Partial Processing – PP Methodology Benefits System Hydraulics and Fluid Processing (post B-CSS-003)
Partial Processing methodolgy targets the bulk removal of the constraining phase from Oil & Gas production. It does not seek complete removal. PP creates additional spare capacity at the wellhead platform by lowering the backpressure on existing wells and alleviate stress on process equipment that is struggling with over capacity.
A common setup in mature field uses the “Spoke and Hub” structure where multiple wellhead platforms connect to a centralized processing or hub platform, which then forwards the fluid via pipeline to an onshore processing facility. Typical process treatment equipment include free water knockout, production separators, and produced water treatment (PWT) systems that are design to handle specific flowrates. As pipelines gets hydraulically overloaded or constrained, system backpressure increases thus limiting fluid production from the wells and/or equipment.
Process equipment once overloaded are not be able to treat the fluids to process specification and therefore limiting further production. In the case of PWT, if legal discharge or disposal limits are not met then there will be no way to get rid of the water resulting reduced production – or even worse, shut down.
References:
- Rawlins, C.H., “Partial Processing: Produced Water Debottlenecking Unlocks Production on Offshore Thailand MOPU Platform”, paper SPE-187109-MS, presented at the 2017 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, TX, October 9 – 11, 2017. https://doi.org/10.2118/187109-MS