Flow Assurance: Issues and Developments

 

18 April 2007 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman David Liddle, The Industry Technology Facilitator

Sponsored by Clariant, Tracerco and Woodhill Frontier

 

Flyer

 

Overview

Flow assurance is a major challenge in offshore and deepwater operations. The industry is continually looking for innovative solutions not only to issues of scale, wax, hydrates and other production issues, but also new solutions to reduce the CAPEX and OPEX, to eliminate remedial costs of removing pipeline blockages, prevent deferred production and improve the overall recovery factors. This evening meeting discussed some of the current issues and introduced some technologies associated with this vast subject.

 

Presentations

Flow Assurance in HP/HT Systems

Martin Wills, Head of Process, Woodhill Frontier Caledonia Ltd

 

Gas Hydrates Control in Oil and Gas Industries

Dugald MacDougall, Development Chemist, Clariant Oil Services

This presentation provides an overview of gas hydrates and the problems they cause in oil and gas industry. It then takes a look at conventional methods for prevention of gas hydrates, and looks at more recent developments for the selection, evaluation and use of low dosage hydrate inhibitors for controlling gas hydrates.

 

Techniques to Make Pipelines 'Transparent'

Dan Benson, Regional Sales Manager; Lee Robins, Operations Mananger, Tracerco

General introduction to flow assurance issues such as deposits (hydrates/wax/scale) and pipeline slugging and how this can affect the operation of a pipeline. Introduction to technology principles—gamma scanning, tracer injection and tomography—and how they can be used to determine the extent of a flow assurance problem, online and in real time, thus allowing cost effective interventions.