38th International North Sea Flow Measurement Workshop

26-29 October 2020

Technical Paper

How Shell is Tackling Hydrate/Scale Formation and Optimizing Well

Allocation and Production on the Ormen Lange Subsea Field Development

Aslak Hellestø & Biljana Djoric, Norske Shell

Gabriel Farah, Svein Eirik Monge, Erik Undheim & Lars Anders Ruden,
Emerson Automation Solutions

1 INTRODUCTION

One of the most significant subsea production challenges today is hydrate/scale

formation, due to formation water, and the sourcing of accurate information so
that one can carry out urgent remedial measures, such as monoethylene glycol
(MEG) injection, while at the same time accurately measuring gas rates and
condensate for effective well allocation and production optimization. This paper
looks at how Shell, in partnership with Emerson, addressed these challenges on
the Ormen Lange field, one of the biggest and most complex developments on
the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Tackling hydrate/scale formation and ensuring that wells operate at their peak
gas rate potential was achieved through the deployment of 19 Roxar Subsea
Wetgas Meters from Emerson that were integrated within Shell’s Subsea Module
on the Ormen Lange field.

The meters, based on microwave resonance, DP, pressure and temperature

measurements, were installed on a well-by-well basis to provide accurate and
immediate water, gas and condensate flow rate information. In this way, the
meters could immediately identify potential water breakthrough and water-
producing wells, ensure optimized MEG injection, and provide the operator with
accurate gas rate information for optimal well allocation and production.

Today, the wet gas meters are playing a crucial role in the daily monitoring and
prevention (through optimal MEG injection) of hydrate and scale formation,
reducing MEG costs and ensuring an effective well allocation and production
strategy for Shell. Deviation from the fiscal metering system is less than 2% on
gas flow with the meters meeting Shell’s specified uncertainty rates (+/- 5% for
hydrocarbon mass flow). In addition to looking at the wet gas meters, the paper
will also examine how the meters fitted within Shell’s flow assurance system
(FAS).

2 THE ORMEN LANGE FIELD – HISTORY AND DESIGN CHALLENGES

In 1997, the Ormen Lange field (see figure 1) was discovered – Norway’s first
deep water development at between 800 and 1100 meters. The field is located in
the Norwegian Sea, approximately 100 km off the northwest coast of Norway.

Ormen Lange brought with it some of the most significant production challenges
the North Sea oil & gas sector has ever faced and which Shell had to take into
account when producing from the field. These included:

- Seabed and environmental conditions. The field was characterized by

extreme weather conditions, with strong waves and winds and strong fluctuating
currents, and sub-zero temperatures. The seabed in the development area was

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also highly irregular with an extremely uneven seabed for subsea pipeline design
and installation.

- Long offset control. With no surface facilities, the control of the subsea
production system took place from the onshore terminal at Nyhamna with a 120
km subsea tieback in place. With such distances, the time that passes between the
occurrence of water in a well to detection could be days, causing significant potential
pipeline damage in the meantime.

- High well flow rates. The average flow rate from each individual well was as
high as 10 MSm3/day. A major challenge for the project was to ensure that all
equipment was designed to accommodate these very high flow rates, including
issues relating to vibration and erosion.

Figure 1: The Ormen Lange subsea development

- Water and Hydrate prevention. Finally there was the vital issue of water
and hydrate prevention – one of the main technical challenges for the Ormen
Lange subsea system.

Saline water often indicates formation water and greater volumes of water
entering the production stream. These uninhibited volumes can have a potentially
damaging effect on production, leading to scaling, corrosion and hydrates in the
pipeline, blockages and in the worst scenario, the shutting down of wells.

Due to the low seabed temperature (-1ºC) on Ormen Lange, there was a danger
that both hydrates and ice may form unless the well fluid is sufficiently inhibited.
Furthermore, if a hydrate plug was formed in the pipeline, depressurization –
although a viable remediation to hydrate a hydrate plug – would not be able to
remove ice. This would leave the operator having to consider other costly

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remedial options or the pulling of the pipeline to the surface and removal of the
clogged piping section. Such a course of action would lead to considerable
production delays and increased costs.

The overall hydrate prevention strategy was therefore to minimize the risk of
hydrates and ice through continuous MEG injection at the individual wellheads.
For accurate injection control, each well is equipped with a MEG flowmeter and
dosage valve. The MEG distribution system is designed with a capacity to inhibit
the maximum expected condensed water plus a set amount of formation water
production from individual wells up to the lowest detectable water concentration
level.

Such a system, however, could only be truly effective if the onset of formation
water was detected at an early stage, allowing the operator to mitigate the risk of
hydrate and scale formation and manage water production effectively. This is
why wet gas meters were so important to the production concept and flow
assurance strategy.

In addition to the online detection of formation water onset, Resman tracer

technology was installed in selected wellbores during well development to provide
alternative means of offline sampling, analysis and detection of formation water
breakthrough.

3 WET GAS METERING – TECHNNOLOGY, DESIGN AND OPERATING

CONCEPT

Wet gas metering is the ability to measure water, gas and condensate rates with
low uncertainty and was a central part of the flow assurance and MEG distribution
strategy for the Ormen Lange field.

Wet gas meters provide real-time, accurate measurements of hydrocarbon flow

rates and water production. The meters use advanced microwave-based
dielectric measurements to generate accurate gas and condensate flow rates
based on standard delta pressure devices. Their compact design and low power
consumption ensures flexibility and easy integration into subsea systems, while
providing dual redundancy. The wet gas meter’s high sensitivity to changes in
water fraction is also important to enable the early detection of water
breakthrough.

3.1 The Wet Gas Meter Measurement Principle

In the case of the Roxar subsea Wetgas meter (figure 2) there are four main
measurements: microwave resonance, differential pressure, pressure, and
temperature.
- The microwave (µw) resonance is used for water fraction measurements,
measuring the dielectric and real permittivity properties of the fluid with low
uncertainty and very high sensitivity. With the microwave measurements,
combined with pressure, volume and temperature (PVT) data, the fractions of
hydrocarbon and water are calculated.

This measurement is performed at the top of the cone area, where the velocity is
at its highest, creating a predictable and homogeneous environment and allowing
for extreme sensitivity to changes in water and salinity levels. At resonance, the

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microwaves will propagate throughout the cross section of the pipe; hence, the
meter is sensitive to changes in the flow, independent of type of flow.

Figure 2: The Roxar subsea Wetgas meter

Figure 3 shows a µw field set up between cone and pipe wall with total flow
passing through the µw field and where resonance frequency depends on fluid
dielectric properties (permittivity). A shift in the µw resonance curve to the left
indicates increasing amount of water.

Figure 3: Left: resonance field between cone and pipe wall. Right: µw resonance
curve

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- The differential pressure is measured over a cone and used to obtain mass
flow rates.
- The pressure and temperature are measured by dedicated, redundant
transmitters with the information used to calculate the gas/condensate split of
the hydrocarbons and to convert flow rates from actual to standard conditions.
Finally, gas and condensate rates are calculated using PVT software (PVTx) and
hydrocarbon composition (input).

Due to using the cone as both a differential pressure and microwave

measurement element, the mechanical design of the Roxar subsea Wetgas meter
is both compact and flexible. enabling full integration within operators’ Subsea
Control Module. The meter is also designed to operate in the most extreme
conditions, such as with Ormen Lange. It is constructed using Duplex stainless
steel and can operate at more than 3,000 meters deep, and between -40°C and
150°C.

4 WET GAS METER DEPLOYMENT ON ORMEN LANGE

The Roxar subsea Wetgas meter was selected for the Ormen Lange field after an
extensive and thorough testing and qualification program verified against set
requirements. To date, 24 Roxar subsea Wetgas meters have been supplied to
the Ormen Lange project.

4.1 Implementing and Working Alongside Shell’s Production System

The technology development program that Shell underwent included, amongst

others, the following items:

- Wet gas meter (WGM).

- Large Bore Tie-in System.
- MEG dosage valve (MDV).
- Subsea Step Down Transformer.
- Leak detector.
- 7” x 2” Completion/Workover Riser System.

Operational robustness was built into the field development at an early stage
through deciding to install a fully redundant control system with two control
cables and two MEG lines in a loop configuration between shore and the field (see
figure 4).

There were also a number of key elements of the production system that needed
to be taken into account when deploying and operating the Roxar wet gas
meters:

- Xmas Tree system. The Xmas tree system comprised a 7" horizontal
production tree equipped with annulus bore and was configured with a separately
retrievable subsea control module (SCM) and choke module, the latter containing
instrumentation, flow control and measurement equipment. The production flow
loop, MEG, annulus test and control lines on the Xmas tree were connected to the
choke module through a multibore horizontal hub.

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- Choke module (CM). The main function of the CM was to serve as a flow loop
with instrumentation and valves that can be easily retrieved and maintained. The
CM included the following components: production choke valve, MEG dosing valve
(MDV), instrumentation (including the Roxar wet gas meter), MEG injection point
upstream PCV, and scale injection point (for future use).

- The MEG distribution system. With the threats of hydrate, ice formation and
formation water, it is necessary to inhibit the fluid by injecting MEG continuously.
Being able to calculate the required and sufficient amount of MEG is essential.

To this end, the MEG distribution system was designed to minimize the risk of
hydrate formation. Each well is equipped with a distribution system ensuring that
sufficient MEG is injected into each individual well with the Xmas tree system
equipped with two MEG injection points.

For prevention of hydrate formation, all wells were continuously injected with
MEG via two 6” pipelines from the onshore plant. One line is connected to
template A, and the other to template B. A 6” crossover MEG line interconnects
the two production templates for added flexibility. A computerized flow
assurance system (FAS) is also used to monitor the integrity and performance of
the subsea MEG distribution system.

Figure 4: Ormen Lange field layout

- Flow Assurance System. Finally, a Flow Assurance System (FAS) was

installed on Ormen Lange in order to give information about the multiphase flow
through the entire subsea production and pipeline system. The FAS included a
Virtual Flow Metering System (VFMS) module that calculated values of flow rates
as backup to physical multiphase meters. The VFMS is used to calculate

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individual well production rates in parallel with the multiphase and wet gas
meters.

The VFMS incorporates all measurements throughout the well flow path; hence
does not depend on single sensors and it serves as a robust backup for the
multiphase and wet gas meters. Furthermore, the Ormen Lange field does not
allow testing of individual wells towards onshore facilities. Therefore, it was
decided to calibrate the VFMS model towards gas rates measured by multiphase
meters.

The VFMS is used to measure individual well production rates in parallel with the
wet gas meters that installed at each wellhead and which this paper goes into
detail on in section 4.2.

Pressure and temperature sensors in the well bore and at the wellhead, and
pressure drop across the choke were also used. By comparing measured and
calculated values the sensors are also kept under surveillance by VFMS. If any
deviation is detected, an alarm is raised. The sensor surveillance may also
discover and notify leakage or blockage at wellheads and templates.

In this way, the FAS reduces the risk of hydrate and ice formation with the
transient simulator calculating pressure, temperature, water content and MEG
concentration through the entire subsea system.

4.2 The Wet Gas Meter - Meeting Shell’s Requirements

For the control and monitoring of water in gas and as part of the FAS, Roxar
subsea Wetgas meters were required for each well. A dedicated technology
development program for this meter was initiated early in the project, the early
start being necessary to generate confidence in the selected solutions. The Roxar
subsea Wetgas meters were installed on each subsea well to measure the water
content, condensate and gas flow rates. The meter is mounted on the choke
module.

The following main production fluid properties are measured with the Wet Gas
Meter Water: mass flow rate, Water volume fraction, Hydrocarbon mass flow rate
(gas and condensate), and Formation water / salt detection.

In this way, Shell could use the relevant measurements to detect the
breakthrough of formation water as early as possible in order to: i) provide
information so that formation water can be included in the calculations of MEG
injection; ii) to provide the best possible basis for concluding which wells that are
the source, if onshore water balance or measurements of ionic characteristics
indicate production of formation water; and iii) to provide useful information for
optimum reservoir management.

Shell also had a number of requirements for the Roxar Wetgas meter. These
included:

- Accuracy. Shell had demanding water detection requirements – 0.005 percent

by volume. This translated into a required detection accuracy of nine gallons of
water an hour in a 100 million cubic foot-a-day gas well.

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Such accuracy was particularly crucial when it comes to MEG injection with the
amount of MEG dependent on how much water is produced and the salinity of
that water. Inaccurate water flow rate measurements would lead to an over
injection of MEG. This would be not only costly but also mean that MEG would be
occupying a substantial part of the volume of the pipe line, a volume that could
have been used for the production of gas and thereby limiting gas production
from the field.

- Size. The subsea production system concept also came with further restrictions
for any subsea equipment in regard to length and operating envelope. Any meter
needed to be compact and flexible in order to fit into the Subsea Control Module
of the subsea X-tree. This was the case with the Roxar Subsea Wetgas meter.

4.3 Wet Gas Meter Performance

Prior to deployment, there was comprehensive onshore testing of the meters.

This included site integration testing, pre-commissioning and functional tests
before deployment subsea.

Performance results in the field also showed that the Roxar subsea Wetgas
meters are operating well within the required accuracy range (see figure 5).

In figure 5, the unit along the x-axis is weeks and the test duration is one year
with one test point for each week. There is no reference data for each well, so the
meter readings are summarized and compared against the gas export meters
(fiscal), the condensate storage tanks, and theoretical water gas ratios. It should
be noted that all meters contribute in the same direction - for example, one
meter does not cancel out the deviation of another.

Figure 5 Left: Deviation on Total HC flow rates. Right: Deviation Water Volume
Fraction measurement

As can be seen in the left-hand figure of figure 5, the total hydrocarbon mass flow
is well within the specification from Shell and within Roxar specification (as show
by the red lines). The Water Volume Fraction (WVF) deviation seen in the

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righthand illustration of figure 5 also shows that the meters are performing within
the specified uncertainty

5 ONGOING PERFORMANCE MONITORING

Consistency and regular evaluation of the data that instruments deliver is often a
challenge over the asset’s lifecycle, especially during busy operational periods.

To this end, since the meters’ deployment, Emerson has issued quarterly
performance evaluation reports to Shell to verify the measurement results, the
meters’ health and identify any issues or concerns. The reports provide
summaries of gas flow rates, condensate flow rates, water flow rates, water
volume fractions, formation water detection, alarms and actions, and follows-up
with specific recommendations.

The February 2019 report for the period Q3 2018, for example, found that the
sum of the gas flow rates from the Roxar subsea Wetgas meters is stable against
gas rates from fiscal export metering and shows an average relative deviation of
about 1.98%. Figure 6 shows the cumulative gas production from the Roxar
subsea Wetgas meters (in red) compared to the fiscal gas export metering
system (in blue). The x-axis time scale is four months and the y-axis represent
gas production rates (undisclosed).

Figure 6: Gas production, sum all wells

Similarly, figure 7 shows the total condensate production from the Roxar subsea
Wetgas meters (in red) compared to the onshore condensate storage metering
system (in blue). Again, the x-axis time scale is four months and the y-axis is
condensate volume flow rates (undisclosed).

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Figure 7: Condensate production, sum all wells

6 RESULTS FROM THE WET GAS METER DEPLOYMENT

So how successful has the deployment been?

All results are well within Shell’s expectations and the Roxar subsea Wetgas
meter readings are today used daily for monitoring the production and the onset
of formation water on the Ormen Lange field. Deviation from the fiscal metering
system is less than 2% on gas flow with the meters meeting Shell’s specified
uncertainty.

The Roxar subsea Wetgas meters are also key in the strategic management and
optimization of MEG on the Ormen Lange field. The general MEG strategy is
based on a continuous injection of MEG on the basis of a theoretical hydrate
suppression plus a contingency accounting for uncertainties in (amongst others)
water detection limits (blind zone), PVT (fluid dependent parameters), MEG rate
metering and MEG quality.

The theoretical concentration of MEG is calculated on the basis of the prevailing

pressure and temperature conditions of maximum Shut-In Tubing Head Pressure
(SITHP) and the combined temperature effects of the ambient environment and
Joule-Thompson from gas expansion (pressure drop). The aggregated
contingency MEG volumes accounting for the various uncertainties yield a
designed 50% overdosing. There is great value for a field like Ormen Lange and
similar fields to optimize the overdosing part, which is predominantly achievable
through increased accuracy in measurement and prediction, where wet gas
meters play an instrumental role.

In terms of the wet gas meter and hydrate strategy the continuous MEG dosing is
based on a theoretical minimum requirement based on max SITHP and -5*C
temperature, plus a contingency based on the uncertainty ranges associated
with amongst others water detection accuracy (WGM), MEG metering, PVT and
MEG quality. For Ormen Lange, the present uncertainty understanding accounts

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for a 50% overdosing on top of the theorical requirement. There is therefore a big
upside in accurate detection through a reducing of the uncertainty span.

The meters are performing well within their specifications and are an important
tool for daily monitoring. The success of the wet gas meters is the result of Shell’s
and Emerson’s joint dedication to maximizing the use and performance of the
technology

Key benefits to Shell of the deployment include:

- The successful roll-out of the Ormen Lange subsea development concept.

- A flexible and compact meter that can fit seamlessly within subsea control
modules.
- The early detection of the onset of formation water and the ability to take
remedial action instantaneously.
- The efficient prevention of hydrate, ice and scale formation and MEG injection
optimization. And
- Enhanced production and increased recovery rates, by optimizing MEG injection
rates though field life along with improved system understanding on a risk based
approach

A key reason for the success of the deployment was the level of detail and the
quality of the conceptual engineering performed prior to the contract award that
provided a very good basis for project execution in terms of planning cost
estimates, specification of installation vessels etc. Similarly, the qualification and
verification tests of all new components and the thorough testing onshore
contributed to smooth and effective offshore operations.

7 CONCLUSION

From the remoteness of many offshore fields through to complex subsea

production configurations, fast changing reservoir conditions and the grown in
wet gas fields with the need to accurately measure water production profiles,
operators today are being tested like never before!

Emerson and the Roxar Subsea Wetgas meter are rising to the challenge, as Shell
and the Ormen Lange field testifies to. Today, the wet gas meters are playing a
crucial role in the daily monitoring and prevention (through optimal MEG
injection) of hydrate, ice and scale formation, reducing MEG costs and ensuring
an effective well allocation and production strategy for Shell.

Another key conclusion from Shell’s perspective was the time element in which
the wet gas meters play a crucial role. Hydrates in gas systems form very fast
and are hard to remove. Continuous water monitoring at high accuracy therefore
allows for a fast response to any water breakthrough or other production upset
which could put the system at risk. The Ormen Lange MEG system is not designed
to allow for planned production of wells with formation water breakthrough, and
without online monitoring, the contingency MEG rates in order to account for the
risk of water onset would have reduced the gas production capacity significantly.
The water breakthrough mechanism is also uncertain, whether the water comes

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in fast or slow, for which the former would deem an offline sampling/testing
method inadequate.

In short, it is crucial for the optimal operation of the Ormen Lange gas field to
have a highly accurate online measurement system which provides continuous
monitoring of water production.

8 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Ormen Lange Subsea Production System; T.Bernt, Hydro, E.Smedrud, FMC; OTC
Paper 18965; 2007
Ormen Lange Flow Assurance System (FAS) – Online Flow Assurance Monitoring
and Advice, K.Holmas, G.Lunde, G.Setyadi, FMC, P.Angelo, G. Rudrum, Shell;
OTC Paper 24297; 2013
Ormen Lange Langeled Development; Journal of Petroleum Technology; June
2007
Ormen Lange Offshore Project Subsea Development Strategy and Execution;
T.Eklund, Hydro, G. Paulsen, Reinertsen Engineering; International Offshore and
Polar Engineering Conference; July 2007

9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank and acknowledge the partners in the Ormen
Lange Field:

• Petoro AS
• Equinor Energy AS
• A/S Norske Shell
• INEOS E&P Norge AS
• Vår Energi AS

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