Title: Synergy of fluid sampling and subsea processing, key to maximising offshore asset recovery

Authors: Nimi Abili; Athanasios Kolios

Addresses: Cranfield University, College Road Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK ' University of Strathclyde, 16 Richmond Street Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK

Abstract: The acquisition of accurate fluid samples for deepwater development is crucial for the correct evaluation of oil reserves. Samples collected from topside facilities do not represent the fluid being measured on the seabed. The injections of chemicals such as methanol and corrosion inhibitors, etc., downstream of the meter, and possible liquid separation or hold-up, are typical issues. Employing subsea multiphase flowmetre measurements in the underwater environment presents some significant challenges. Due to the fact that subsea multiphase flowmetre is not 'fit-and-forget' instrumentation hardware, changes in the inputs from the flow stream's actual properties can lead to errors in flowmetre data capture. A mechanistic model is employed, using the fluid properties that are equivalent to the flow stream being measured, to predict reliable reservoir fluid characteristics on the production flow stream. The present paper explores the synergy in successful application of fluid sampling and subsea processing to maximise offshore asset recovery. [Received: April 15, 2018; Accepted: August 27, 2018]

Keywords: synergy; multiphase flowmetre; mechanistic model; fluid sampling; subsea processing; oil; gas; technology; OPEX; deepwater asset recovery.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2020.108052

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2020 Vol.24 No.4, pp.500 - 522

Received: 15 Apr 2018
Accepted: 27 Aug 2018
Published online: 02 Jul 2020 *

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