Problem: A large brownfield project to add additional compression and dehydration capacity involving two large production platforms off the West Coast of Africa also involved compliance with new flaring emission standards. EDG facilities engineers were challenged with determining the best way to reduce flaring from both of these platforms, while lessening the need for additional equipment and maximizing overall production throughput across each of the platforms.
EDG facilities engineering utilized the varied experiences of its personnel to generate several operating scenarios, including several out-of-the-box designs. The most attractive alternative for minimizing cost and schedule and maximizing production throughput required conversion of an existing oil pipeline between the two platforms to a multiphase pipeline. However, third-party transient analysis predicted severe slugging behavior in the pipeline’s primary operating regime. The client already experienced slugging on the destination platform from other flowlines and expressed concern over the ability to handle additional slugging. The potential cost of increasing slug management capacity threatened to eliminate this as a viable alternative.
Solution: EDG facilities engineers created a detailed model of the topsides equipment to study the impact of pipeline transient behavior on the separators, compressors and export pipeline. The model revealed slugging issues that extended well beyond the existing slug catchers and the 20-percent surge allowance recommended by API. EDG facilities engineers worked closely with the flow assurance contractor to develop a pipeline management strategy that eliminated slugging issues at a very low cost. By thinking outside the box, EDG was able to provide a simple solution to reduce flaring and to lessen the impact of slugging that allowed this project to continue as planned with minimum impact to schedule and cost.
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