EG55G8 Flow Assurance (2019/20) - Online

Design of a Subsea Pipeline System

A subsea pipeline is to be designed to transport fluids form 4 subsea production wells to a host
platform. Peak liquid flow from the four wells is 3280 (standard) sm3/day. Dry oil and associated gas
(no significant water) is expected for the first 3 years.
The wellhead temperature is constant at 50 ◦C. To avoid excessive back pressures on the reservoir the
wellhead pressure is set at 24.1bar maximum.
The fluid has to be delivered to the topsides at a minimum pressure of 10.3 bar - 1st Stage Separator
entry. If the arrival pressure is below 10.3 bar the wells will not flow. The existing 1st stage separator
has an 8.5 m3 slug handling capacity.
Laboratory experiments have shown the wax appearance temperature to be 25 ◦C. If the fluids within
the pipeline are below the wax appearance temperature significant wax deposition on the pipeline
will occur this is to be avoided.

The need for gas lift is unknown but to be established.

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EG55G8 Flow Assurance (2019/20) - Online

Assignment
Your task is to;
1. Identify suitable pipeline diameter - assume a wall thickness of 0.0127 m. Line sizes to be
considered are (0.241, 0.292 and 0.343) m internal diameter. To allow you to determine the
line size a series of hydraulic calculations have been undertaken with the software package
PIPESIM using the Beggs and Brill correlation for both horizontal, near horizontal and vertical
flow. Phase behaviour and physical properties have been determined using the Peng-Robinson
equation of state. Assuming an initial U value of 10 W/m2 ◦C the following was determined:
Pipeline inlet pressure = 24.1 bar - constant
Pipeline inlet temperature = 50 ◦C

Flowrate Outlet pressure Outlet pressure Outlet pressure

(sm3/day) 0.241 m ID (bar) 0.292 m ID (bar) 0.343 m ID (bar)
3280 0 16.1 17.3
2460 12.5 16.8 16.6
1640 16.2 16.4 13.7
820 14.6 12.7 12.0

The flowrates represent 4, 3, 2 and 1 well operation.

Plot the above outlet pressures and determine a suitable line size. Comment on the pressure drop
vs. flowrate characteristic.

2. Confirm that the identified line size is acceptable from an erosion viewpoint using API RP 14E.
Check the pipeline inlet and outlet conditions.

PIPESIM has determined the following inlet and outlet conditions at 3280 sm3/day.
Pipeline inlet Pipeline outlet
Liquid Density (kg/m3) 670.00 704.00
Gas Density (kg/m3) 18.00 11.80
Liquid Superficial Velocity (m/s) 0.65 0.62
Gas Superficial Velocity (m/s) 2.29 3.36

3. Determine hydrate formation conditions from the K-value method given in the lecture notes.
Establish an insulation level (overall heat transfer coefficient, U value) for the pipeline by
considering the management of both wax and hydrates. In determining the U value the
following should be assumed:

1 sm3/day = 0.00976 kg/s

Combined gas and liquid specific heat, Cp = 1800J/kg◦C

4. Establish the insulation configuration (type of insulation, thickness of insulation etc.) required
to achieve your selected OHTC.

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EG55G8 Flow Assurance (2019/20) - Online

5. Review the design for terrain induced and severe slugging. For terrain slugging use the method
of Scott, Shoham and Brill as per the lecture notes. For your severe slugging evaluation use the
following information for 4 well operation i.e. flowrate = 3280 sm3/day.

Conditions in downward section of pipe:

Liquid Density (kg/m3) 680.00
Gas Density (kg/m3) 18.00
Liquid Superficial Velocity (m/s) 0.68
Gas Superficial Velocity (m/s) 2.10
Average pressure pipeline (bar) 15.40

For 3, 2 and 1 well operation assume densities remain the same and that the superficial
velocities can be pro-rated. For example, superficial velocities for 2 well operation will be half
the values given above.
6. Towards the end of field life the maximum production rate will remain at 3280 sm3/day but the
produced fluids will be 90 % water. With respect to pressure drop, establish the impact this will
have on the proposed design and identify whether lift gas will be required.
7. Discuss other operational modes which should be addressed prior to finalising the pipeline
architecture.
8. Prepare a report presenting the work you have undertaken. The report should typically
contain:

Introduction
Base data
Methodology
Results - main results, detailed calculations in appendices
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Appendices
Your report should be no more than 20 pages in length, excluding references and appendices.

Deadline for submission of report: Monday 20th of April 2020 at 11am GMT (12pm BST)

Method of submission:
Electronic submission via MyAberdeen, under continuous assessment submit it to:

• EG55G8 Distance Learning - TurnitIn Submission

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EG55G8 Flow Assurance (2019/20) - Online

Technical Data
Pipeline layout
Oil and gas flow for 5000m horizontally then for the next 5000 m the flow is downwards dropping 15 m to
the riser base. The riser is 200 m vertical pipe to the platform production deck.

platform

200m
riser
5000m -
wellhead horizontal
s

Figure 1: Pipeline layout

Boundary conditions

Boundary condition value

Fluid inlet pressure at wellhead 24.1 bar
Fluid inlet temperature at wellhead 50 ◦C
4 well liquid flowrate 3280 sm3/day
maximum turndown 820 sm3/day
Minimum arrival pressure at theprocessing platform 10.3 bar
Minimum arrival temperature at theprocessing platform to be determined

Pure Hydrocarbon components

Components Mole %
Methane (C1) 36.50
Ethane (C2) 4.40
Propane (C3) 2.60
Isobutane (IC4) 0.63
Butane (NC4) 0.13
Isopentane (IC5) 0.67
Pentane (NC5) 0.83
Hexane (NC6) 2.70

Petroleum Fraction

Name Boiling Point (◦C) Molecular weight specific gravity Moles

C7+ 101.1 115 0.683 51.54

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EG55G8 Flow Assurance (2019/20) - Online

Aqueous component

Component quantity
water initially zero increasing to 90%

Sea conditions
Ambient sea temperature is 4 ◦C
Sea water velocity is 0.5m/s
Hydrate formation

to be determined

Formation of wax
Wax appearance temperature (WAT) = 25 ◦C, significant wax deposition expected to occur if pipeline
fluids fall below this temperature.