Flow Assurance

Understanding, mapping and studying the oil flows and gas flows from a reservoir can be difficult. This is due to their volatile and unpredictable nature. Whilst computer modelling can predict flow profiles and deposit build up, it is not as accurate or reliable as real time data. Tracerco's unique award winning technology, combined with our specialist knowledge and experience, provides you with the real time data you need, data that cannot be obtained using less sophisticated methods.

Tracerco's flow assurance technologies can assess the process velocity and determine total pipeline deposits from source to end user with accuracies of  +/-10cm (location), volume (+/- 0.1m³) and material densities of +/-0.1g/cc. The same technique is used to determine the accuracy and thus calibrate online flow meters. Radioisotopes, similar to that used in the medical profession, are ideally suited to provide accurate data as the isotope is carefully selected to imitate the pipeline contents.

Non-intrusive, ultra reliable wireless data collection units are positioned on the pipeline to measure each radioisotope as it passes. This means the pipeline system can be accurately assessed and its condition managed over time.

Long-term data management and real time information gathering is a key factor in determining a pipeline's life and optimizing production. Very much akin to blocked or restricted arteries within the human body, a fluid will not flow efficiently with restrictions within its path. 

An installed instrument can determine and warn operations of incoming slugs of liquid, therefore allowing process refinements and minimizing separation upsets. For FPSO and complex flow line systems, a non-intrusive system, fitted to an ROV can establish accurate and short-term flow profiles. Simply position the equipment over each flow line for a short period of time and gain an instant operational flow profile from each well.

Data accumulation is live and therefore instant process changes can be made.

Tolerances:
Velocity +/- 0.5m/s
Volume +/- 0.1m³
Location +/- 10cm
Density +/- 0.1g/cc

Applications of the flow assurance technology include:

Increasing production through insight:

• Identify, locate and quantify pipeline materials such as waxes, scales, sand, sludge, hydrates
• Eliminate the risk of pigging a line without any previous pigging history
• What additional material is present within the pipeline that could be removed to increase production?
• Assess total deposits in buried pipelines to eliminate the risk associated with pigging
• Assess total pipeline deposits to optimize pigging frequency
• Identify and locate pipeline restrictions such as stuck pigs, resume production as soon as possible
• Determine wax build up rates over long time periods, understand where and how much
• Combine the knowledge with a removal procedure and assess its success, save on time and cleaning material costs
• Assess and quantify flow measurements
• Accurate calibration of online flow meters

Increasing pipeline life through knowledge:

• Assess total pipeline deposits as part of a removal or cleaning program
• The design and number of pigs can be critical
• Reduce the number of cleaning pigging runs
• Assess the residual deposit pre intelligent or MFL pig run
• Track the cleaning and inspection pigs with isotopes to reduce the risk
• Track using the same data collection unit, one deployment, many results
• Accurately assess and quantify pipeline condition prior to a pigging campaign
• Assess the pipeline wall thickness under deposits

Benefits of Tracerco's flow assurance technology solutions:

• Eliminate risk
• Maximise production
• Reduce uncertainty
• Increase pipeline life
• Determine the unknown

Benefits of Tracerco's flow assurance technology team:

Tracerco have a wide range of case studies within many pipelines in many different situations. The selection of case studies below involves both forms of measurement, an internal tracer and non-intrusive external measurement.

Please click on a case study below for more details:

Production Enhancement

• Total pipeline deposit survey
• Locate, monitor and quantify hydrates
• Locate and quantify debris
• Long term wax deposition build up

• Pre-cleaning or inline inspection assessment
• Model proofing

Flow Profiling (Slugging)