02/24/2025
FACILITY OPTIMIZATION CASE STUDY - FACILITY PRESSURE CONSTRAINTS
**Client Area of Concern**
The initial scope at this facility was to optimize the v***r recover compression. We quickly determined that there was an excessive pressure drop happening, and the VRT VRU could not buck the line pressure and all mid pressure gas was going to flare. The 100 psig pressure drop across the site was negatively affecting the production rates at all 14 wells.
Normally we like to start looking at Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR) curves to determine what the optimal wellhead pressures are and design the facilities around that, however we’ll save that for another post.
The decision was made to first fix the pressure issues, and then subsequently optimize the VRU’s.
An additional external pressure was the upcoming EPA reporting where the flaring / emissions needed to be under control stat.
This facility flows about 50 MMscf/d gas.
**Solution & Deliverables**
We scheduled a site visit to obtain all the current flowrates, pressures, temperatures, piping lengths and fitting counts to look at equivalent lengths. We prepared our data capture spreadsheets ahead of the site visit so the process was as close as a “snapshot” as possible – hydraulics are dependent on flowrates, so this was very important.
We used Promax to determine what the theoretical pressure drops should be, and used Pipeflo multiphase software to determine the current situation with the flowlines from the adjacent wells to the inlet separation.
We prepared a schematic to compile the results and convey them to our client in an easy-to-digest manner.
**Positive Outcomes**
We were able to determine two Areas of Concern where there was unexplainable pressure drops occurring that total 50 psig. Alleviating this pressure loss would benefit all 14 wells. Operations have found some fl**ge gasket materials caught in the check meter before, so this could still be an issue. There is also a Triazene H2S process on site, and the result of overspending chemical (other than $$) is that the Triazene will carry over with the gas and still be reacting and precipitating solids. We are developing the plan to shutdown and clean out and replace some spools to alleviate these issues.
We found another area of unreasonable pressure drops, but the cost to improve it would be uneconomical.
We also found that the flowlines had excessive pressure drops and erosional velocities and could warn our client to perhaps loop those lines, or at minimum, keep a close eye on leaks.
We currently offer "next-day" service in the Permian and Eagle Ford Basins.
Quick Deliverables, Professional Engineers, Agile Operations, and Fast Results.
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