Online Valve Monitoring Systems Used on Off-Shore Platforms in the North Sea

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Juvik ◽  
Tore Hermansen ◽  
Roger Carr ◽  
Stan Hale
Keyword(s):  
Economic Impact ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Shore Platforms

Monitoring the leakage and condition of Emergency Shutdown Valves (ESVs) on offshore oil and gas platforms is an essential part of maintaining the safety of personnel and protecting the environment. Failure of these valves to operate when they are needed also has an enormous economic impact. The ESVs are intended to isolate each section of the platform in the event of a line break or fire, preventing hydrocarbons from flowing into the affected section. This paper describes a unique approach to monitoring these valves for leakage while the systems are in operation.

scholarly journals Methane emissions from oil and gas platforms in the North Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 9787-9796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart N. Riddick ◽  
Denise L. Mauzerall ◽  
Michael Celia ◽  
Neil R. P. Harris ◽  
Grant Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Emission Inventories ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil

Abstract. Since 1850 the concentration of atmospheric methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, has more than doubled. Recent studies suggest that emission inventories may be missing sources and underestimating emissions. To investigate whether offshore oil and gas platforms leak CH4 during normal operation, we measured CH4 mole fractions around eight oil and gas production platforms in the North Sea which were neither flaring gas nor offloading oil. We use the measurements from summer 2017, along with meteorological data, in a Gaussian plume model to estimate CH4 emissions from each platform. We find CH4 mole fractions of between 11 and 370 ppb above background concentrations downwind of the platforms measured, corresponding to a median CH4 emission of 6.8 g CH4 s−1 for each platform, with a range of 2.9 to 22.3 g CH4 s−1. When matched to production records, during our measurements individual platforms lost between 0.04 % and 1.4 % of gas produced with a median loss of 0.23 %. When the measured platforms are considered collectively (i.e. the sum of platforms' emission fluxes weighted by the sum of the platforms' production), we estimate the CH4 loss to be 0.19 % of gas production. These estimates are substantially higher than the emissions most recently reported to the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory (NAEI) for total CH4 loss from United Kingdom platforms in the North Sea. The NAEI reports CH4 losses from the offshore oil and gas platforms we measured to be 0.13 % of gas production, with most of their emissions coming from gas flaring and offshore oil loading, neither of which was taking place at the time of our measurements. All oil and gas platforms we observed were found to leak CH4 during normal operation, and much of this leakage has not been included in UK emission inventories. Further research is required to accurately determine total CH4 leakage from all offshore oil and gas operations and to properly include the leakage in national and international emission inventories.

INSPECTION FREQUENCY OPTIMIZATION MODEL FOR DEGRADING FLOWLINES ON AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 167-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAURABH KUMAR ◽  
RAJIV DANDOTIYA ◽  
RAJESH KUMAR ◽  
UDAY KUMAR
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Optimization Model ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Frequency Optimization ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil

Many offshore oil and gas installations in the North Sea are approaching the end of their designed lifetimes. Technological improvements and higher oil prices have developed favorable conditions for more oil recovery from these existing installations. However, in most cases, an extended oil production period does not justify investment in new installations. Therefore cost-effective maintenance of the existing platform infrastructure is becoming very important. In this paper, an inspection frequency optimization model has been developed which can be used effectively by the inspection and maintenance personnel in the industry to estimate the number of inspections/optimum preventive maintenance time required for a degrading component at any age or interval in its lifecycle at a minimum total maintenance cost. The model can help in planning inspections and maintenance intervals for different components of the platform infrastructure. The model has been validated by a case study performed on flowlines installed on the top side of an offshore oil and gas platform in the North Sea. Reliability analysis has been carried out to arrive at the best inspection frequency for the flowline segments under study.

A survey of inputs to the North Sea resulting from oil and gas developments

1987 ◽  
Vol 316 (1181) ◽  
pp. 495-509 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The North ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil

The annual input of petroleum hydrocarbons to the North Sea has recently been estimated to be between 100 and 170 kt and is derived from a variety of sources. Although there is uncertainty about the size of inputs from some sources, there is general agreement that the atmosphere, rivers and land run-off (including coastal sewage), and coastal oil industry activities combined with shipping, remain sources of major inputs. However, the size of annual inputs from the offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities has recently increased to about 20 kt and these activities now form one of the major sources of petroleum hydrocarbons to the North Sea. This increase is almost entirely due to the use of oil-based drill-muds and the consequent discharge of drill cuttings contaminated with residual mud. At present, experience in the United Kingdom has shown that this input of fresh, unweathered oil rapidly enters otherwise uncontaminated offshore sediments, producing strictly local effects around the point-source discharges. The nature and composition of this input differs from the majority of the inputs to coastal waters and sediments, and from the diffuse atmospheric input to offshore waters. Of the 140 kt of materials other than oil discharged annually to the North Sea from oil and gas developments in the United Kingdom, 98-99% arise from drilling operations, but the vast majority of inputs from this source are biologically inert or derivatives of natural products. Surveys indicate that, of the remaining materials, less than 50 t of the more toxic products (i.e. those with a 96 h LC 50 to Crangon crangon of less than 1 part/10 6 ) are discharged into United Kingdom waters annually. The largely uncontaminated offshore North Sea waters and sediments remain little affected by offshore oil and gas developments, but if these activities enter already contaminated estuarine and coastal waters, the contamination and effects from this source will be harder to distinguish.

Safety Offshore—Loss Prevention in a Pioneering Industry

1993 ◽  
Vol 207 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
A A Denton
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
The North ◽  
Mining Community ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Subsequent Introduction

The President recalls his early days in a coal mining community which kindled his interest in mechanical engineering, and tells of his subsequent introduction into the nascent offshore oil and gas industry in the early 1960s. His career has been closely linked to the development of devices to drill for and produce oil in harsh environments in all quarters of the globe. Many of the novel ideas that emanated from a pioneering industry were subjected to the author's evaluation and certification, and the more interesting of these are described, together with pointers for future offshore developments. The Piper Alpha accident in the North Sea resulted in the Cullen Inquiry, to which the author presented the evidence of the Institution. Subsequent to this he has examined operating procedures of many offshore organizations and submits his evaluation of the Cullen recommendation and the prospect for safer operations in the future. Finally the President looks at unification and related matters, and offers views on the way forward for the Institution.

Methane emission measurements at the North Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Velzeboer ◽  
Arnoud Frumau ◽  
Pim van den Bulk ◽  
Arjan Hensen
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
The North ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Tracer Experiments

<p>In July and November 2018 measurements campaigns were performed at the North Sea. This campaign was aimed to assess independently total methane emissions of a selected group offshore oil and gas platforms using concentration measurements at multiple distances from the source in combination with meteorological conditions and dispersion calculations. This measurement set-up is in line with methane measurements carried out near onshore gas production locations in 2016-2017.</p><p>First observations with tracer experiments showed different behavior of the plumes offshore, compared to onshore plume behavior.</p><p>The Gaussian Plume model was modified with the methodology of the Offshore and Coastal Dispersion (ODC) model, to incorporate the effect of the sea surface and the building effect of the offshore installations on the dilution and mixing of the plume. Together with the performed tracer experiments, this resulted in more reliable calculations of the source strength of methane emissions from the installations.</p>

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