Quantitatively Assessing Hydrate-Blockage Development During Deepwater-Gas-Well Testing

SPE Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 1166-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Wang ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Jianbo Zhang ◽  
Xuerui Wang ◽  
Jing Yu ◽  
...  

Summary Hydrate-associated problems pose a key concern to the oil and gas industry when moving toward deeper-offshore reservoir development. A better understanding of hydrate-blockage-development behavior can help flow-assurance engineers develop more-economical and environmentally friendly hydrate-management strategies for deepwater operations. In this work, a model is proposed to describe the hydrate-blockage-formation behavior in testing tubing during deepwater-gas-well testing. The reliability of the model is verified with drillstem-testing (DST) data. Case studies are performed with the proposed model. They indicate that hydrates form and deposit on the tubing walls, creating a continuously growing hydrate layer, which narrows the tubing, increases the pressure drop, and finally results in conduit blockage. The hydrate-layer thickness is nonuniform. At some places, the hydrate layer grows more quickly, and this is the high-blockage-risk region (HBRR). The HBRR is not located where the lowest ambient temperature is encountered, but rather at the position where maximum subcooling of the produced gas is presented. As an example case—a deepwater gas well with a water depth of 1565 m and a gas-production rate of 45 × 104 m3/d—the hydrate blockage first forms at the depth of 150 m. In the section with a depth from 50 to 350 m, hydrates deposit more rapidly and this is the HBRR. As the water depth increases and/or the gas-flow rate decreases, the HBRR becomes deeper. Inhibitors can delay the occurrence of hydrate blockage. The hydrate problems can be handled with a smaller amount of inhibitors during deepwater well-testing operations. This work provides new insights for engineers to develop a new-generation flow-assurance technique to handle hydrate-associated problems during deepwater operations.

2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangfei Song ◽  
Bohui Shi ◽  
Weichao Yu ◽  
Lin Ding ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Low temperature and high pressure conditions favor the formation of gas clathrate hydrates which is undesirable during oil and gas industries operation. The management of hydrate formation and plugging risk is essential for the flow assurance in the oil and gas production. This study aims to show how hydrate management in the deepwater gas well testing operations in the South China Sea can be optimized. To prevent the plugging of hydrate, three hydrate management strategies are investigated. The first method, injecting thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor (THI) is the most commonly used method to prevent hydrate formation. THI tracking is utilized to obtain the distribution of mono ethylene glycol (MEG) along the pipeline. The optimal dosage of MEG is calculated through further analysis. The second method, hydrate slurry flow technology is applied to the gas well. Pressure drop ratio (PDR) is defined to denote the hydrate blockage risk margin. The third method is the kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) injection. The delayed effect of KHI on the hydrate formation induction time ensures that hydrates do not form in the pipe. This method is effective in reducing the injection amount of inhibitor. The problems of the three hydrate management strategies which should be paid attention to in industrial application are analyzed. This work promotes the understanding of hydrate management strategies and provides guidance for hydrate management optimization in oil and gas industry.


Author(s):  
Shangfei Song ◽  
Bohui Shi ◽  
Weichao Yu ◽  
Wang Li ◽  
Jing Gong

Low temperature and high pressure conditions in deep water wells and sub-sea pipelines favour the formation of gas clathrate hydrates which is very undesirable during oil and gas industries operation. The management of hydrate formation and plugging risk is essential for the flow assurance in the oil and gas production. This study aims to show how the hydrate management in the deepwater gas well testing operations in the South China Sea can be optimized. As a result of the low temperature and the high pressure in the vertical 3860 meter-tubing, hydrate would form in the tubing during well testing operations. To prevent the formation or plugging of hydrate, three hydrate management strategies are investigated including thermodynamic inhibitor injection, hydrate slurry flow technology and thermodynamic inhibitor integrated with kinetic hydrate inhibitor. The first method, injecting considerable amount of thermodynamic inhibitor (Mono Ethylene Glycol, MEG) is also the most commonly used method to prevent hydrate formation. Thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor tracking is utilized to obtain the distribution of MEG along the pipeline. Optimal dosage of MEG is calculated through further analysis. The second method, hydrate slurry flow technology is applied to the gas well. Low dosage hydrate inhibitor of antiagglomerate is added into the flow system to prevent the aggregation of hydrate particles after hydrate formation. Pressure Drop Ratio (PDR) is defined to denote the hydrate blockage risk margin. The third method is a recently proposed hydrate risk management strategy which prevents the hydrate formation by addition of Poly-N-VinylCaprolactam (PVCap) as a kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI). The delayed effect of PVCap on the hydrate formation induction time ensures that hydrates do not form in the pipe. This method is effective in reducing the injection amount of inhibitor. The problems of the three hydrate management strategies which should be paid attention to in industrial application are analyzed. This work promotes the understanding of hydrate management strategy and provides guidance for hydrate management optimization in oil and gas industry.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Kotiyal ◽  
Guru Prasad Nagaraj ◽  
Lester Tugung Michael

Abstract Digital oilfield applications have been implemented in numerous operating companies to streamline processes and automate workflows to optimize oil and gas production in real-time. These applications are mostly deployed using traditional on-premises systems; where maintenance, accessibility and scalability serves as a major bottleneck for an efficient outcome. In addition to this challenge, the sector still faces limitations in data integration from disparate data sources, liberation of consolidated data for consumption and cross domain workflow orchestration of that data. The dimensional change brought by digital transformation strategies has paved a path for the Cloud- based solutions, which have recently gained momentum in the oil and gas industry pertaining to their wider accessibility, simpler customization, greater system stability and scalability to support larger amount of data in a performant way. To address the challenges mentioned earlier, we have embarked on a journey with Production Data Foundation which brings together production and equipment data from across an organization. In this paper, we will highlight how Production Data Foundation, hosted on the cloud, provides the underlying infrastructure, services, interfaces required to support and unify production data ingestion, workflow orchestration, and through the alignment of the common domain and digital concepts, improve collaboration between people in distinct roles, such as production engineers, reservoir engineers, drilling engineers, deployment engineers, software developers, data scientists, architects, and subject matter experts (SME) working with production operations products and solutions.


Author(s):  
Diana Marcela Martinez Ricardo ◽  
German Efrain Castañeda Jiménez ◽  
Janito Vaqueiro Ferreira ◽  
Pablo Siqueira Meirelles

Various artificial lifting systems are used in the oil and gas industry. An example is the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP). When the gas flow is high, ESPs usually fail prematurely because of a lack of information about the two-phase flow during pumping operations. Here, we develop models to estimate the gas flow in a two-phase mixture being pumped through an ESP. Using these models and experimental system response data, the pump operating point can be controlled. The models are based on nonparametric identification using a support vector machine learning algorithm. The learning machine’s hidden parameters are determined with a genetic algorithm. The results obtained with each model are validated and compared in terms of estimation error. The models are able to successfully identify the gas flow in the liquid-gas mixture transported by an ESP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (06) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Judy Feder

We talk about “the energy transition” as if it were some type of unified, global event. Instead, numerous approaches to energy transitions are taking place in parallel, with all of the “players” moving at different paces, in different directions, and with different guiding philosophies. Which companies are best positioned to survive and thrive, and why? This article takes a look at what several top energy research and business intelligence firms are saying. What a Difference a Year Makes Prior to 2020—in fact, as recently as the 2014 bust that followed the shale boom—the oil and gas industry weathered downturns by “tightening their belts” and “doing more with less” in the form of cutting capital expenditures and costs, tapping credit lines, and improving operational efficiency. Adopting advanced digitalization and cognitive technologies as integral parts of the supply chain from 2015 to 2019 led to significant performance improvements as companies dealt with “shale shock.” Then, in 2020, a strange thing happened. Just as disruptive technologies like electric vehicles and solar photovoltaic and new batteries were gaining traction and decarbonization and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues were rising to the top of global social and policy agendas, COVID-19 left companies with almost nothing to squeeze from their supply chains, and budget cuts had a direct impact on operational performance and short-term operational plans. To stabilize their returns, many oil and gas companies revised and reshaped their portfolios and business strategies around decarbonization and alternative energy sources. The result: The investment in efforts toward effecting energy transition surpassed $500 billion for the first time in early 2021 ($501.3 billion, a 9% increase over 2019, according to BloombergNEF) despite the economic disruption caused by COVID-19. According to Wood Mackenzie, carbon emissions and carbon intensity are now key metrics in any project’s final investment decision. And, Rystad Energy said that greenhouse-gas emissions are declining faster than what is outlined in many conventional models regarded as aggressive scenarios. In Rystad’s model, electrification levels will reach 80% by 2050. A Look at the Playing Field: Energy Transition Pillars In a February 2021 webinar, Rystad discussed what leading exploration and production (E&P) companies are doing to keep up with the energy transition and stay investable in the rapidly changing market environment. The consulting firm researched the top 25 E&P companies based on their oil and gas production in 2020 and analyzed how they approach various market criteria in “three pillars of energy transition in the E&P sector” that the firm regards as key distinguishers and important indicators of potential success (Fig. 1). The research excludes national oil companies (NOCs) except for those with international activity (INOCs). Rystad says these 25 companies are responsible for almost 40% of global hydrocarbon production and the same share of global E&P investments and believes the trends within this peer group are representative on a global scale.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Alejandro Ruvalcaba Velarde

Abstract The energy transition to renewable energy and hydrogen as an energy carrier, along with low-carbon footprint production targets in the oil and gas industry act as a catalytic for exploring the role of hydrogen in oil and gas production. For upstream and midstream operations, potential opportunities for using hydrogen as an energy carrier are being developed both in hydrogen generation (X-to-hydrogen) as well as in hydrogen consumption (hydrogen-to-X), but not without series of technical and economical challenges. This paper presents potential use cases in upstream and midstream facilities for hydrogen generation and consumption, be it both from hydrocarbon processing resultant in what is called "blue hydrogen" or from integration with renewable energy to form what is called "green hydrogen". It also explains process integration requirements with diagrams for full-cycle green hydrogen use from generation to consumption and its interaction with renewable energy technologies to achieve low to zero-carbon emission power supply systems. Different hydrogen generation and conversion technologies are reviewed as part of the modeling process. Green hydrogen feasibility is assessed in terms of operational efficiency and cost constraints. Hybrid hydrogen and renewable energy power supply systems are simulated and presented according to the intended applications of use in oil and gas facilities. This paper provides a feasibility analysis and hydrogen technology integration potential with renewable energy for applications in oil and gas remote facilities power supply. It also shows emerging hydrogen technologies potential for use in upstream and midstream applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-195
Author(s):  
U. Zh. Tazhenbayeva ◽  
◽  
Ye.O. Ayapbergenov ◽  
G. Zh. Yeligbayeva ◽  
◽  
...  

One of the biggest challenges in oil and gas production projects is dealing with the various types of corrosion to which certain parts of field equipment are exposed. Selecting the right corrosion inhibitor for the specific environment is extremely important. Choosing inhibitors for a particular location can be a difficult task because there are many factors to be considered. Understanding the corrosion problems that can arise is important in the oil and gas industry, and knowledge of which inhibitors to use to deal with general and localized corrosion will save time and money in the long run. This article presents the results of studies of various brands of domestic and foreign corrosion inhibitors for use in the Uzen field: physical and chemical characteristics (density, viscosity, freezing temperature, mass fraction of active substance, compatibility with field waters, amine number), efficiency of corrosion inhibitors in laboratory conditions and on a bench simulating field reservoir conditions, taking into account pressure, temperature, fluid flow rate, as well as aggressive components - hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. In addition, studies of corrosion inhibitors' effect on the process of preparation of production are also given. The works were carried out in the center of scientific and laboratory research of KMG Engineering branch " KazNIPImunaygas" LLP.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oihane Monzon ◽  
Yu Yang ◽  
Cong Yu ◽  
Qilin Li ◽  
Pedro J. J. Alvarez

Environmental context The treatment of extremely saline, high-strength wastewaters while producing electricity represents a great opportunity to mitigate environmental effects and recover resources associated with wastes from shale oil and gas production. This paper demonstrates that extreme halophilic microbes can produce electricity at salinity up to 3- to 7-fold higher than sea water. Abstract Many industries generate hypersaline wastewaters with high organic strength, which represent a major challenge for pollution control and resource recovery. This study assesses the potential for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to treat such wastewaters and generate electricity under extreme salinity. A power density of up to 71mWm–2 (318mWm–3) with a Coulombic efficiency of 42% was obtained with 100gL–1 NaCl, and the capability of MFCs to generate electricity in the presence of up to 250gL–1 NaCl was demonstrated for the first time. Pyrosequencing analysis of the microbial community colonising the anode showed the predominance of a single genus, Halanaerobium (85.7%), which has been found in late flowback fluids and is widely distributed in shale formations and oil reservoirs. Overall, this work encourages further research to assess the feasibility of MFCs to treat hypersaline wastewaters generated by the oil and gas industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 537
Author(s):  
Andrew Taylor

Associated with the growth of Australia’s oil and gas industry over the past 40 years, our oceans currently host oil and gas production and transportation infrastructure that will cost ~AU$30 billion to decommission. National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) is one of six industry growth centres (IGC) funded by the Australian Government. NERA is investigating opportunities for transforming the way that Australia manages its upcoming decommissioning activities. In 2019, NERA undertook a series of stakeholder consultations to refresh our understanding of Australia’s decommissioning outlook. Feedback was received through more than 20 interviews and follow-up surveys with the service sector, operators, research organisations, regulators and consultants. This paper highlights the outcomes of this review and NERA’s view on opportunities to position Australia favourably to manage decommissioning in a way that maximises benefits.


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