PDB4333 – PC&FA

© 2012 INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PETRONAS SDN BHD

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 FLOW ASSURANCE

By

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

(aliyu.adebayor@petronas.com)
(Mobile: 0143485422; Office Ext.: 7051)
(Office location: L-01-35)

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lecture, students should be able to:

▪ Define flow assurance and explain issues involved

▪ Describe flow assurance strategies

▪ Describe FA workflow and design processes

▪ Describe the role of a flow assurance engineer.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

PETROLEUM PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Fig. 1: Production system

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 DEPOSITS IN PIPELINE

Pig receiver cleaning Total pipeline blockage

Fig. 2: Flow Obstructions / pipeline blockage

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

FLOW ASSURANCE PROBLEMS

Fig. 3: Flow Assurance Challenges

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 SUBSEA DEVELOPMENT

▪ Reservoir fluids are generally tied back to a host facility

for processing and export.

▪ Utilities, control, and chemicals are supplied from the

host facility via umbilicals.

Fig. 4: Subsea field development

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 Flow Assurance Issues

Fig. 5: Flow assurance matters for subsea tieback systems (Source: BP)
Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 FLOW ASSURANCE
❑ DEFINITIONS:

▪ Relatively new term in oil and gas industry.

▪ "Garantia de Fluxo" ⇒ "Guarantee the Flow" – Petrobras early 1990's

▪ Flow assurance is a multidisciplinary process designed to prevent pipe blockage

and help ensure uninterrupted, optimum productivity in oil and gas streams.

▪ Means to enable/achieve “successful and economical” flow of hydrocarbon

stream from reservoir to the point of sale or delivery location.

▪ An engineering analysis process to ensure hydrocarbon fluids are transported

through pipelines in an economical manner from the source to the destination in
a given environment over the life time of the project.
Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 FLOW ASSURANCE

❑ Issues:

▪ Pipeline or wellbore rupture from corrosion.

▪ Pipeline blockage by wax, asphaltene or wax.

▪ Severe slugging in riser leads to flow problems.

▪ Well can't lift its liquids and dies.

▪ Separator flooded by liquids.

▪ Large pressure losses in pipelines leading to production losses.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 THE CHALLENGES

❑ Associated Problems
▪ Reduction of the internal diameter of the tubulars
▪ Increased surface roughness on the pipe wall
▪ Accumulations which fill process vessels & storage tanks
▪ Interference with valve operation & instrumentation

❑ Severe Consequences
▪ Production shutdowns
▪ Hazardous conditions
▪ Extensive work-overs
▪ Irreparable damage requiring equipment abandonment & replacement

Tharanivasan (2012), Mansoori (1999)

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

Cost of arterial blockage in oil production tubing and pipeline

systems is high.

Cost of a typical incident

• Shut down Cost /hr: $15,000 – $50,000

• Workover Operations: $100,000 - $1,000,000

• Total opportunity cost may exceed $10 million

Source: Leontaritis (1999)

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE

❑ Concerns:

Some flow assurance concerns are:

▪ System deliverability:
Pressure drop versus production, pipeline size and pressure boosting, and
slugging and emulsion.

▪ Thermal behavior:
Temperature distribution and temperature changes due to start-up and
shutdown, and insulation options and heating requirements.

▪ Solids and chemical inhibitors:

Hydrates, waxes, asphaltenes, and scaling.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 REASONS FOR FLOW ASSURANCE STUDY

❑ Exploration to deeper waters

❑ Cold and harsh environments

❑ Long subsea tie-back projects

❑ Problematic and challenging reservoir fluids

❑ Aging fields

❑ Fast track projects

❑ Increased costs

❑ Smaller fields

❑ High CO2 content gas fields

❑ Getting the most value from investment

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 REQUIRED PARAMETERS

To ensure gas/oil/water delivery from the wells to the point of sale, the
following parameters are estimated:

❑ Mixture composition in pipeline (X).

❑ Flowing temperature (T).
❑ Flowing pressure (P).
❑ Compare the calculated parameters (X, P, & T) above to the
conditions required for corrosion, hydrates, wax, severe slugging
and liquid loading.
❑ Monitor the variations in these parameters w.r.t depletion and
operating conditions.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE

Figure 6: Flow assurance workflow process

Ratulowski, et. al, "Flow Assurance and Subsea Productivity: Closing the Loop with Connectivity and Measurements", SPE 90244, 2004

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE

Strategies:

▪ All aspects of production from the

reservoir through to the plant inlet

▪ Hydraulic Analysis - pressure loss

▪ Thermal Analysis - heat loss

▪ Operability - cooldown, slugging

▪ Blockages - hydrates, wax, scale,

sand

▪ Phase behavior & viscosity

▪ Mechanical Integrity - corrosion,

Figure 7: FA Phase Envelope
erosion

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE

Network
Modelling

Erosion
Solid
Evaluation
Deposits
(sand &
Management
Corrosion)
FLOW
ASSURANCE

Pipelines
Transient
Thermal
Multiphase
Investigation
Simulation
(T > Thydrate)

Figure 8: Aspects of Flow Assurance Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE

At reservoir pressure and temperature conditions, fluids are single

phase.

As they travel toward the production facility, the fluids experience

changes in pressure and temperature that result in multiple fluid
phases and the formation, accumulation and dispersal of inorganic
and organic solids that may become impediments to production.

Multiphase flow may cause phenomena such as slugging in subsea

flowlines and risers. Solids deposition may cause flowline plugging
anywhere in the system.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE
❑ Terminologies/Definitions:

▪ Slugging: Slug flow is a liquid–gas two-phase flow in which the gas phase exists as large
bubbles separated by liquid "slugs". Pressure oscillations within piping can be caused by
slug flow. (A slug is a large quantity of gas or liquid that exits in the pipeline.)

▪ Start-up: During a well start-up, fluid distribution within the well shifts from a static
segregated phase (gas-oil-water) column to a flowing three-phase mixture. For this
transition to be successful, the well has to overcome the additional hydrostatic head
associated with the phase segregation.

▪ Shut-down: Shutdown is a term often used in Oil & Gas to conduct planned
maintenance on process equipment for which normal routine operations have to be
suspended / stopped.

▪ Risers: Similar to pipelines or flowlines, risers transport produced hydrocarbons, as well

as production materials, such as injection fluids, control fluids and gas lift. Usually
insulated to withstand seafloor temperatures, risers can be either rigid or flexible.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 SLUG FLOW

Figure 9: Slug flow in pipeline (Source: SPT Group)

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 SHUTDOWN

Figure 10: Effect of shutdown duration on hydrate formation (Source: Vallourec)

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 FLOW ASSURANCE

Terminologies/Definitions:

▪ Warm-up: Optimized unloading of crude oil (with heating system) in cold

weather conditions.

▪ Blow-down: To vent gas from a well or production system in order to

depressurize the equipment by sending the unwanted gases to flare.

▪ Ramp-up: To increase production (volume or rate).

▪ Ramp-down: To decrease in amount, volume or rate.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER

Prediction Prevention Remediation

Figure 11 : Targets of a Flow Assurance Engineer Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER

Figure 12: Full scope of flow assurance (Source: MSL Engineering). Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon
 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER
❑ Major Roles of a FA Engineer:

➢ Predict and interpret

✓ fluid characteristics
✓ flow hydraulics and thermal behaviors
✓ performance of the production system

➢ Provide guidance of operation strategies.

➢ Develop prevention strategies and remediation methods.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER

❑ Specific Responsibilities of a FA Engineer:

▪ Coordinate with experienced engineers and supervise work in coordination

with Project Manager.

▪ Assist Facilities Engineering Manager and ensure effective practices.

▪ Administer efficient Flow Assurance input in terms of work scope and

prepare launch bids and offer feedbacks to employees for better output.

▪ Participate in various safety management programs.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER

❑ List of Responsibilities (Cont’d):

▪ Attend and participate in various training programs and develop same for
organization.

▪ Guide, suggest and maintain all flow assurance studies effectively.

▪ Determine and monitor all preservation plans and improve creative

strategies for all processes.

▪ Analyze all issues and provide solutions for all processes based on
recommendation.

▪ Prepare documents and develop flow assurance research oriented

programs.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

 FLOW ASSURANCE ENGINEER

❑ List of Responsibilities (Cont’d):

▪ Administer all system requirements and prepare documents for all designs.

▪ Design functional specification and enhance conceptualization of

computers and laptops for better performance.

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU

Dr Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon