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| Paper Number | 16572-MS | ||||
| DOI What's this? | 10.4043/16572-MS | ||||
| Title | Na Kika's Dynamic Model Operator Training Simulator | ||||
| Authors | P. W. Dziubla, W. S. Nelson & Company, Inc.; P. P. Lang ; M. S. Lindsay, Shell International E&P, Inc. ; D. L. Sanders, Shell International E&P, Inc. ; N. H. Shepard, Danos & Curole | ||||
| Source |
Offshore Technology Conference, 3 May-6 May 2004, Houston, Texas |
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| Copyright | 2004. Offshore Technology Conference | ||||
| Language | English | ||||
| Preview | Abstract
Introduction The Na Kika project is among the most complex subsea developments executed by our industry and faced a number of unique flow assurance challenges due to the extreme water depth (5800 to 7600 ft), distributed well layout, variability in produced fluids (from six distinct fields), offsets of up to 26 miles and relatively low temperature reserves. Flow assurance strategies thus were a key driver to system selection and overall assessment of project profitability. This paper gives an overview of the development of the fully integrated dynamic simulator that incorporated flow assurance and other novel processes into a unique training strategy for successful operation of the Na Kika host and subsea systems. Background The Na Kika project consists of six oil and gas fields in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico that are tied back to a semi submersible based floating production facility in 6350 ft of water. Water depths range from 5800 to 7600 ft. The individual fields in the Na Kika base development are Ariel, Kepler, Fourier, Herschel, and East Anstey, each of which will be developed as subsea fields with produced fluids routed back to a floating host roughly located in the center of the development area. See Figure 1. The sixth field, Coulomb, will be produced by a single flowline back to the Na Kika processing facility. Offset distances from the host are in the range of 5 (Ariel) to 26 miles (Coulomb). The Na Kika subsea layout consists of a single, 10" x 16" pipe-in-pipe flowline loop for those fields north of the host (Ariel and Kepler). On the south side, there are two flowline loops, an 8"x12" pipe-in-pipe insulated oil loop for the Herschel and selected Fourier wells, and an 8" un-insulated gas loop for the East Anstey and selected Fourier wells. The subsea system at Fourier includes the flexibility to allow wells to produce back through either the gas or the oil flowlines, particularly with jumper reconfiguration. Production from the Coulomb wells, which lie south of the host, will be transported by a single 26-mile flowline back to the host. This subsea architecture deviates significantly from earlier projects through the use of flowline loops, as opposed to dual lines to a manifold, and the use of a single flowline for the Coulomb gas wells. Hydrate Control and Remediation Strategy All deepwater subsea projects have hydrate concerns due to the fact that hydrocarbon systems fall into the hydrate stability regime at the typical seabed temperature of 39 ºF when pressures exceed 400 to 600 psig. Hydrate control and remediation is a particular concern for Na Kika due to the extreme water depth at the location, which leads to high hydrostatic head, and the downward slope of the flowlines on the north side of the host. The single flowline tieback for the Coulomb gas wells introduces additional hydrate risks and concerns, including the effectiveness and safety of single sided blowdown for hydrate remediation. |
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| File Size | 566 KB | ||||
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