The Production Flow Network Model

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The Production Flow Network Model

• Petrotech 2007 Dr. Paul Maton
• New Delhi, India Director
• 18 January 2007 Sillimanite Consultants

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Abstract

• Each optimization cycle in a smart field involves
  at least several software applications, e.g. for
  orchestration, monitoring, simulation,
  notification, etc.
• Traditionally, each of these applications
  conceived a system for modeling the field as a
  production flow network.
• Differences in these systems from application to
  application make linking the applications into a
  comprehensive optimization cycle difficult.
• Energistics uses a fundamental production network
  flow model for its Production Reporting standards
  which will also be incorporated into the PRODML
  developments in 2007.

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Benefits

• Using a common Production Flow Network Model
• Supports application Plug-and-Play
• Supports network-driven dynamic applications
• Enables each application to see as much detail
  from the Flow Network Model as needed
• Volume reporting needs fluid flow aspects
• Equipment optimization also needs equipment
  identification and classification details
• Field-wide optimization needs selective detail
  corresponding to optimization algorithms

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Basic Concepts

• Production Flow Network
• Represents a fluid flow system
• Consists of a set of connected Units
• Unit
• A black box representing the fluid flow into or
  out from something.
• Inlets and outlets are called Ports
• Port
• Properties of a fluid flow can be measured at a
  Port
• Volumes per time interval, flow rates,
  temperatures, pressures, etc.
• Ports may be internal or external to the Flow
  Network

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Unit

• Essentially, a Facility
• A black box with Ports
• Can expand into an internal sub-Flow Network
  describing more details
• Can represent
• Complex things, e.g. Platform, Separator, etc.
• Simple things, e.g. Valve, Choke, etc.
• Has contextual knowledge describing what
  real-world thing the Unit represents, e.g.
  Identifiers, Classification, etc.

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Port

• Represents a real-world measurement point on a
  Unit
• Has an expected direction of fluid flow called
  Port Direction
• Inlet (flow into the Unit)
• Outlet (flow out from the Unit)
• Connects to one Node
• May participate in a one-to-one, one-to-many,
  many-to-one, or many-to-many connection
• May define an expected Product Flow for
  validation purposes, e.g. Oil Production, Gas
  Injection, etc.

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Port Direction

• The intended direction of fluid flow
• If the pressure changes across a Unit, the flow
  direction may change at a Port
• When a measurement is taken,
• A positive volume measurement represents flow in
  the intended direction
• A negative volume measurement represents flow in
  the opposite (unintended) direction

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Expected Product Flow

• Expressed as a pair of descriptors for the
• Kind of Product and
• Kind of Flow
• Kinds of Products
• Oil, Gas, Condensate, Aqueous, Oleic, Vapor,
  Water, Carbon Dioxide Gas, etc.
• Kinds of Flows
• Production, Injection, Consuming, Import, Export,
  Gas Lift, Overboard, etc.

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Node

• Node is an artificial (not physical) concept
• All Ports that connect to the same Node are
  connected to each other.
• Graphic representations may omit Nodes

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Assumptions About Flow Dynamics

• There is a steady-state Fluid Flow across Nodes
  and Ports.
• Pressure is constant across internally and
  externally connected Ports and Nodes.
• There is conservation of mass across a Node or
  Port.
• Temperature and other measured properties may
  vary between connected Ports.
• Pressure may vary internally between ports of a
  Unit.

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A Unit Can Have an Internal sub-Flow Network

• Ports in the base Flow Network and
  sub-Flow-Network that represent the same physical
  inlet/outlet must use the same name.
• There is no pressure change across Ports or
  Nodes.
• For example, there is no pressure change between
  A2 and C1

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Benefits

• A Flow Network defines the connectivity of a
  production fluid flow system over time.
• A Flow Network defines the measurement points
  within a production fluid flow system.
• Measurements may be made directly (with a meter)
• Measurements may be inferred (by allocation
  algorithm)
• Flow Network connectivity may not correspond
  exactly to physical descriptions as long as the
  Flow Network serves the purposes for which it is
  defined.
• Flow Network connectivity must correspond with
  its specific business uses
• Other means must be used to track physical
  properties, e.g. for maintenance.

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Flow Network Illustration for Gas Lift Well
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Flow Network Illustration of Measurement List
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Flow Network Illustration with Unit Boundaries
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Flow Network Hiding Lower Level Details
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Flow Network Single Level Illustration
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Flow Networks Multiple Levels

• A Production System may be represented by one
  Flow Network or by an integration of multiple
  Flow Networks

Full Network
Gathering System Network
Facilities Network
Injection System Network
Compressor Network 1
Compressor Network 2
Well Network 1
Well Network 2
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Future Objective

• Demonstrate the use of Flow Network models in
  application software of PRODML-based solutions.
• So far, use of Flow Network was on paper
• 07 Challenge manage change of configuration
• Extend PRODML to address recommended practices
  and reference standards for equipment
  identification and classification.
• Link PRODML to access stored characteristics of
  equipment referenced in Flow Network models.
• Wells, e.g. via WITSML Completions object schema
• Gathering System components
• Processing Facility components
• Equipment, e.g. compressors, valves, chokes, etc.

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Thank You ???????