Your Field is Getting Older: Is your Process Engineering Still Cost Effective?
The lifecycle of developed fields, onshore and offshore will go through different stages of production up to the decline into late field life. Effective reservoir engineering management will lead to prolonging the life of field if a cost effective processing surface facilities strategy is put in place. Factors that lead to the decline in oil production or increase in OPEX may include increased water production, solids handling and the need for relatively higher compression requirements for gas lift. In order to maintain productivity and profitability, an effective holistic engineering approach to optimizing the process surface facilities must be utilized. The challenges of Optimizing Mature Field Production are: 1. Reservoir understanding with potential definition of additional reserves 2. Complete re-appraisal of the operability issues in the production facilities 3. Develop confidence to invest to optimize the process handling capabilities and capacity 4. Low CAPEX simplification of the surface facilities infrastructure to meet challenges 5. An implementation plan that recognizes the ‘Brownfield’ complexities 6. Selection of suitable optimum technology, configuration and training 7. Optimum upgrade plan of the facilities with minimum production losses Successful operation of mature fields and their surface facilities requires successful change management to the new operating strategy. Using a holistic approach can maximize the full potential of mature processing facilities at a manageable CAPEX and OPEX. Dr. Wally Georgie Dr. Wally Georgie has a B.Sc degree in Chemistry, M.Sc in Polymer Technology, M.Sc in Safety Engineering and PhD in Applied Chemistry with training courses in oil and gas process engineering, production, reservoir and corrosion engineering. He has worked for over 37 years in different areas of oil and gas production facilities, including corrosion control, flow assurance, fluid separation, separator design, gas handling and produced water. He started his career in oil and gas services sector in 1978 based in the UK and working globally with different production issues then joined Statoil as senior staff engineer and later as technical advisor in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Working as part of operation team on oil and gas production facilities key focus areas included optimization, operation trouble-shooting, de-bottlenecking, oil water separation, slug handling, process verification, and myriad other fluid and gas handling issues. He then started working in March 1999 as a consultant globally both offshore and onshore, conventional and unconventional in the area of separation trouble shooting, operation assurance, produced water management, gas handling problems, flow assurance, system integrities and production chemistry, with emphasis in dealing with mature facilities worldwide.
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Your Field is Getting Older: Is your Process Engineering Still Cost Effective?
- 1. Your Field is Getting Old: Is Your Process Engineering Still Cost Effective Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer Program www.spe.org/dl Dr. Wally Georgie Separation Fluid and Produced Water Specialist 2
- 2. Contents • Introduction • Challenges of Optimizing Mature Field Production • Mature Field Reinvigoration • Production Field Lifecycle • Specific Examples of Separation Technology • Case Studies • Conclusions 3
- 3. Introduction • Development focuses on the main production period • Reduction in field life due to process limitation • Late field life process handling can be improved • Opportunity to enhance late field life • Clear reservoir and production management strategy • Upgrade options - optimize existing facilities vs. new equipment 4
- 4. Assess the Existing Facility Facility Capacity Constraints • Projected Production Projected Production Endof Field Life Gas Oil Time 5
- 5. Assess the Existing Facility Facility Capacity Constraints • Actual Production – Sand/Solids, High Water Cut Productio n Endof Field Life Projected Gas Projected Oil Actual Gas Actual Oil Time 6
- 6. Assess the Existing Facility Facility Capacity Constraints • Actual Production – Slugging Actual Production Endof Field Life Gas Oil Time 7
- 7. Assess the Existing Facility Facility Capacity Constraints • Actual Production – Slugging / Control 10 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 20 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 35 02/08/2011 08:24 02/08/2011 09:36 02/08/2011 10:48 02/08/2011 12:00 0 02/08/2011 13:12 OilFlow (MBOPD) GasFlow (MMSCF/day) Projected Gas Projected Oil Actual Gas Flow Actual Oil Flow 8
- 8. Improved Field LifeOilProductionRate Time OilProductionRate Abandonment Economic Limit Time Early Life Abandonment Economic Limit 9
- 9. Challenges of Mature Field Facilities • Maturity leads to: • Lower oil production • Increased water production • More solids and other contaminants • Changes in operating conditions (T and P) • Operating outside the original design envelope • Higher operating cost per barrel of oil produced • Higher gas rate (some cases) 10
- 10. Challenges of Mature Field Facilities • Improving existing process infrastructure at low cost • Improving uptime and effective troubleshooting approach • Controlling OPEX due to higher uplift cost • Adding third party production • Additional field development with different Oil Characteristic (different API grades) 11
- 12. Improvement Methodology/Understanding • System diagnostics/Plant mapping is an effective tool • Mapping of individual critical process vessels will reduce long term CAPEX and OPEX • System modeling where relevant • Fluids characterization/Flow assurance • Process data interpretation • Chemical management • Personnel Training with field maturity 13
- 13. Fundamental Aspects of Separation Technology for Handling Effective Oil Water Separation 14
- 14. Typical Configuration of Crude Oil Separators 1. Cyclonic Inlet Device 2. Perforated Baffles 3. Desanding System 4. Coalescer Plate 5. Produced Water Collection Manifold 6. Increased Weir Height 7. Updated Gas-Oil and Oil-Water Levels Instrumentation 8. Profile Gauge Measures Gas, Foam, Oil, Emulsion, Water, and Sand Phases 9. Demister for Reduced Gas Loadings 2 1 2 2 3 3 4 8 7 7 5 9 6 15
- 15. Alternative Separator Designs 1. Vane Type Inlet Device 2. Perforated Baffles Plates 3. Desanding System 4. Submerged Weir 5. Demister for High Gas Loading 2 1 2 2 3 33 4 5 Gas Outlet Oil OutletWater Outlet Inlet 16
- 16. Case Study 1 17 Extended Field Life of an Onshore Facility • Performance issues in oil-water separation system • Not meeting oil specification for export • Consequential current reduced oil production • Planned future additional oil of different API
- 17. • Strategy: • Evaluate performance of separation system • Define equipment limits • Assess root causes • Develop optimization plan for achieving oil spec • Handling oil from additional field development 18 Case Study 1
- 18. System Assessment SLUGCATCHER DEHYDRATOR CRUDEOIL IP SEPARATOR FOAMBRKR INLET FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. FOAMBRKR FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. WELL FLUIDS GAS COMP. GAS COMP. SKIM TANKSKIM TANK OIL SKIM TANK SKIM TANKSKIM TANK BOOSTER PUMPS WI PUMPS PW INJECTION PLATE PACK PLATE PACK GAS COMP. SEPARATOR SIZING PW TREATMENT PERFORMANCE HIGH INLET MOMENTUM THEORETICAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE WITH NEW HEAVY OIL THEORETICAL RESIDENCE TIME SYSTEM CAPACITY 19
- 19. Process Diagnostic SLUGCATCHER DEHYDRATOR CRUDEOIL FOAMBRKR INLET FOAMBRKR FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. WELLFLUIDS GAS COMP. GAS COMP. SKIM TANKSKIM TANK OIL SKIM TANK SKIM TANKSKIM TANK BOOSTER PUMPS WI PUMPS PW INJECTION PLATE PACK PLATE PACK GAS COMP. DETECTOR TRACER INJECTION LEGEND: TRACER REDUCED RESIDENCE TIME FLOW MALDISTRIBUTION PLUGGED SEVERE SLUGGING IP SEPARATOR HIGH WATER CARRYOVER INTERNALS (FIXED DENSITY MEASUREMENT) 20
- 20. System Mapping SLUGCATCHER DEHYDRATOR CRUDEOIL FOAMBRKR INLET FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. FOAMBRKR FOAMBRKR MISTELIM. WELLFLUIDS GAS COMP. OIL SKIM TANK BOOSTER PUMPS WI PUMPS PLATE PACK PLATE PACK GAS COMP. EMULSION SOLIDS SKIM TANKSKIM TANK SKIM TANK PW INJECTION SKIM TANK CRUDE OFF SPEC FLUID CHARACTERIZATION GAS COMP. EMULSION STABILITYIP SEPARATOR & VISCOSITYOIW %BS&W SYSTEM UPSETS CHEMICAL TREATMENT REVIEW 21
- 21. Case Study 2 22 Offshore Facility with Production Deviation • Operating at less than 20% of design capacity • Not meeting oil specification for export • Not meeting water discharge specification
- 22. • Strategy: • Evaluate performance of separation and PW system • Define equipment limits • Assess root causes • Develop optimization plan for achieving oil and water spec 23 Case Study 2
- 23. System Layout NO RTH – 1st STAGE NO RTH R ESER VOIR (SWEET) S O UTH R ESER VOIR SOUTH – 1st STAGE SK IM M E R NO RTH R ESER VOIR (SOUR) N O R TH H C NO RTH – 2nd STAGE SO U TH H C S O U TH EXPOR T C A ISSO N PR O C ESS R EC YC LE NO RTH EXPOR T DEGASSER C A ISSO N 1st STAGE STR IPPIN G TO W E R EAST R ESER VOIR WE S T R ESER VOIR ? ? 24
- 24. Additional Subsea Production / Added Gas Lift NORTH – 1st STAGE NORTH RESERVOIR (SWEET) SOUTH – 1st STAGE NORTH RESERVOIR (SOUR) NORTH HC NORTH – 2nd STAGE HC SOUTH EXPORT PROCESS RECYCLE NORTH EXPORT SKIMMER DEGASSER SOUTH 1st STAGE STRIPPING TOWER EAST RESERVOIR WEST RESERVOIR SOUTH RESERVOIR 25 CAISSONCAISSON
- 25. Case Study Findings NORTH – 1st STAGE NORTH RESERVOIR (SWEET) SOUTH – 1st STAGE NORTH RESERVOIR (SOUR) NORTH HC NORTH – 2nd STAGE PROCESS RECYCLE NORTH & SOUTH EXPORT DEGASSER 1st STAGE STRIPPING TOWER EAST RESERVOIR WEST RESERVOIR SOUTH RESERVOIR EPCON UNIT NEW SOUTH HC 26 CAISSONCAISSON
- 26. Conclusions • Successful operation of mature fields requires effective change in approach • Focus on the future – not what has occurred before • Effective solution requires holistic approach • Understanding of entire system and limitations • Late field life reinvigoration plan realizes additional reserves • New operational strategy extends field life with manageable CAPEX and OPEX 27
- 27. Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer Program www.spe.org/dl 1 Your Feedback is Important Enter your section in the DL Evaluation Contest by completing the evaluation form for this presentation Visit SPE.org/dl 28