽  
pp. 154-184
Author(s):  
Sorin Alexandru Gheorghiu ◽  
Cătălin Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Oil Field Development ◽  
Oil Gas

The present economic model is intended to provide an example of how to take into consideration risks and uncertainties in the case of a field that is developed with water injection. The risks and uncertainties are related, on one hand to field operations (drilling time, delays due to drilling problems, rig failures and materials supply, electric submersible pump [ESP] installations failures with the consequences of losing the well), and on the other hand, the second set of uncertainties are related to costs (operational expenditures-OPEX and capital expenditures-CAPEX, daily drilling rig costs), prices (oil, gas, separation, and water injection preparation), production profiles, and discount factor. All the calculations are probabilistic. The authors are intending to provide a comprehensive solution for assessing the business performance of an oil field development.

Financing Requirements for the Oil and Gas Industry - North America

1988 ◽  
Vol 6 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 317-322
Author(s):  
A.F. Grove
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Energy Company ◽  
Corporate Credit ◽  
Oil And Gas Field ◽  
Good Energy ◽  
Business Acumen

The characteristics of good energy company borrowers are strong management, integrity, diversification, flexibility, a sound financial basis and business acumen. Acceptable reasons for borrowing include requirements for working capital, plant expansion, modernisation, oil and gas field development and the manufacturing of oil tools and related products. Security for loans is based on the company's reserves, the duration of the debt and priority over other indebtedness. Most loans are evaluated on the grounds of general corporate credit, that is, the overall credit standing of the borrower.

A Comparative Analysis and Evaluation of Model Selection Criteria

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed H. Kamel ◽  
Ali S. Shaqlaih ◽  
Arslan Rozyyev
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Model Selection ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Model Selection Criteria ◽  
Innovative Strategy

The ongoing research for model choice and selection has generated a plethora of approaches. With such a wealth of methods, it can be difficult for a researcher to know what model selection approach is the proper way to proceed to select the appropriate model for prediction. The authors present an evaluation of various model selection criteria from decision-theoretic perspective using experimental data to define and recommend a criterion to select the best model. In this analysis, six of the most common selection criteria, nineteen friction factor correlations, and eight sets of experimental data are employed. The results show that while the use of the traditional correlation coefficient, R2 is inappropriate, root mean square error, RMSE can be used to rank models, but does not give much insight on their accuracy. Other criteria such as correlation ratio, mean absolute error, and standard deviation are also evaluated. The Akaike information criterion, AIC has shown its superiority to other selection criteria. The authors propose AIC as an alternative to use when fitting experimental data or evaluating existing correlations. Indeed, the AIC method is an information theory based, theoretically sound and stable. The paper presents a detailed discussion of the model selection criteria, their pros and cons, and how they can be utilized to allow proper comparison of different models for the best model to be inferred based on sound mathematical theory. In conclusion, model selection is an interesting problem and an innovative strategy to help alleviate similar challenges faced by the professionals in the oil and gas industry is introduced.

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