Fluid Characterization for Flow Assurance

AsphWax Professional Course

 

Course Objectives:

Learn how to:

  1. plan and execute a sampling and fluid characterization program from the moment a well starts drilling.

  2. work with the important concepts of P-T Diagram, wax deposition envelope (WDE), asphaltene deposition envelope (ADE), and hydrate envelope (HE) and how they impact flow assurance design.

  3. design and carry out fluid studies that determine the diagrams and envelopes of Step 2 above.

  4. calculate MeOH and/or Glycol requirements to prevent hydrate formation.

  5. calculate wax deposition rate and pigging rate and volumes from Cold Finger Data for specified facility scenarios.

  6. calculate wax slush build up in retrograde gas flowlines from Sedimentation Test data for specified facility scenarios.

  7. perform oil gelling and restart calculations.

  8. design and carry out successful chemical testing and treatment programs.

  9. use the concepts and data obtained in the above steps to design oil and gas production facilities, and especially deep-water offshore oil and gas production systems with flow back wells, to insure flow assurance and prevent or mitigate asphaltene and/or wax problems.

 

Course Description:

This is a three-day course on fluid characterization and flow assurance (FCFA) that covers how to plan and execute a sampling and fluid characterization program for asphaltenic and/or waxy reservoir fluids. The primary purpose is to insure flow assurance for any hydrocarbon production system but especially deep-water offshore systems with flow back wells. This is a basic course recommended for any person who has a four-year college degree and his/her work is related to the exploration, production, and processing of petroleum. The course introduces the participants to fundamental, conventional, and new state of the art concepts surrounding asphaltenes and paraffins. Amongst other, the participants will learn important details on fluid sampling, fluid analysis, data interpretation, fluid characterization, and modeling. The new fluid analysis and characterization technique, PARA fluid characterization, will be discussed in detail. A primary goal of the course is for the participants to learn what to do regarding sampling and flow assurance from the moment a well starts drilling.

Course Outline:

  1. Introduction

  2. Review of Hydrocarbons: Light Ends, Paraffins, Aromatics, Resins, Asphaltenes

  3. Flow Assurance Problems:

    • Hydrates

    • Waxes

    • Asphaltenes

  4. Sampling – How to and What

  5. PARA Analysis (Paraffins, Aromatics, Resins, Asphaltenes)

  6. PVT Tests

  7. Wax Tests (Includes Rheological Testing)

  8. Asphaltene Tests

  9. Chemical Tests

  10. Hydrates - MeOH/Glycol Calculations (EOSModelSM and NODEModelSM Example Simulations)

  11. AsphWax In-house Wax Correlations to Calculate the:

    • Initial 24-hour Wax Deposition rate from Cold Plate/Finger Test Data

    • Wax Slush Build up rate in Retrograde Gas Flowlines

    • Oil Gelling Fluid Properties used in Pipe Restart Simulations

  12. Packaged Flow Assurance (FA) Studies:

    • Diagnostic FA Study

    • Wax FA Study with:

      • Wax Phase Behavior and Live Oil Near-Infra-Red

      • Wax Deposition and Pigging Requirements

      • Oil Gelling and Pipeline Re-start

      • WAXModelSM and PIPEModelSM Example Simulations

    • Asphaltene FA Study with Live Oil Near-Infra-Red

      • Asphaltene Phase Behavior and Live Oil Near-Infra-Red

      • Asphaltene Deposition and Electrical Phenomena

      • Sludge Build-up in Separators and Tanks

      • Asphaltene-induced Formation Damage

      • TCModelSM and FDModelSM Example Simulations

  13. Closing Remarks

 

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