As part of the long tradition of innovative production growth and enhancement projects in the Greater Ekofisk Area, in 2004 ConocoPhillips Norway AS (COPNo) implemented the Onshore Operations Centre (OOC). The OOC facilitates improved collaborative working processes that optimise production and streamline operations through more proactive use of both field equipment and software tools. This paper describes the specification, development and implementation of the online production optimisation software used in this project. This software was provided and developed by EPS Ltd, a Weatherford company, in collaboration with COPNo. Specification of the system started in 2005, based on years of prior experience with network production modelling tools in the Ekofisk area, to simulate and optimise production from the reservoir to the export meter. The system is designed to fully utilise the OOC's continuous measurement and recording systems, throughout the entire production and process network. This production optimisation system aims to complement the existing informational displays and charts by the calibration and optimisation of complete network models several times a day. The optimisation results and comparison with real-time data and operating objectives are made available to users through a web interface so that they can be used by the operator and partner company staff at any location. Models of the wells and production/process network have been developed, following extensive discussions with all relevant disciplines, to ensure that these models can resolve the regular questions faced by the Greater Ekofisk operations teams. In addition to the daily simulation and optimisation scenarios run by the full, online system, the constituent parts of the full model can be also run offline to help evaluate exceptional production issues. The operator is experiencing benefits in two main categories firstly by identification of production problems with wells or plant that prevent the system from achieving target production and secondly by having continuously updated production scenarios available on which planning decisions can be based. These results will be discussed, with many examples. Introduction The Ekofisk field is located in the Southern North Sea in Norwegian production license PL018, operated by ConocoPhillips and was discovered in 1969. The ConocoPhillips Group includes Total E&P Norge, Eni Norge, StatoilHydro and Petoro and operates several other fields within this license including Eldfisk, Embla and Tor. Current production from the 150 natural flow and gas-lifted development wells in these fields is over 300,000 barrels of oil with over 300 MMSCF/D of associated gas. The Ekofisk field and the Eldfisk field are also currently being waterflooded (Hermansen 2002) with a total injection rate of approximately 600,000 barrels of water per day. Production from the license block fields is commingled and processed on a centrally located facility, Ekofisk J, and products exported to the market through an oil pipeline to Teeside, UK and a gas pipeline to Emden, Germany. The production network modelled in this project, including the main facility and pipeline system, is shown in figure 1. The Ekofisk A, B, C, M, X, Eldfisk A, B, Tor and Embla jackets all support production wells with limited separation facilities. The other jackets support compressor and process facilities.
Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) chose the North East Bab (NEB) field complex and asset to pioneer intelligent field technologies and work-practices within the company from development, to production start-up in 2006 and in subsequent enhancement projects. This paper describes implementation and operational experience from the online production optimisation and monitoring software now used as part of the asset team’s work-flows. Offline modelling of the NEB complex started in 2006 to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. In what is now becoming standard practice, an offline integrated model of the reservoir performance, production, gas-lift, water and WAG injection wells and surface facilities was set up. Experience from using this model and workshop sessions with all disciplines within the NEB Asset team were then used to specify and commission a commercially available web-based system. The online system is being used by the team to help optimise reservoir, well and plant performance. Common access to up-todate information throughout the organisation has encouraged faster decision making and prioritisation of measurements with resulting optimal improvement implementations in the field. The system monitors performance against reservoir management targets for production/injection and facilitates diagnosis of any deviations from plan by highlighting flow-assurance issues from the reservoir to well to process plant to export pump. The methodology used is transparent to any user and so confidence can be established in the continuously updated results for well and network flow assurance, reservoir pressure estimation and voidage monitoring. The increasing focus on information, rather than raw data, is improving operational efficiency and the team plan regular enhancement of the system features. The paper illustrates, using field examples, the benefits being realised from the online performance monitoring and full loop optimisation of both production and injection wells.
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