DURATION: 5 days

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LEVEL: Skill to Advanced

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DESIGNED FOR YOU, IF YOU ARE...

• Managers (all levels)

• Petroleum, Production and Operations Engineers

• Completion, Well Intervention and Stimulation Engineers

• Conceptual Design Engineers

• Production Technology Engineers

• Drilling and Reservoir Engineers

• Geologists and Petrophysics

• Newly hired Engineers

• All other personnel involved in the design, operation, and management of oil and gas production facilities, particularly those dealing with new onshore, subsea and deepwater developments.

• Government Officials

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HOW WE BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE

• Excellent Presentation/Viewgraphs

• “State of the Art” Technologies information

• Deep Experience transfer by Industry Leader Instructor

• Mind Maps, Group discussions,

• Daily Revisions & Break Out Sessions

• Exercises

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THE BENEFITS FROM ATTENDING

The participants will receive Sate of the Art Information and Training foundations to better understand all aspects of Flow Assurance and All Related Production chemistry along with the use of Production Chemicals and their role to enhance oil production, life cycle and safe asset management and in both onshore and offshore environments.

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By the end of the course, you will feel confident in your understanding of:

Flow Assurance Origin, Evolution, and its paramount Importance as the “New Petroleum Science”

Flow Assurance importance in reducing/eliminating “bottle necks” (pressure losses) and avoiding having wells and facilities problems and improving assets HSE and longevity.
What are Waxes, Asphaltenes, Emulsions, Scale, Hydrates, Bacteria, Corrosion and how these can impact Production, Safety, Asset Management and Bottom Line (economics)

The different uses and operational benefits of production chemicals in the oilfield.

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TOPICS (11 Modules)
1: Introduction to Flow Assurance
2: Reservoir Fluids and PVT Properties
3: Fluid Flow Fundamentals
4: Thermal Hydraulics and Slugging
5: Hydrate Formation and Prevention
6: Wax Formation and Management
7: Asphaltenes, Scales, and Other Issues
8: Flow Assurance Strategy and System Design
9: Flow Assurance Analysis and Modeling
10: Flow Assurance in Operations and Well Testing
11: Economics and Flow Assurance Future

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The above 11 Modules will cover the following paramount and main Flow assurance areas:
1. Removing Bottlenecks by avoiding flow restrictions (excessive pressure drop, blockage or intermittent production).
“Production is a game of reducing pressure drops”.

2. Assets Integrity by Safeguarding the structural integrity of parts of the production system from damages caused by internal flow.

3. Assets Availability; Life Cycle by Maintaining the functionality and operability of components in the
production system

4. Production Maximization

5. Asset Management (Opex & Capex Optimization)

6. Production Chemistry in Oil, Gas and Water Management

7. HSE Protection

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DAILY AGENDA

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Day 1

Introduction to Flow Assurance and Fluid Fundamentals

Module 1: Introduction to Flow Assurance

• Definition and Importance: Ensuring uninterrupted flow from reservoir to market, maintaining production reliably, economically, and safely.

• Historical Context: Origin of flow assurance as a discipline (Petrobras, early 1990s).

• Scope: Thermal hydraulics, production chemistry issues (hydrates, slugging, wax, scales, asphaltenes, corrosion, emulsions, etc.).

• Key Elements: Fluid properties (PVT), fluid flow & heat transfer, solid deposition, corrosion/erosion.

• Domains: Production chemistry, production engineering, surveillance & operations.

• Workflow: From exploration and appraisal through design, construction, and production phases. Importance of flow assurance considerations at each stage.

• Risk Assessment: Introduction to identifying and evaluating potential flow assurance risks.

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Module 2: Reservoir Fluids and PVT Properties

• Importance of Accurate Fluid Characterization: Sampling and testing during field development and operational support.

• PVT Properties and Phase Behavior: Understanding phase diagrams, bubble point, dew point, critical point, compositional analysis.

• Fluid Characterization: Equation of State (EOS) models (e.g., Peng-Robinson, SRK) and commercial software (e.g., PVTSIM, Multiflash).

• Sampling Techniques: Proper methods for collecting representative fluid samples.

• PVT Lab Analysis: Overview of common PVT experiments (e.g., Constant Composition Expansion, Differential Liberation, Separator Tests).

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Day 2

Flow Dynamics and Challenges

Module 3: Fluid Flow Fundamentals

• Single-Phase and Multiphase Flow: Flow patterns (e.g., bubbly, slug, churn, annular), holdup, pressure drop, and modeling.

• Multiphase Flow Correlations: Introduction to commonly used correlations for pressure drop and holdup prediction (e.g., Beggs and Brill, Duns and Ros).

• Flow Regime Maps: Using flow regime maps to predict flow behavior in pipes.

• Erosion Velocity: Calculating erosion velocity to prevent erosion damage.

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Module 4: Thermal Hydraulics and Slugging

• Multiphase Thermal Hydraulic Simulation: Steady-state and transient analysis.

• Slug Prediction and Management: Hydrodynamic slugging, terrain slugging, riser-induced slugging.

• Slug Mitigation Strategies: Choke control, slug catchers, operational procedures.

• Pressure Surge Analysis: Water hammer effect and mitigation techniques.

• Heat Transfer Principles: Conduction, convection, and radiation in subsea pipelines.

• Insulation Materials: Selection criteria for insulation materials to minimize heat loss.

 

Day 3

Solid Deposition - Hydrates and Wax

Module 5: Hydrate Formation and Prevention

• Fundamentals of Hydrate Formation: Thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrate formation.

• Hydrate Phase Equilibrium: Understanding hydrate formation curves.

• Hydrate Prevention Strategies: Thermodynamic inhibitors (e.g., methanol, MEG), low dosage hydrate inhibitors (LDHIs), anti-agglomerates.

• Active Heating: Electric heating, hot oil circulation.

• Dehydration: Removing water to prevent hydrate formation.

• Pressure Reduction: Depressurization as a hydrate control method.

• Hydrate Remediation: Methods for dissolving or removing existing hydrate plugs.

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Module 6: Wax Formation and Management

• Paraffin/Wax Formation: Wax precipitation and deposition mechanisms.

• Wax Deposition Issues: Pipeline blockage, reduced flow capacity.

• Wax Management Methods:

  • Prediction: Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) determination.

  • Inhibitors: Wax crystal modifiers, pour point depressants.

  • Hot Oiling: Circulation of heated oil to dissolve wax deposits.

  • Pigging: Mechanical removal of wax deposits.

  • Chemical Cleaning: Use of solvents to dissolve wax.

 

Day 4

Other Solid Deposits and Flow Assurance Strategies

Module 7: Asphaltenes, Scales, and Other Issues

• Asphaltene Precipitation: Factors affecting asphaltene stability, asphaltene inhibitors and dispersants.

• Inorganic Scales: Scale formation mechanisms, scale inhibitors, scale removal techniques (e.g., acidizing).

• Naphthenates: Formation and control of naphthenates.

• Emulsions: Emulsion formation and stabilization, emulsion breakers.

• Foams: Foam formation and control.

• Corrosion/Erosion: Corrosion mechanisms, corrosion inhibitors, material selection, erosion prediction and prevention

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Module 8: Flow Assurance Strategy and System Design

• Strategies for System Operability: Developing a comprehensive flow assurance plan.

• Chemical Strategies: Selection and application of appropriate chemical treatments.

• Thermal Management: Insulation, heating systems, and heat tracing.

• System Design Considerations: Pipeline routing, equipment selection, and operational procedures.

• Flow Assurance Risk Assessment: HAZOP studies, FMECA analysis.

• Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in Flow Assurance:

  • What is CFD? Basic principles of CFD and its application to fluid flow and heat transfer problems.

  • CFD Workflow: Pre-processing (geometry creation, mesh generation), solving (numerical simulation), post-processing (data analysis and visualization).

  • Applications of CFD in Flow Assurance:

    • Erosion Prediction: Modeling erosion rates in pipelines and elbows due to sand production.

    • Mixing Efficiency: Evaluating the performance of chemical injection points.

    • Thermal Management: Simulating heat transfer in subsea equipment and pipelines.

    • Slug Flow Analysis: Detailed modeling of slug formation and propagation.

    • Hydrate/Wax Deposition: Predicting deposition rates and patterns.

  • Examples of CFD Software: ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, COMSOL Multiphysics.

  • Integration-Other Flow Assurance Software: Understanding how CFD results can be used in conjunction with software like OLGA, Pipesim, and PVT Sim for more comprehensive analysis.

Limitations of CFD: Discussing the challenges associated with CFD modeling, such as computational cost, mesh dependency, and turbulence model

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Day 5

Flow Assurance Analysis, Operations, and Future Trends

Module 9: Flow Assurance Analysis and Modeling

• Steady-State and Transient Analysis: Combining fluid flow, heat transfer, and thermodynamics using software tools.

• Software Applications: Hands-on exercises using flow assurance software (e.g., OLGA, Pipesim, LEDAFlow).

• Sensitivity Analysis: Evaluating the impact of uncertainties on flow assurance predictions.

• Data Validation: Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of model inputs.

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Module 10: Flow Assurance in Operations and Well Testing

• Operational Procedures: Maintaining production rate, avoiding blockage and slugging.

• Well Testing: Ensuring energy and facility capacity, monitoring fluid properties.

• Pigging Operations: Planning and executing pigging runs.

• Chemical Injection Optimization: Adjusting chemical injection rates based on field conditions.

• Real-Time Monitoring: Using sensors and data analytics to detect and respond to flow assurance issues.

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Module 11: Economics and Flow Assurance Future

• Economic Impact: CAPEX and OPEX considerations for flow assurance solutions.

• Future Trends: Advancements in simulation tools, integration with digital technologies (e.g., machine learning, IoT), and remote monitoring.

• Case Studies: Analysis of real-world flow assurance challenges and solutions.

• Environmental Considerations: Minimizing the environmental footprint of flow assurance operations.