IFP Technologies for Flow Assurance

Modeling Thermal Insulation Deposit Prevention Additives Testing Facilities

IFP - Exploration and Production

IFP Technologies for Flow Assurance

Flow assurance has become one of the central topics covering the choice of a given field architecture and the specification of its production process. The relevant analysis includes the evaluation of risks and uncertainties associated with operational procedures, and contributes to a better estimate of the economics of a specific hydrocarbon production. This brochure presents an overview of innovative technologies, either available through IFP licensees or still under development by IFP and its industrial partners. The purpose of these technologies, related to Flow Assurance, is to secure the production operations, minimizing the down times, and reducing the production costs, particularly in the field of thermal insulation, deposit prevention and remediation. All these technologies benefit from the input of highly skilled teams from the Applied Mechanics, Applied Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Divisions of IFP, and rely on the design and use of sophisticated experimental laboratory and pilot equipment as well as advanced simulations and predictive modeling.
MODELING

Tina will be able to include models from various sources and use third party modules. Threeplex A reliable prediction of slug flow is extremely important to ensure efficient oil and gas production from a given field. Threeplex is a European project focused on a three-phase flow in complex geometry, and based on experimental measurements performed in the IFP slug flow loop. The data bank created through those experiments is used to validate and improve the IFP commercial multiphase flow computer codes.

Jip Famus Flow Assurance

by Management of Uncertainties and Simulation

Tina IFP is developing, in partnership with Total, a new generation simulation tool for flow assurance studies. This integrated multiphase production software will be capable of performing multiphase simulations from the reservoir to the process facilities. Due to its Cape Open compliance,

This JIP, co-operated by IFP and DNV, is developing an integrated uncertainty management tool for decision making by the E&P industry. The JIP program addresses the following issues: probabilistic analyses of flow assurance, estimation of possible flow losses, assessment of the lower and upper economic probabilities of the field production and choice of optimized solutions between Capex and Opex, based upon the former results of flow availability during the production life cycle.

Tina process calculations

IFP Technologies for Flow Assurance

DEPOSIT DETECTION AND PREVENTION/PRODUCTION ADDITIVES

substantial expertise in this field, through the understanding of hydrate formation and dissociation, to the development

of hydrate plugs, based on vibro-acoustic methods. Asphaltenes IFP has performed several studies on the characterization of asphaltenes and asphaltene flocculation. Work is also being done on additive formulations to be used as dispersants and for asphaltene deposit prevention. Their application is either in the reservoir formation in the near well bore or within the well itself. Paraffins Waxy crude oils or condensates may cause serious production problems due to paraffin deposits along the pipe wall. A team of IFP specialists can propose a number of studies and solutions to overcome these problems: standard and specific analytical characterizations are thus performed in IFP laboratories including wax appearance temperature, pour point and flow-behavior, specific viscosimetry, modeling of the liquid-solid equilibrium, thermodynamics and kinetics is achieved by using the CRYSPAR and CIRE software. The JIP Coldstart is developing software capable of modeling the re-starting pressure and flow

The problem of plugging of production lines by hydrates, asphaltenes, paraffins or scales is considered, by the operating companies, to be one of the major problems in the development of oil/gas fields and IFP has been devoting extensive resources in order to provide a remedy. Special emphasis has also been put on the separation of water in emulsion with crude oil at surface facilities, and has led IFP to develop various additives to increase the efficiency of this separation. Hydrates IFP has built up, over the years,

of means to remedy the problem, such as: prevention: the efficiency of several types of inhibitors has been tested. New kinetic formulations are also being developed by IFP, transportation: IFP has developed an efficient new LDHI antiagglomerant additive, the IPE202, marketed by Shrieve. A JIP has been launched in cooperation with the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE, Norway), to study the flow of hydrate slurries in the presence of anti-agglomerant additives, detection: a device is under development in partnership with Metravib, for the detection

Gas hydrate agglomeration

is put on the development of biodegradable (green) additives, efficient at very low concentration and non-damaging in squeeze operations. Additives for oil/water separation IFP's knowledge on dispersion stability and dynamics of the oil/water interfacial film has been used to optimize and create new emulsion-breaker formulations, in partnership with several chemical
Pig receiver cleaning in Nigeria

product manufacturers. Technological solutions are consistency (Waxmonitor European program), additives: IFP has created a laboratory methodology to select additives preventing or limiting paraffin deposition. In collaboration with CECA, an additive to prevent wax deposition, AP 757, has been synthesized and patented. Scales Crystallization of mineral deposits, mostly sulfates and carbonates, might reduce the production flow drastically. From the analysis of water composition and other reservoir characteristics, IFP is able to perform a diagnostic of scale deposition and may propose different remedies. Through the JIP Screen, emphasis

after a shut down and crude gellation. Laboratory testing is followed by pilot testing in the Lyre loop, instrumentation: a non-intrusive wax detector is under development to measure the deposit thickness and possibly the gelled bulk oil

Scale deposit

Oil/water dispersion rig

THERMAL INSULATION

absorption/restitution of a low cost gellified phase change material (PCM) named ILS. The material is designed to handle the pressure due to high water depth (up to 3000m). Very homogeneous and stable gel formulations have been obtained which make it possible to achieve a significant increase of the cool down time in the production lines. The behavior of the mixture before gellification allows any complex shaped volumes such as bundles, risers or odd shaped singular points to be filled up.

Thermal insulation is a key issue in flow assurance, because sub-sea production of hydrocarbon is prone to blockage by paraffin deposition or hydrate formation when the fluid temperature falls below a critical level. The operators are facing this problem in most of the deep offshore fields. Long-term behavior of insulating materials
Action of additive on oil/water emulsion

Within the frame of the JIP Tideep (thermal insulation of deep sea flowlines), commercial insulating materials have been selected to undergo long-term aging tests including high temperature/high pressure conditions. Data will be used for behavior modeling. Conventional formulations of syntactic foams as a deepwater insulation are suffering from hydrolytic aging. Fundamental work is carried out to develop improved formulations offering long-term insulation properties. Liquid-solid insulation A joint project between IFP and Saipem is developing a newly patented concept of insulation using the phase-transition heat

proposed to the field operators, for example on the difficult case of viscosity increase induced by asphaltenes and emulsions complex interactions. Due to environmental concern and new legislation constraints, the new products developed are degradable and non-toxic. Anti-corrosion additives IFP has the means to test behavior and efficiency of the anti-corrosion additives on both laboratory and full size scales. In partnership with operating companies, IFP has selected chemical products to inhibit corrosion in the presence of wet acid gases (CO2 and H2S).

Solid Liquid Insulation (ILS) prototype

a hydrogen migration may occur through the metal of the inner pipe, increasing the annular pressure and altering the thermal insulation of the structure. The JIP Hypip, launched by IFP, is studying this phenomenon and testing the influence of fluid Another joint project with Saipem, Vactub, aims at demonstrating the technical feasibility of the fabrication of a light pipe-inpipe structure, filled with a high performance insulating material under vacuum. Pipe-in-pipe hydrogen permeation The pipe-in-pipe technology is known to satisfy the most severe requirements for thermal insulation, but, when the hydrocarbons flow has a high content of H2S,
Hydrogen permeation test bench for pipe-in-pipe

composition, additives, internal coatings and metallurgical characteristics.

IFP (Institut Franais du Ptrole) is an independent center for research and industrial development, education (IFP School), professional training (IFP Training) and information (IFP Information Center) for the oil, natural gas and automotive industries. IFP has the dual advantage of covering: All the sectors of the oil and gas industry: exploration, reservoir engineering, drilling, production, refining, petrochemicals, natural gas processing, automotive engines and fuels, environmental protection. From science to industry: basic research, applied research, licensing (licences for processes, products, materials, equipment, software) and advanced services.

TESTING FACILITIES

IFP testing facilities are located, for small laboratory equipment in IFP Rueil-Malmaison, and for large equipment and piping installations in IFP-Lyon. Small laboratory equipment covers: Physico-chemical analysis: - viscosimetry measurement equipment such as controlled stress rheometers, - high pressure (up to 400 bars) viscosimetry. Thermal analysis and conductivity: - calorimetric cells and equipment, - a differential calorimeter with a HP micro DSC VII, implemented to study the hydrate formation, dissociation and characterization, and able to work up to 400 bars (5,800 psi). This on-site HP micro DSC is marketed by Setaram, under IFP license. Fluid mechanics: lab flow loops available for testing complex fluid flows of hydrocarbons, such as emulsions or foamy oils, Electrochemical devices (impedance, quartz crystal micro balance) to study corrosion, High temperature and pressure autoclave for corrosion testing, X-ray scanner, Reactors to study the thermodynamic conditions of hydrate formation and to test the performance of additives, Hydrates and demulsifier testing equipment. Large testing equipment covers: Test benches for fatigue mechanical
HP micro DSC for differential calorimetry analysis Lyre loop for hydrate and wax deposit experiments

Sand corrosion test bench, for testing multiphase equipment in aggressive conditions, The Lyre loop: 500 ft long, 2-in diameter, with a 23 ft long wax deposition section, able to work at 100 bars (1,450 psi) and with a temperature which may be regulated down to 0C, A slug flow loop, 540 ft long and 4-in diameter, configured in "M" or "V" geometry, with transparent sections, A loop for the qualification of multiphase pumps, turbines, flow-meters, etc., A terrain slugging flow loop, A pipe-in-pipe test loop, working with high acid gas content, A pilot insulation test bench able to work at pressure up to 375 bars (5,400 psi).

testing on samples and structures,

IFP - Exploration and Production

IFP
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IFP-Lyon
www.ifp.fr
BP 3 - 69390 Vernaison - France Tel.: +33 4 78 02 20 20 - Fax: +33 4 78 02 20 15

Direction de la communication -2000409 - GraphiDoc - Photos: Ceca, P.Chevrelat, JJ.Humphrey, IFP, Saipem, x.