Integrated Field Management System for LNG Assets: Maximizing Asset Value Through Representative End-To-End Modeling

Abstract

Effective asset-level decision-making relies on a sound understanding of the complex sub-components of the hydrocarbon production system, their interactions, along with an overarching evaluation of the asset's economic performance under different operational strategies. This is especially true for the LNG upstream production system, from the reservoir to the LNG export facility, due to the complex constraints imposed by the gas processing and liquefaction plant. The evolution of the production characteristics over the asset lifetime poses a challenge to the continued and efficient operation of the LNG facility. To ensure a competitive landed LNG cost for the customer, the economics of the production system must be optimized, particularly the liquefaction costs which form the bulk of the operating expenditure of the LNG supply chain. Forecasting and optimizing the production of natural gas liquids helps improve the asset economics. The risks due to demand uncertainty must also be assessed when comparing development alternatives. This paper describes the application of a comprehensive field management framework that can create an integrated virtual asset by coupling reservoir, wells, network, facilities, and economics models and provides an advisory system for efficient asset management. In continuation of previously published work (Khan, Ali, Elfeel, Biniwale, & Dandekar, 2020), this paper focuses on the integration of a steady-state process simulation model that provides high-fidelity thermo-physical property prediction to represent the gas treatment and LNG plant operation. This is accomplished through the Python-enabled extensibility and generic capability of the field management system. This is demonstrated on a complex LNG asset that is fed by sour gas of varying compositions from multiple reservoirs. An asset wide economics model is also incorporated in the integrated model to assess the economic performance and viability of competing strategies. The impact of changes to the wells and production network system on LNG plant operation is analyzed along with the long-term evolution of the inlet stream specifications. The end-to-end integration enables component tracking throughout the flowing system over time which is useful for contractual and environmental compliance. Integrated economics captures costs at all levels and enables the comparison of development alternatives. Flexible integration of the dedicated domain models reveals interactions that can be otherwise overlooked. The ability of the integrated field management system to allow the modeling of the sub-systems at the ‘right’ level of fidelity makes the solution versatile and adaptable. In addition, the integration of economics enables the maximization of total asset value by improving decision making.