BP

1
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Skip DESAULNIERS

2
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Operational flare reduction versus
• typical associated gas flaring
• BPs efforts has mostly been focused on
  operational reductions
• The most recent major associated gas reduction
  was the Chirag, Azerbaijan platform tie-in to a
  new injection platform, 25 MMscfd flare reduction

3
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Two examples of flare reduction success using
  process control optimization
• Trinidad platform slugging
• USA gas field well deliquification venting
• Both examples were flaring or venting on a
  regular or routine basis but not considered
  continuous

4
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Trinidad Samaan Platform
• National Gas Company connected.
• Lots of compression capacity but lots of flaring.
• Major work effort to investigate gathering system
  slugging
• A project was developed to install inlet control
  valves to stabilize the inlet slugging.
• but

5
(No Transcript)
6
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• An intervention was organized with a process
  control expert
• It was quickly established that the compression
  surge protection system was responsible for the
  slugging
• The control system was causing the pressure
  increase in the inlet separator but also
  extending the upset by not closing the surge
  valve quickly

7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• The keys to success were to engage management
  first
• The team interviewed the project staff, the local
  facility engineering staff, and the operating
  staff on the platform
• Testing with a high speed process analyzer proved
  what the interview process was suggesting

10
(No Transcript)
11
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Additional project requirements
• added boosters to make surge and recycle valves
  respond faster
• activated available programming by burning a new
  eprom chip

12
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Flare reduction was immediate and sustainable
• Inlet slugging stabilized immediately
• The new compression control allowed for both
  compressors to run simultaneously
• 7.5 MMscfd flare reduction (145k tonne CO2e)
• The project and therefore a platform outage was
  avoided

13
VENT REDUCTION EXAMPLE
14
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Farmington, New Mexico, USA
• Dispersed tight gas field, 2300 wells (1000
  plunger lift wells)
• Liquid loading occurs when well flow rate
  declines to below the critical velocity to lift
  liquids
• Plunger lift systems are a very inexpensive way
  to deal with liquid loading

15
Pressure
Distance
16
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Plunger lift control can be as simple as a clock
  control for "On" and "Off" cycles or
  sophisticated programming

17

 
Clock

18
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• With sophisticated programming for optimizing
  production, small mechanical details can
  interfere with the program sequencing
• Even the smallest flaw may result in the plunger
  not successfully arriving at the surface with the
  liquids.
• Consequently, any additional wellflow will simply
  add more liquids to the fluid column

19
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Immediate solutions to deliquify liquids from a
  loaded well include swabbing and venting
• Venting is easy
• Swabbing requires effort, equipment and resources

20
(No Transcript)
21
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Venting to deliquify has been a solution in this
  basin for a very long time
• Once the venting solution is used, it is very
  difficult to analyze well control problems
  because at any hint of trouble, the well vents
  and the liquid loading is eliminated

22
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• The project had to get back to basics on how
  plunger systems function
• A pilot project was organized with two sets of 20
  wells
• The complex control system was adjusted to ensure
  the fundamentals were being followed

23
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• Findings
• Venting hid the well problems
• Minor leaks stole pressure energy from the well
  even leaks through the choke to sales
• Extended venting to flush the wellbore of liquids
  was ineffective if the plunger surfaced properly
• The programming settings must follow the basics
  of plunger control

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• The result was a 4 MMscf/day vent reduction
  (675k tonne CO2e)
• Tools were developed to help the staff quickly
  identify wells that might be in trouble
• Morning reports were also created

27
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• The large success could only be accomplished on
  the most recent versions of the software
• Further reductions will occur when the well
  software is upgraded and loaded
• Considering, the software has to be loaded at
  each well one at a time, there is an opportunity
  to ensure the software is optimized prior to the
  upgrades

28
BP Smart Wells / Smart Fields

• In Conclusion
• Operational flaring and venting is not difficult
  to recognize
• BP has found that process control tuning is an
  effective way to reduce routine or regular losses
• It may be easier to develop one or two large
  associated gas reduction projects but it is more
  realistic to reduce flaring and venting through
  small projects every day