Pipeline design with flow assurance constraints in offshore production lines

Abstract

Multiphase flow in petroleum pipelines became more challenging due to the emergence of deeper wells at extreme environmental conditions. Flow assurance strategies ensure the production of hydrocarbons uninterruptedly. In this work we propose a simple and straightforward framework for design strategies for flow assurance constraints, implementing the most widely used models and correlations available. One-dimensional steady-state conservation equations were used for the modeling through a system of differential-algebraic equations, extending the previous work of Teixeira et al. (Rev IFP Energies Nouvelles 70(3):497–510, 2015) to incorporate flow assurance principles. Design strategies used for flowline internal diameter and insulation layer sizing were aggregated to the process modeling. The proposed modeling approach provided results with great agreement with the standard software used in oil industry (OLGA®) at industrial full-scale flow conditions, therefore providing a simple, robust and accurate tool for flow assurance calculations. Also comparing to OLGA®, the proposed framework presented a much shorter simulation time when more refined pipeline discretization is required. The strategy adopted here proved to be efficient in making initial estimates of production field design, in a faster way.