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Technology
Assessment & Research (TA&R) Program
| Project Number |
424 |
| Date of Summary |
January 12, 2006 |
| Subject |
Assessment of Subsea Production
and Well Systems |
| Performing Activity |
Texas A&M University,
Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) |
| Principal Investigator |
Scott |
| Contracting Agency |
Minerals Management Service |
| Estimated Completion |
Completed |
| Description |
The 1st year of this study was spent assessing the technical,
operations and safety issues associated with subsea production and subsea
well systems. Assessment involved discussions with regulators, operators,
construction/engineering contractors and equipment manufacturers. The focus
of topics is as follows:
- Subsea Processing
- Flow Assurance
- Well Intervention
- Long-term Well Monitoring and
- Safety & Environmental concerns.
State of the art multiphase models such as PIPESIM and
OLGA along with numerical reservoir simulation software like ECLIPSE were
used to predict multiphase flow behavior with various deepwater production
strategies. Presently, developing analytical techniques to investigate the
effects of backpressure on reservoir energy. The reservoir energy is being
utilized to move fluids through long flowlines thus reducing the
availability of energy to recover more fluids from the reservoir. These
analytical methods had demonstrated the disadvantages of setting up subsea
facilities without some form of subsea processing. Subsea processing has
shown in the past to be beneficial to the recovery of more hydrocarbons from
the subsea reservoir, thus aiding in project economics and adequate
utilization of non-renewable resources. |
| Progress |
Literature review concentrated on the challenges faced by
operators when operating deepwater fields in the offshore GOM region. Many
of the oil fields being exploited by subsea production systems are being
abandoned due to high wellhead pressure (1800-3000 psi) due to the
backpressure created by long pipelines. This is causing production rates to
be reduced and is affecting the ultimate recovery from subsea well fields.
The literature review has concentrated on the reasons for this and also
highlights ideas from operators and service companies alike to overcome this
problem. Numerical Simulation to demonstrate that
techniques like multiphase pumping and subsea processing and pumping can be
effective in improving ultimate recoveries, a reservoir model in conjunction
with a numerical subsea production facilities model has been developed and
is being used to predict improvements in hydrocarbon recoveries. This model
had been refined and applied to a generic GOM reservoir.
Analytical modeling reservoir energy is constantly being
utilized to move fluids through long flowlines and deepwater risers to the
surface facility. An analytical model to investigate just how much reservoir
energy is being wasted to move fluids through the lines was developed. This
helps in utilizing some means of subsea processing to aid in decreasing the
wastage on reservoir energy which will be helpful to operators and service
companies alike.
Industry interaction has taken form in the place of
meetings with operators and subsea equipment vendors at a Subsea Tieback
Forum held in early 2003 and a presentation at the 2003 SPE exhibition in
Colorado in October 2003.
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| Report |
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AA
(202 pages) |
AA - Scott, S. Devegowda, D. Martin, A. "Assessment of Subsea Production and
Well Systems." Texas A&M University. October 12, 2004. |
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