L2 - FLOW ASSURANCE ISSUES

• BASIS PRINCIPLES OF SUBSEA PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

• FLOW ASSURANCE & SYSTEMS DESIGN ISSUES
- FLOW HYDRAULICS
- MULTIPHASE FLOW
- HYDRATES
- WAX DEPOSITION
- PIGGING
- THERMAL ISSUES & COLD POINTS
- CORROSION / EROSION
- EMULSIONS
- SAND
- NEW TECHNOLOGIES
• IFP FACILITIES
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SUBSEA PRODUCTION - FLOW ASSURANCE ISSUES
2 - 100 km

SEPARATOR

PLATFORM OR
RISER FLOATER
PROCESS
50 - 2000 m

FACILITIES
DISTRIBUTE FLOWLINES
TREE
CHEMICALS

RISER BASE

SUPPLY LINES

SEA BED

FLOW ASSURANCE
1000 - 10000 m

1) HYDRAULICS - Is there enough energy in the

flow to reach the processing host?
2) CORROSIVE COMPONENTS in the oil i.e.. H2S
and CO2 - It can be corrected by chemical injection.
3) Is there any WAX in the oil that may block the
lines on cooling.
GAS
4) Combinations of Gas and Water may form
OIL
HYDRATES which block the line.
WATER
 Flow Assurance Design Issues

Gas Hydrates
Paraffin/
Asphaltenes Sand/Erosion

FLOW ASSURANCE DESIGN

Liquid
Slugging Corrosion

Emulsion/
Scale Foam
FLOW ASSURANCE
- H y d r a t e s - F o r m a t io n o f ic e c r y s t a ls in c o r p a r a t in g m e th a n e a n d o t h e r
h y d r o c a r b o n s in lo w t e m p e r a tu r e s , h ig h p r e s s u r e , w e t s y s t e m s p r o d u c in g
g a s , c o n d e n s a t e o r o il.

- W a x / A s p h a l t e n e s - T h e d e p o s it io n o f s o lid s in s id e t h e f lo w lin e s a n d
r is e r s r e d u c in g f lo w c a p a c it y a n d u lt im a t e ly b lo c k in g t h e lin e .

- S l u g g i n g - T h e p h e n o m e n a c a u s e d b y t h e in s t a b ilit ie s o f th e g a s a n d
liq u id in t e r f a c e s a n d liq u id s w e e p - o u t b y g a s in e r t ia l e f f e c t s .

- C o r r o s i o n - W e a r in g o f t h e p ip e w o r k a n d f lo w lin e w a ll t h ic k n e s s d u e to
c h e m is t r y o f th e p r o d u c e d f lu id s .

- E m u l s i o n s - O il a n d w a t e r m ix t u r e s a t a p p r o x im a te ly 4 0 t o 6 0 % w a t e r c u t
t h a t c a u s e e x c e s s iv e p r e s s u r e lo s s e s in th e w e lls o r t h e S P S s y s t e m .

- S c a l i n g - S o lid s b u ild u p , e s p e c ia lly o n t o t h e w e ll b o r e t u b in g d u e t o t h e

c h e m is t r y o f th e p r o d u c e d w a t e r .

- S a n d P r o d u c t i o n - S a n d p r o d u c t io n f r o m t h e r e s e r v o ir c a u s in g b lo c k a g e
o f s y s t e m c o m p o n e n t s s u c h a s f lo w lin e s .

- E r o s i o n - W e a r in g o f t h e m a n if o ld p ip e w o r k a n d t h e f lo w lin e w a lls d u e to
s o lid p a r t ic le s s u c h a s s a n d o r liq u id s im p in g e m e n t p a s s in g a t h ig h
v e lo c it ie s .

- C o l d P o i n t s - M u lt ip le n o n in s u la t e d d e v ic e s in t h e s y s t e m in c o n ta c t w it h
t h e s u r r o u n d in g c o ld w a t e r a c t in g a s f a s t h e a t e x c h a n g e r s in p a r t ic u la r
d u r in g w e ll s h u t d o w n a n d o th e r o p e r a t in g m o d e s .
The successful design and operation of a multiphase production system must
consider design parameters and issues for the entire system, from the reservoir to the
processing and export facilities. To assure that the entire system can be designed to
operate successfully and economically, system designers must consider flow
assurance fundamentals such as reservoir characteristics, production profiles,
produced fluid chemistry, and environmental conditions as well as mechanical,
operational, risk, and economic issues for all parts of the system.

Important system parameters established as part of the design effort include tubing
and flowline diameters, insulation (on wellbore tubing, trees, jumpers, manifolds,
flowlines and risers), chemical injection requirements, flow blockage intervention
provisions, host facility requirements, capital and operating costs, operating
boundaries (e.g. maximum and minimum production rates), and risk mitigation. All
production modes including startup, normal steady state operation, rate change, and
shutdown must be considered throughout the system life-cycle.
Flow assurance encompasses the thermal-hydraulic design and assessment of
multiphase production/transport systems as well as the prediction, prevention, and
remediation of flow stoppages due to solids deposition (particularly due to hydrates
and waxes). In all cases, flow assurance designs must consider the capabilities and
requirements for all parts of the system throughout the entire production life of
the system to reach a successful solution.

Operating philosophies, strategies, and procedures for successful system designs

must be robust. They must be developed with system unknowns and uncertainties in
mind and should be readily adapted to work with the system that is found to exist after
production starts, even when that system is different from what was assumed during
design (which often happens).

System Design is the synthesis of Flow Assurance and Operability features and
attributes with those of all other aspects of the system. These include Reservoir,
Completions, Subsea Hardware, Controls, Pipelines, Facilities, Production Operations,
Transportation, Economics, and others. The successful flow assurance design will
represent a system solution that best meets the needs of all groups.
 Topsides
Well boundary
Choke condition
Gas Jumper
Lift
Pipework
Cover
Riser
Field Flowline
Joints

TYPICAL FLOW HYDRAULICS MODEL Headers

& Levels Diagram
 ANNULAR-DISPERSED FLOW SLUG FLOW DISPERSED-BUBBLE FLOW

104
ANNULAR-DISPERSED DISPERSED-BUBBLE
GAS PHASE MOMENTUM FLUX LIQUID

103

SLUG

STRATIFIED-WAVE
102
INTERMITTENT

101 PLUG

STRATIFIED-SMOOTH
100

10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101 102 103 104

LIQUID PHASE MOMENTUM FLUX

STRATIFIED-WAVY FLOW STRATIFIED FLOW PLUG FLOW

MULTI-PHASE FLOW REGIMES

MULTIPHASE FLOW REGIMES
NORMAL SLUGGING
• Produced by Slug Flow or Intermittent Flow
• Tends to Increase in Size with Flow Rate
• Predicted by Flow Map or by Computer based
Information Schemes (OLGA / PLAC etc) A. SLUG FORMATION C. GAS PENETRATION

SEVERE SLUGGING
• Produced by Combinations of Segregated
Flow and Terrain B. SLUG PRODUCTION D. GAS BLOW-DOWN

• Particularly a problem in Risers

• Can be reduced by Discouraging Segregated
Flow
• Predicted by Transient Flow Computer
Models
GAS HYDRATES Hydrates are snow-like crystals which form at low
temperatures and high pressures. They are a
combination of water and methane (gas) molecules.
Once formed they are quite stable.
If formed in pipelines they can cause a total
blockage.
Their formation can be predicted from temperature –
pressure data

Methane hydrate phase diagram. The horizontal axis shows

temperature from -15 to 33 Celsius, the vertical axis shows pressure
from 0 to 120,000 kilopascals (0 to 1,184 atmospheres). For example,
at 4 Celsius hydrate forms above a pressure of about 50 atmospheres
HYDRATES PREVENTION

• OPERATING PIPELINES AT LOW PRESSURE

• OPERATING OR MAINTAINING PIPELINES AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
- Insulation of Lines
- Active heating of lines (hot Water or Electrical Heating)

• INHIBITION BY CHEMICAL ADDITION

- Use of Methanol or Glycol Chemicals
- Other Chemicals which block Hydrates Initiation

• REMOVAL OF WATER (Dehydration)

- Liquid or Solid Desiccants
- Subsea Separation

Hydrate Plug
SEPARATOR PUMPS

UMBILICAL

ELECTRIC POWER
CONNECTOR SUBSEA CONTROL
SYSTEM

DIPSIS - SUBSEA WATER SEPARATION AND RE-INJECTION

Diagrammatic Representation
WAX DEPOSITION
• 10% to 20% of Crudes are considered Waxy
• The Formation of Wax can completely Block Flow
• Waxy Crude is characterised by one or more of the following :-
- Cloud Temperature
- Pour Point Temperature
- Inversion Temperature (melting)
• Wax Deposition Prediction
- By Models and Predictions based on Fluid Properties
WAX PREVENTION Wax Plug

• Insulation to Maintain Temperature

• Scraper Pigging
• Heating using Steam or Electricity
• Hot Oil Flushing
• Chemical Injection of Wax Inhibitors
PIGGING

CLEANING PIG

SUBSEA PIG LAUNCHER

 POSSIBLE COLD POINTS IN SUBSEA PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Poor Insulated Riser

Poor Insulation Non-Insulated connection

of Trees and between Tree or Manifold &
Manifolds flow Jumper or Flowline

Pressure Drop in Chokes or Flow
Path leading to Joule-Thompson
Cooling
Non-Insulated
connection between or
Flowline & Riser Base
INCREASED USE OF
INSULATION ON
SUBSEA EQUIPMENT
 FLOWLINE INSULATION

SIMPLE PIPE PIPE IN PIPE

STEEL PIPE INSIDE
STEEL PIPE ANOTHER WITH PU
DESIGNED FOR FOAM BETWEEN
PRESSURE CONDUCTIVITY =
CONTAINMENT
0.2 – 0.4 W/m/K
CONDUCTIVITY =
1.4 W/m/K

FLOWLINE BUNDLE INSULATED FLOW BUNDLE

INDIVIDUAL PIPES BUNDLE BUT

INSIDE A CARRIER WITH INSULATION
PIPE. FOAM
SURROUNDING
CAN HAVE HOT
CARRIER PIPES
WATER
CIRCULATED

FLEXIBLE PIPE
Deepwater Solution - Integrated
Production Bundle – Heat Traced
6” ID pipe 20 m long
24 heat tracing armours
16 electrical cables
7 SS tubes
+ Optical Fibres for monitoring
(Distributed Temperature Sensing)
TORE Sand Removal