Sand production is one of the more critical issues causing delays and high costs to the petroleum production industry. To measure solid production in the hydrocarbon stream a number of sand monitors have been developed. Such monitors are installed in the flow line and are intended to provide information such as the onset of solid production or the amount of produced solids. Most sand monitors are based on the measurement of erosion due to impingement of sand particles or measuring ultrasonic signals generated by particle impacts on the pipe wall or piezoelectric elements. Having described the principal behind available monitors in the industry, capabilities and limitation of each type is explained in Part 1. Part 2 is comprised of a literature review carried out on the techniques which have the potential to be utilised in new generations of solids monitors. The principles of such methods as well as their advantages and disadvantages for solids monitoring applications are mentioned. In Part 3 subjects such as improving the data quality and data interpretation of current techniques, integration of available techniques into a single piece of equipment, and ranking of the most promising cases which are worthy of further investigation are discussed.
Reliable measurements of oil-in-water (OiW) content is essential in the oil and gas industry. The current OiW analysis techniques deployed in the industry need frequent calibration and mostly depend on optical access to the sample. They are also limited in providing a thorough compositional examination of the oil content. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a well-established analytical tool across a wide range of different fields. For the OiW analysis, NMR can provide a self-calibrated measurement, does not require optical access, and allows for quantitative analysis of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon content at the ppm level. Here, a fully automated prototype combining a custom-built solid-phase extraction (SPE) platform for sample pre-concentration and a benchtop NMR spectrometer for quantitative OiW measurements is designed, built, and demonstrated. The novel automated apparatus has significant potential for field deployment and provides a reliable and reproducible analysis of OiW content consistent with common reference methods.
Reservoir souring often occurs as a result of secondary recovery using water-flood. Until recently, the mechanisms of souring were poorly understood but it is now possible to quantify and profile the development of sour gas production. The latest understanding of the mechanisms of reservoir souring have been used to model the souring potential of North Kuwait reservoirs, undertaken as part of a process of risk management in field development planning. The Kuwait Oil Company has taken this one step further by interfacing the souring model to a proprietary, state-of-the-art, steady state process simulation package, as part of a wider process of integrated field development. Interfacing a sub-surface souring model to a process facilities compositional simulation has resulted in the ability to assess, with an unusual degree of confidence, the technical and economic effects of reservoir souring on facilities design and operation. This knowledge has been used for the preliminary assessment of options for controlling souring in the future. To assure accuracy, the proprietary process simulation software thermodynamic generator, chosen for its ability to handle hydrogen sulphide, was independently validated by the thermodynamics section of BP Research Centre. This paper reviews the basis of the reservoir-souring model and shows the results obtained in terms of sour gas profiles predicted over a period of time. It then goes on to show in more detail how these results were linked into a process simulation model which was constructed to emulate both existing and future facilities configurations. The paper concludes by showing how the knowledge gained has allowed optimum decision making regarding the materials and equipment of the non-sour service facilities and the safety of operation. In addition, how this knowledge has been used for providing assurance and guidance for the planning of future production facilities.
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