Process Intensification: An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Heriot-Watt, June 3 rd 2004 Mike SWIDZINSKI Technology Team Leader - NSBU

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Outline: General Overview Current Approaches to Oil & Gas Processing Examples of Process Intensification – Offshore Future Opportunities & Concepts

Problem background °C +4°C

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective General Overview:- What is happening? 1.Production of Wellstream Fluids (Oil, Gas and associated Liquids) 2.Gathering 3.Separation & Stabilisation 4.Clean-Up 5.Compression/Pumping 6.Transportation

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective General Overview:- What is happening? 1.Production of Wellstream Fluids Reduction of flowing pressure eg 750+ barg to 70 bar Chemical Treatment for Flow Assurance Flow Measurement

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective

TUNGSTEN CARBIDE DISC STACK TUNGSTEN CARBIDE PLUG TUNGSTEN CARBIDE SEAT INSERT INCONEL SEAT CARRIER CCI CHOKE VALVE

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective

General Overview:- What is happening? 1.Production of Wellstream Fluids (Oil, Gas and associated Liquids) 2.Gathering 3.Separation & Stabilisation Separation of Gas from Produced Liquids Separation of Water from Oil Separation of Produced Solids

GATHERING, SEPARATION & STABILISATION HP SEP C 40 BARG LP SEP 73 0 C 13.5 BARG GAS FLASH GAS OIL LIVE OIL WATER NGL Production From Wells

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective General Overview:- What is happening? 1.Production of Wellstream Fluids (Oil, Gas and associated Liquids) 2.Gathering 3.Separation & Stabilisation 4.Clean-Up Removal of Water (Dehydration) Removal of Acid Gases Removal of Residual Oil from Water Removal of Solids/Scale from Liquid Streams Chemical Treatment

GAS PROCESSING (Dehydration & Compression) EXPORT GAS Water NGL 1 st Stage Suc Drum 24 0 C 35 BARG Contactor 23 0 C 67 BARG 2 nd Stage Suc Drum 9 0 C 62 BARG FUEL GAS Compression

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective General Overview:- What is happening? 1.Production of Wellstream Fluids (Oil, Gas and associated Liquids) 2.Gathering 3.Separation & Stabilisation 4.Clean-Up 5.Compression/Pumping 6.Transportation (Re-) Compression of Processed Gas Pumping of Processed Hydrocarbon Liquids Disposal of Waste Product Chemical Treatment

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Consequences: Demand for SPACE Weight Control/Constraints Equipment Availability/Reliability Cost (CAPEX and OPEX) HSE Issues (Need for Manning/Intervention) All of the preceding necessitate investment in and use of appropriately sized (invariably large) and heavy production and processing equipment. All of the preceding Production & Processing actions have inherent inefficiencies.

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective These Issues are recognised and well understood. There a several examples of initiatives taken to simplify and intensify oil and gas processing offshore. Examples include:-

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Compact Heat Exchangers

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Compact Heat Exchangers

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Processing on the Sea Bed

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective

Processing in the Well: DOWNHOLE The following example involves: Liquid:Gas Separation Transport of Gas & Liquid to Surface Re-injection of separated Water

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective

An Improvement over Conventional: Processing moved to the seabed But still the need for a nearby host facility to supply power and receive production Can We Do Better Still? What is the “Ultimate Achievable”? How about TOTALLY removing the need for an offshore host and producing straight to shore?

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Why do we process? To Stabilise Production To achieve a product that is Transportable/Exportable What are the Threats/Concerns of Not Processing? Hydrates Corrosion Wax Scale Complex Multiphase Flow Regime

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective What if I could Stabilise all the Species and Phases that I expect to encounter in Production? As Perhaps …. A STABLE SLURRY? The Concept is called “COLD FLOW”

”Cold Flow" definition Flow of hydrocarbon production fluids over distances long enough that the majority of the time is spent at ambient temperature no chemical solids inhibition, and - in particular: no "anti-agglomerant" hydrate slurry producers, no pipeline insulation, no pipeline or component heating, bare steel pipelines, exposed to sea, with a slurry which is easily transportable, able to go through long-lasting shut-ins, re-dispersing at restart, etc.

Hydrate growth – "improved" Hydrate Water Dry, inert, easily flowable hydrate powder

The solution

WELL Oil Condensate Water Gas Recirculation Split Inert slurry

Problem background °C +4°C

Process Intensification An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Summary: Further Process Simplification and Intensification in the Offshore Oil & Gas Industry is unlikely to happen if conventional oil & gas processing philosophy continues to prevail. Subsea processing or processing in the well itself may simplify and minimise the need for surface facilities, but the need for near- by host facilities to support and receive production from such installations remains. A possible way forward maybe to homogenise the different components associated with oil & gas production and transport these as a controllable slurry to an Onshore host facility?

Process Intensification: An Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Perspective Heriot-Watt, June 3 rd 2004 Mike SWIDZINSKI Technology Team Leader - NSBU