BP – Smart Wells / Smart Fields Skip DESAULNIERS.

BP – Smart Wells / Smart Fields

Skip DESAULNIERS


• Operational flare reduction versus

• typical associated gas flaring

• BP’s efforts has mostly been focused on operational reductions

• The most recent major associated gas reduction was the Chirag, Azerbaijan platform tie-in to a new injection platform, 25 MMscfd flare reduction


• Two examples of flare reduction success using process control optimization

1. Trinidad platform – slugging

2. USA gas field – well deliquification venting

• Both examples were flaring or venting on a regular or routine basis but not considered continuous


• Trinidad – Samaan Platform

–National Gas Company connected.

–Lots of compression capacity but lots of flaring.

–Major work effort to investigate gathering system slugging

–A project was developed to install inlet control valves to stabilize the inlet slugging.

• but …


• An intervention was organized with a process control expert

• It was quickly established that the compression surge protection system was responsible for the slugging–The control system was causing the pressure increase in

the inlet separator but also extending the upset by not closing the surge valve quickly


• The keys to success were to engage management first

• The team interviewed the project staff, the local facility engineering staff, and the operating staff on the platform–Testing with a high speed process analyzer proved what

the interview process was suggesting


• Additional project requirements–added boosters to make surge and recycle valves

respond faster

–activated available programming by burning a new eprom chip


• Flare reduction was immediate and sustainable

• Inlet slugging stabilized immediately

• The new compression control allowed for both compressors to run simultaneously

• 7.5 MMscfd flare reduction (145k tonne CO2e)

• The project and therefore a platform outage was avoided

VENT REDUCTION EXAMPLE


• Farmington, New Mexico, USA

• Dispersed tight gas field, 2300 wells (1000 plunger lift wells)

• Liquid loading occurs when well flow rate declines to below the critical velocity to lift liquids

• Plunger lift systems are a very inexpensive way to deal with liquid loading

Distance

Pressure


• Plunger lift control can be as simple as a clock control for "On"” and "Off" cycles or sophisticated programming

Clock

LIST #2Vent ControlCatcher Results


• With sophisticated programming for optimizing production, small mechanical details can interfere with the program sequencing

• Even the smallest flaw may result in the plunger not successfully arriving at the surface with the liquids.

• Consequently, any additional wellflow will simply add more liquids to the fluid column


• Immediate solutions to deliquify liquids from a loaded well include swabbing and venting

• Venting is easy

• Swabbing requires effort, equipment and resources


• Venting to deliquify has been a solution in this basin for a very long time

• Once the venting solution is used, it is very difficult to analyze well control problems because at any hint of trouble, the well vents and the liquid loading is eliminated


• The project had to get back to basics on how plunger systems function

• A pilot project was organized with two sets of 20 wells

• The complex control system was adjusted to ensure the fundamentals were being followed


• Findings1. Venting hid the well problems

2. Minor leaks stole pressure energy from the well – even leaks through the choke to sales

3. Extended venting to flush the wellbore of liquids was ineffective if the plunger surfaced properly

4. The programming settings must follow the basics of plunger control


• The result was a 4 MMscf/day vent reduction (675k tonne CO2e)

• Tools were developed to help the staff quickly identify wells that might be in trouble

• Morning reports were also created


• The large success could only be accomplished on the most recent versions of the software

• Further reductions will occur when the well software is upgraded and loaded

• Considering, the software has to be loaded at each well one at a time, there is an opportunity to ensure the software is optimized prior to the upgrades


• In Conclusion

• Operational flaring and venting is not difficult to recognize

• BP has found that process control tuning is an effective way to reduce routine or regular losses

• It may be easier to develop one or two large associated gas reduction projects but it is more realistic to reduce flaring and venting through small projects every day

BP – Smart Wells / Smart Fields Skip DESAULNIERS.

Documents

n2nitrogen2 mole

o2oxygen10 mole

h2hydrogen8 mole

arargon21 mole

c2ethane4 mole

h20water6 mole

hehelium20 mole

c3propane5 mole