Volve is a small field, located in the Norwegian Central North Sea, southwest of Stavanger. The field is expected to come on stream in the first quarter of 2007 and to continue producing for four years.The field operator is Statoil.
Recoverable reserves rise up 70 million barrels of oil and 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas, and plateau output should be 50,000 barrels per day.
Statoil has a 49.6% interest in the license, with ExxonMobil holding 30.4%, Total 10% and Norsk Hydro 10%.
The oil from the Volve field will be produced from the jack-up facility Mærsk Inspirer, while Navion Saga will be used as a storage facility prior to further transport. The gas will be sent to the Sleipner A facility for processing and export.
First oil is planned in spring 2007.
The Volve OTS includes the following systems:
Wells
3 Oil productions wells
2 Water production wells
3 Water injection wells
Compression system
LP compressor 1st stage and 2nd stage compressor
Export compressor, gas metering and export
Re-injection / gas lift compressor, gas lift manifold
Separation system
HP separator, LP degasser, test separator and electrostatic coalescer
Coolers, crude oil booster
Crude oil export pumps and metering
Water system
Produced water pumps
Hydrocyclones
Water injection pumps
Utilities system
Heating Medium
Fuel Gas
The OTS system has been provided with ABB Industrial IT Training Simulator link (ITS 800xA System):
The Model server includes INDISS dynamical simulation tool and ITS link driver
Process signals from model server are exchanged with a simulator model using the OPC DA standard
The ABB Soft Controller is used for execution of the ABB AC 800M control applications.
Reservoirs are located approximately 40km from the east of the Dalia Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and 200km from shore.
The development of the "Pazflor Area" is based on subsea production, gas a water injection wells to the FPSO vessel supporting accomodation, processing, associated systems and utilities, oil storage and export/offloading facilities, gas and water re-injection and gas export.
RSI Simcon provides dynamic simulation studies of the topside reception facilities for the Oligocene flowlines and upper Miocene liquid flowlines with respect to the High Integrity Protection System (HIPS).
HIPS dynamic simulation is used to determine:
Safe HIPS pressure set points in accordance with TOTAL general specifications
Design pressure of separators
CV of pressure valves on flare lines with good setting of control characteristics of valve and actuator
RSI SIMCON has been developed a DES and an OTS (emulation ABB PPB) for the Sable Offshore wellhead platforms and treatment facilities (Halifax - Canada) for DSME.
The project includes:
the Thebaud Process Platform, main wellhead platform and separation/treatment facilities located near Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia
3 satellite fields connected by pipelines to Thebaud Platform
a new Compression Platform that will be bridge connected to Thebaud Platform in order to increase recovery of hydrocarbons as the fields that feed Thebaud Platform decline
RSI has carried a dynamic simulation study - in extreme conditions - of the Raw Gas Injection as part of the Kazakhstan East Field for Nuovo Pignone, General Electric Group.
The Kashagan East Field , consisting of sour gas, is located in the Caspian Sea offshore Kazakhstan, some 80 km South of Atyrau. The Experimental Program including the wells, pipelines, offshore and onshore processing facilities will be constructed and installed over a period of time, which goes from 2004 to 2008.
The challenge of this study was the very high level of pressure (760 bars) at the compressor discharge, the highest discharge pressure ever developed for gas injection.
The RSI dynamic simulation study, on both the Raw Gas Injection (RGI) compression trains had the following objectives:
To verify the operating capability of the compression unit with the proposed control schemes, identify potential problems and suggest the required modifications.
To check the proposed start-up and shut-down procedures and to recommend any change if necessary.
To determine the adequacy of the equipment design, protection and safety system, as centrifugal compressor, anti-surge protection and HIPPS protection system.
To verify and validate the capability of the control system configuration and tuning to react to upset/transient conditions, and suggest the required modifications.
To verify the capability of the control system configuration and tuning to shorten the commissioning and troubleshooting time.
The Carina and Aries gas fields are located in the hostile seas offshore the Argentinian coast of Tierra del Fuego, close to Cape Horn. The process includes two wellhead platforms, Carina & Aries, located respectively at water depths of 60 and 80 metres. Both platforms are connected to the Rio Cullen plant, through one multiphase subsea pipeline system, where the new output is processed.
RSI SIMCON has delivered two simulators: Pipeline Management Simulator(PMS) which evolved into an Operator Training Simulator (Foxboro emulation).
The PMS is dedicated to:
the study of pipeline phenomena such as liquid holdup calculations and MEG inventory management. To be able to serve this purpose, some additional graphic displays have been developed to visualize the pipeline results.
the test and the validation of procedures for the initial start-up
The OTS is designed to train operators, for the first year of operation, to the operation with low flow in the pipeline and the necessity to use pigs at at regular intervals.
ROD Oil Production Network Simulator has been built on behalf of BHP, AGIP & SONATRACH. GEIE SAIPEM and RSI SIMCON have performed the Engineering studies. The ROD complex includes five fields situated in the Berkine Basin region in eastern Algeria. Its proven gross reserves are estimated of around 300 million barrels oil equivalent.
The multiphase flow in the production lines up to central processing facilities are simulated by OLGA 2000 software.
The dynamic studies were performed to examine operational cases such as:
determine the flow regime in the flow lines and trunklines
confirm the adequacy of inlet receiver separator design and control system in response to slug flow
investigate the performance and operability of re-injection compressor control systems in response to flash gas compressor trips
AMENAM is one of the largest developments underway offshore in Nigeria. In July 2003, TOTAL has successfully started the production of its AMENAM/KPONO Oil Field in the Nigerian part of the Gulf of Guinea.
RSI SIMCON simulators focuses on the the oil production and gas injection platform (AMP1) and gas export platform (AMP2). Detailed simulation scope is:
Two Well Head Platforms (AMD1/AMD2): both platforms contain well heads for oil production and water injection wells. Gas injection well heads are located on one platform. Well head platforms are connected to the production platform by bridges.
Oil Production Platform: separation and compression facilities and related equipment
Gas Production Platform: slug catcher, compression, dehydration
The DES Model of the AMENAM Production Platforms allows the user to:
Develop the overall Process Operation Philosophy
Check the Process Performances
Study the Protection Devices of the Units, in particular hot gas bypass valves and anti surge
Check the utility balance
Define the control strategy: injection gas is under flow control and export gas is under pressure control
RSI SIMCON has also implemented an OTS (Foxboro I/A Emulation) with a scope of simulation slightly different.
Dunbar was a project original since it was the first time Total Oil Marine has used Multi Phase Pumps (MPP) technology to transport effluents produced from the offshore Dunbar platform (located on the UK Continental Shelf, 400 km North-East of Aberdeen – Scotland).
RSI SIMCON developed the simulator including:
a Sulzer proprietary server for the MPP (2 MPP simulated) showing that INDISS™ is able to connect to a proprietary application whose confidentiality is preserved
a RSI SIMCON simulation model for the pipeline consisting of a high speed model for transient multiphase flow calculation in long pipelines
a Total proprietary three-phase thermodynamic package
TOTAL chose RSI SIMCON to provide engineers with a reliable tool for the heat and mass balance calculation through the two Multiphase Pumps (MPP) .The dynamic simulator objectives were to assist in the process engineering phase:
Modeling of multiphase pump and refine the multiphase pumps specifications and selection
Identify and evaluate operation issues related to the pumps, to the associated process, to the wells, pipeline or receiving facilities which can only be done using dynamic simulation
Evaluate the global impact of MPP on the production and the recovery
Today, the simulator is used to optimize the production. Periodically the simulator is used to update the operating strategy by defining the best well allocation strategy to:
Maximize the production according to well productivity
Ensure good multiphase pump operating conditions (Gas Liquid Ratio at pump suction, power consumption)
Maersk contractor/Statoil
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