7
Annual Report 2015
Subsea gate box
Project manager Prof.
Sigbjørn Sangesland
Postdoc, Mariana Diaz
Different wells in a subsea field have different
production capacities, production constraints
and production targets dictated by the reservoir
depletion strategy. Therefore, they are subject
to individual management and control. However,
commingling the production streams of the indi-
vidual wells, creates a strong interdependence
of the flow rates and production pressures of the
individual wells. The results of this interdepend-
ency is that the yield of the integrated system is,
most often, considerably sub-optimal.
This project explores new facilities and system
configurations to achieve efficient and optimal
management of the integrated system over the
entire life of the field.
A central element of the project is the concept
development of a modular and multi-functional
assembly to allow easy re-routing of well streams
and a quick and easy deployment of separation
and boosting capability to a single well, to a group
of wells or to the entire cluster.
This subsea assembly named Subsea gate box
is configured as a template that accommodates
individual well modules and compartments,
containing proper process equipment (Figure 3).
The process equipment may include separators,
pumps, compressors, control valves and/or flow
meters, according to the characteristics of the
well stream. A task in the early phase of the project
(Figure 4), will be to identify the leading technology
in the market that suits best to a compact and
modular solution. The project deliverables will
include a description of the state-of-the-art sub-
sea process technology, feasibility analysis of
the Subsea gate box and performance analysis
of business cases designed for both conventional
and low-energy oil fields.
Co-supervisor, Professor
Emeritus Michael Golan
Co-supervisor, Associate
prof. Milan Stanko
Postdoc, Jesús De Andrade
Subsea gate box
Different wells in a subsea
oil
field have different production capacities, diffe
production constraints and different production targets dictated by rese
ma agement. Therefore, they are subje t to individu l management and con
However, the cluster nature of the field,
commingling the production streams of the
in ividual
wells,
creates
a
stro g
interdependence of the flow rates and
production pressures of the individual wells.
Thus, as the wells are producing in a network, a
change in operating conditions of one well,
affects all other wells in the cluster and
cons quently the total network outcome. The
results of this interdependency is that the
production rate of the integrated system is,
most often, considerably sub-optimal.
This project explores new facilities and system
configurations, as well as novel strategies to
achieve efficient and optim l management of the integrated system. This include
optimization over the entire life of the field, accounting for the considerable cha
in production conditions associated with the reservoir recovery process.
In hort, the challenge in the project is to optimise the recovery and revenue fro
asset by managing the interdependencies between the wells.
The project will identify and evaluate the feasibility and the implication of variou
subs a systems architecture alternatives. A central element of the project is the
development of a modular and multi-functional assembly to allow easy re-routin
well streams and a quick and easy deployment of separation and compression
capabilities to a single well, to a group of wells or to the entire cluster. The assem
named Subsea gate box will be configured to account for all the default demands
modern subsea process equipment, including; compactness, robustness, ease of
deployment and integration in the entire system and ease of operation.
The Subsea gate box is configurable as a template that can accommodate individ
well modules and compartments, containing process equipment (
Figure 3
). The
process equipment may include separators, pumps, compressors, control valves
or flow meters, according to the characteristics of the well stream. A task in the e
phase of the project (
Figure 4
) will be to identify the leading technology in the
market that suits best to a compact and modular solution. The project deliverabl
will include a description of the state-of-the-art subsea process technology,
feasibility analysis of the Subsea gate box and performance analysis of business c
designed for both conventional and low-energy oil fields.
Figure 3. Subsea Gate Box concept sk
Co-supervisor,
Professor Emeritus
Michael Golan
Co-supervisor,
Assoc. Professor
Milan Stanko
Postdoc,
Jesús De Andrade
Postdoc,
Mariana Diaz
Project manager
and main
supervisor,
Prof. Sigbjørn
Sangesland
Subsea Gate Box
Assessment
Literature review
Gathering
information from
industry
Scientifics
journals and
conferences
State-of-the-art
Concept
development
Alternatives
system
architecture
Define system
Modular
interconnectivity
Module flow
path diagrams
Computational
tools evaluation
Analysis
Evaluate
feasibility
Pros and cons
Testing
Low energy oil
field
Conventional
offshore oil field
Figure 4. Subsea Gate Box project activities
Well
1
Well
2
Well
3
Gas
liquid
MANIFOLDS
Choke
Boosting
Separation
and Metering
Separation
Choke
Choke
Boosting
Separation
and Metering
Separation
Module
Well 3
Figure 3. Subsea Gate Box concept sketch