Multiphase boosting technology can provide a cost-effective option for developing remote and marginal oil field discoveries, by reviving dead oil wells and increasing the production from active wells. The implementation of the multiphase technology at the remote field is a new strategy to obtain increased production and flow assurance from the operator. This paper describes the implementation of a rotodynamic (helicon-axial) multiphase pumping (MPP) system at a remote, hilly-terrain onshore oil field in Saudi Arabia. The process conditions, the MPP package scope of supply, the MPP installation setup and operation will be discussed in detail. Introduction The water cut and gas fraction usually increase with field production over time. This problem can be aggravated if the multiphase well fluids, transported over long distance pipelines, cross hilly topography due to the added length of the pipelines, to production stations or process facilities. Therefore production reaches a stage where the field or part of the field becomes severely restricted and could lead to premature abandonment of many producing wells, unless remote multiphase pressure boosting is implemented to regain production. MPPs are capable of pumping multiphase flow streams with various combinations of oil, water, and gas without the need for separation. The MPP technology is mostly used to add energy to unprocessed fluids to be transported to processing facilities located downstream. The MPP can help reduce or eliminate the need for remote production infrastructure such as separation equipment and offshore platforms. This would lead to lower operating costs associated with the development of hydrocarbon reserves. Marginal fields located in hostile environments can also be developed more economically. In addition, MPPs can reduce the high-back pressure on producing wells, leading to increases in production and recoverable reserves. The selection of the suitable multiphase boosting system is generally based on a number of factors such as the economics and constraints imposed by a geographic location, specific field conditions and fluid properties. Some of the common constraints are available space and weight, in the case of offshore platforms. Power availability is another concern for marginal and unmanned satellite field developments.
Inline separation technology has attracted the attention of oil and gas field operators due to the considerable weight, space and cost savings that can be achieved. In addition, inline separation technology can play a major role in de-bottlenecking and upgrading of existing production facilities. In this regard, inline separation technology has been evaluated in separation efficiency and its contribution to an upstream wet gas field development, to unlock the restricted/shut down wet gas wells.The FMC/CDS InLine DeLiquidiser (Ultra-Compact Cyclonic Gas-Liquid Separator) was trial tested in a remote location of a Saudi Aramco mature gas field to unlock production from restricted or shut-in gas wells currently suffering from high water cut, which was resulting in limited gas production. More importantly, this technology will significantly contribute in developing Saudi Aramco gas fields already restricted or unexploited due to water production increase associated with gas production.This paper discusses the concept, objectives and results of the commissioning of the Inline Separator application in the Saudi Aramco wet gas field. Furthermore, during the commissioning, noise measurements were executed to determine the noise level of the Inline Separator in the field, which will also be highlighted.
The inline separation technology has attracted the attention of oil and gas field operators due to the considerable weight, space and cost savings that can be achieved. In addition, the inline separation technology can play a major role in debottlenecking and upgrading the existing production facilities.Several gas wells are beginning to produce significant water. Older gas plant facilities were not designed to handle high water production. Compact inline separation technology has the potential of eliminating any water-related restriction on well production, and reducing the investment for upgrading existing conventional separators.A trial test of a skid-mounted inline separation technology (Deliquidizer) is being implemented at a wet gas remote header. The header has three flowing wet gas wells. The separated gas and liquid (water and condensate) streams will be monitored for flow rate and phase fractions using suitable multiphase flow meters. The separated gas will be flowed to the gas plant and separated liquids will be flowed in a separate flowline to the nearest oil processing facility. This will allow unrestricted flow of the gas wells without the need to upgrade the water handling facilities of the gas plant resulting in significant cost savings. This paper discusses the concept, objectives and benefits of inline separation technology application in Saudi Aramco wet gas field. The field trial test loop, process conditions, equipment specifications, and future applications of this technology within Saudi Aramco will also be discussed.
This paper demonstrates the findings of Electrical Submersible Pump (ESPs) failure investigations of sand erosion occurring in sandy wells. The study comprises a review of reasons for sand production through well streams penetrating through the ESP internals. Remedial measures to minimize or eliminate the sand attack to the ESPs are discussed.
The paper concerns the achievement in separation performance by using a new mixer device for the injection and mixing of the demulsifier into the crude-water flow. The target for the injection of the demulsifier into the crude-water flow is to modify the surface properties of the crude-water interfaces such that the conditions for droplet-droplet coalescence for the dispersed phase within the two liquid bulk phases are improved. The costs for such production chemicals may become significant at the same time as the impact on the crude-water separability may be non-satisfactory. Facing this, Saudi Aramco has installed and field-tested a new mixer system, denoted ProMix, for more efficiently distributing the demulsifier into the crude-water flow, targeting lower consumption and improved separability. The operational performance and results for the full scale 20" mixer installation at UGOSP-4 (Uthmaniyah Gas-Oil Separation Plant), normal operating flow rate 275,000 BPD, has been recorded both for winter and summer conditions. Compared to the existing mixing valve, the ProMix mixer device has served to; Reduce the demulsifier consumption Improve the crude oil produced water separation Reduce the pressure drop across the mixer installation to typical 1-2 psi Improve operational robustness The annually averaged reduction in demulsifier consumption has been estimated to 20 %. In addition the oil-inwater content for the water separated from the dehydrator has dropped significantly by the use of the new mixer system, allowing for improved operation of the crude-water interfacial level for the dehydrator. For the operational robustness the introduction of the new mixer system has also served to minimize the dehydrator electrostatic grids failures during the winter conditions. The reduced pressure drop and improved separability also allows for higher crude flow production in addition to reduced demulsifier consumption. As the ProMix is a compact flange mounted spool piece unit it can easily replace an existing choke or globe valve mixer in order to debottleneck existing separation trains, in addition to serve as mixer units for grass-root installations.
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