Deepwater Gas What ' S The Problem?

DEEPWATER GAS
What’s the problem?

by
Dr Julie E P Morgan
Granherne Pty Ltd
Perth
26th April 2007
Delivering
Consulting Excellence
Flow Assurance
How to get from A to B cost effectively?
A Reservoir
Asphaltenes
Pressure
Hydrates
Waxes
B
Product
Temperature
Delivering
Where in the World is
Deepwater?
West of Shetland Norway
North Africa
Gulf of Mexico
West Africa SE Asia

Brazil
Delivering
Deepwater Development
Issues
ÙReservoir uncertainty
ÙDeepwater installation
ÙRiser design / installation
ÙInspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR)
ÙOperability / availability
ÙFlow Assurance
Delivering
Deepwater Features
ÙDeeper water column (higher hydrostatic pressure)
ÙLower seabed ambient temperatures
ÙFluid Properties - hydrocarbons from different

geological sources to those in shallow water
ÙReservoir Complexity - shallow reservoir, HPHT,

compartmentalised, …
ÙComplex thermo-hydraulic fluid behaviour
Delivering
GoM Water Temperature Profile
Delivering
NWS versus GoM Water
Temperature
Delivering
Hydrates
Delivering
What are Hydrates?
Ù Ice like crystals formed from water and light hydrocarbons (~85
mol% water, ~15 mol% hydrocarbon), which when
agglomerated can block the flow path
Ù Contain as much as 180 volumes (STP) of gas per volume of
hydrate
Ù Can form at >18°C (>65°F) when the pressure is >170 bar
(>2500psi)
Ù Can form in wellbore, flowline, valves and meter discharges
Ù Have been found in wet gases, condensates & black oils
Ù Structure sI
• Usually formed by smaller molecules like methane, ethane, and
carbon dioxide
Ù Structure sII
• Formed by larger molecules such as propane and isobutane
Ù Structure H
• Formed by large molecules such as methylcyclo-hexane, only in
the presence of a smaller molecule
Ù Most often encountered on restart
Delivering
Ù Safety issues associated with depressurisation for blockage
Hydrates
Ù Manage problem - Prevent hydrate formation
(which requires water, light hydrocarbons, low
temperatures and high pressures):
• Thermodynamic solutions:
− Remove water
− Maintain high temperature
− Decrease pressure below hydrate dissociation pressure
− Inject thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor, e.g. MeOH, MEG,
salt!
• Non-thermodynamic solutions:
– Inject low dosage hydrate inhibitor
Delivering
Hydrates
Ù Manage problem - Blockage remediation:
• Depressurisation below hydrate dissociation pressure:
– Single sided
– Double sided
• Thermal methods:
– Raise temperature above hydrate dissociation
temperature
– Hot Flushing - not effective on total blockages
– Exothermic Reaction - drastic action, difficult to deploy
and control in remote lines
• Chemical dissolvers:
– Alcohols e.g. MeOH
– Glycols e.g. MEG
• Mechanical methods
– Coiled tubing
– Pigs, if flow path open
Delivering
Typical NWS Hydrate Curves
HYDRATES
NO HYDRATES
Delivering
HYDRATES
NO HYDRATES
Delivering
HYDRATES
NO HYDRATES
Delivering
Multi-component Fluid
7000
Multiple Component Phase Diagram
6000 CRITICAL
POINT CRICONDENBAR
BUBBLE
5000 POINT DEW POINT CURVE
CURVE
VAPOR FRACTION = 100 MOLE %

Pressure (psia)
4000
LIQUID 99
MOLE %
QUALITY
LINES 95
3000 MOLE %
90 CRICONDENTHERM
80 MOLE %
MOLE %
2000
1000
VAPOR
0
-100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Courtesy: DeepStar Temperature (F)
Delivering
Retrograde Gas
5000
PRESSURE PATH
IN RESERVOIR
1 RETROGRADE GAS
DEW POINT CURVE

4000 CRITICAL 2
POINT
3000
Pressure (psia)
60
50 40
30
20
10 % LIQUID
2000
SEPARATOR
1000
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Delivering
Wet Gas
3000
PRESSURE PATH
WET GAS IN RESERVOIR
1
2500
DEW POINT CURVE

2000
CRITICAL
Pressure (psia)
POINT
1500
20 % LIQUID
10
5 1
1000 2
SEPARATOR
500
0
-50 0 50 100 150 200 250
Delivering
Dry Gas
3000
PRESSURE PATH
IN RESERVOIR
DRY GAS
1
2500
2000
Pressure (psia)
1500
DEW POINT CURVE
CRITICAL
POINT
1000
2
SEPARATOR
10 5 1% LIQUID
500
0
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200
Delivering
Fluid D
Delivering
Fluid E
Delivering
Fluid Liquid “Features”
Ù Hydrocarbon liquid content
• CGR (condensate to gas ratio)
– Typical range is from 3 to 100 stb/MMscf
Ù Water content
• Saturated water (water of condensation)
– Ranges from 1.5 to 5 stb/MMscf initially up to 25 stb/MMscf late
in life
• Formation water
– Range ??????
– Upper limit constrained by some processing capacity e.g. MEG
regeneration to say 5,000 bwpd, maybe more?
Ù Total liquid content
• Ranges from 5 to 105 stb/MMscf early life up to 130
stb/MMscf late in life
Delivering
Associated FA Challenges
Ù Production chemistry related:
• Wax
• Asphaltenes
• Scale
• Corrosion
• Chemical compatibility
Ù Other:
• Sand production
• Erosion
• Hydraulic performance / liquid management
Delivering
Hydraulic Performance
ÙInfluenced by:
• System operating conditions (pressure &
temperature)
• Multiphase flow (hydrocarbons, water &
chemicals)
• Pipeline topography
ÙChallenges:
• Slugging (hydrodynamic, terrain, riser)
• Liquid surges as a result of rate changes e.g.
start-up, ramp-up (dynamic pigging), pigging
Delivering
Generic Development
Ù Development details:
• 20 km subsea tieback:
– 4 wells at a single drill centre
• Production rates:
– Early life: 1,000 MMscfd
– End of plateau: 600 MMscfd
• Required arrival pressures:
– Early life: 120 bara
– End of plateau: 25 bara
• Liquids content:
– CGR: 5 bbl/MMscf
– Saturated water: 2 bbl/MMscf
Delivering
Generic Development
20 km 25oC
100 m shallow
20oC
10 km
100 m 20oC
1,000 m scarp
4o C
1,000 m
deep
4o C
Delivering
Hydraulic Performance
Delivering
Thermal Performance
Delivering
Liquid Content – Total Hold-up
Delivering
Liquid Management
Shallow Deep Scarp
Slugging Not predicted <500 MMscfd <500 MMscfd
Location Not predicted Along whole Only in scarp

pipeline section
Mean Slug - 74 to 110 74 to 110

Volume (m3)
Liquid by 121@1,000 MMscfd 123@1,000 MMscfd 111@1,000 MMscfd
sphere (m3) 179@500 MMscfd 1,083@500 MMscfd 594@500 MMscfd
3,610@100 MMscfd 2,524@100 MMscfd 2,841@100 MMscfd
Delivering
Liquids in Deep Case
1,000 MMscfd 500 MMscfd 100 MMscfd
Liquid Hold-up 213 1,474 3,850

(m3)
Equivalent 730 5,052 13,192
length (m)
Static Head (m) 36.5 252.6 659.6
Static Head 3.1 21.7 56.7

(bara)
Delivering
Thanks for your
attention
Any questions?
Delivering

Deepwater Gas What ' S The Problem?

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Deepwater Gas What ' S The Problem?

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DEEPWATER GAS

What’s the problem?

How to get from A to B cost effectively?

West of Shetland Norway

West Africa SE Asia

ÙRiser design / installation

ÙInspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR)

ÙLower seabed ambient temperatures

ÙFluid Properties - hydrocarbons from different

ÙReservoir Complexity - shallow reservoir, HPHT,

ÙComplex thermo-hydraulic fluid behaviour

VAPOR FRACTION = 100 MOLE %

DEW POINT CURVE

DEW POINT CURVE

Shallow Deep Scarp

Slugging Not predicted <500 MMscfd <500 MMscfd

Location Not predicted Along whole Only in scarp

Mean Slug - 74 to 110 74 to 110

1,000 MMscfd 500 MMscfd 100 MMscfd

Liquid Hold-up 213 1,474 3,850

Static Head (m) 36.5 252.6 659.6

Static Head 3.1 21.7 56.7

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