Offshor fshore Reconfiguring Of fshore Gas Compression for Compression Systems for Production from Enhanced Production from

Matur ture Mature Gas Fields

Dr. M. S. Akhtar BEng, PhD, MemASME

Presented at the Gas Processors' Association - European Chapter Conference, Elsinor, Denmark, 25-27 May 1994

Reconfiguring Offshore Gas Compression Systems for Enhanced Production from Mature Gas Fields
M. S. Akhtar, B.Eng., Ph.D., Mem.ASME MSE (Consultants) Limited, North House, North Street, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 2HW 1.0 INTRODUCTION Rising demand for natural gas in Europe and across the world is refocusing development and production of natural gas from existing fields which are closer to the centres of population. In the West European context, the North Sea has an abundant availability of natural gas which has been successfully exploited by several countries, including Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and increasingly by Denmark. Huge investment has been made over the past 25 years in the infrastructure for production, transportation and distribution of natural gas. As a result of continual exploitation, many gas fields have now reached a mature stage with declining levels of production, and some early fields are now being considered for abandonment. This paper argues that by reconfiguring the compression system it is possible to extend the life of a mature gas field. Returns on investment from the existing infrastructure can be further enhanced by routing new wells through the existing system and carrying out transportation of third party gas with minimal extra capital cost. 2.0 PROBLEM DEFINITION A mature offshore producing gas field in the North Sea will typically consist of the following elements: offshore gas wells; subsea piping surface network; a central gas processing & compression platform; export pipeline; receiving terminal. Actual daily production from such a system requires that the design capacity of the installed equipment is capable of handling the gas volumes delivered by the wells. A bottleneck in any one element restricts production. As the fields are gradually depleted, wellhead pressures decline and the system relies on compression to maintain production. The export pipeline and the receiving terminal usually operate at reduced throughput and have spare flow capacities. Experience has shown that the compression systems, which are invariably based on centrifugal machinery, are very often the limiting factor. Many gas fields have declined in pressure to the extent that the original compression systems are either unable to cope or are running with severely reduced production capacity. 2.1 Compression and Gas Well System Figure 1 shows simplified well and centrifugal compressor performance characteristic profiles. The wellhead pressure and flow decline with time. The compressor speed and pressure ratio are increased to compensate and maintain a constant discharge pressure for the export pipeline. Such a system operates satisfactorily for prolonged periods, until the wellhead pressure reaches a limiting value, requiring the compressor to operate at its maximum design speed. The well data is usually given in terms of standard flow, e.g. MMSCFD versus wellhead or flowing head tubing pressure (FHTP). The compressor design is based on actual volumetric flow and head or pressure ratio if the gas composition is constant; its operation is very sensitive to variations in inlet pressure, gas density and volumetric flow, as the example below will serve to illustrate. 2.2 Example This example shows what happens when a gas field producing 400 MMSCFD is required to deliver 12.5% more gas through a compressor system.

Gas production can be limited by: well performance, or equipment design limitations.

Subject to the availability of gas, the actual installed system has a maximum gas production limit which cannot be exceeded; this maximum production limit, which we shall discuss later, varies with well pressures.
Page 1

Figure 2 shows the well performance at 400 and 450 MMSCFD respectively when the wellhead pressure will decline from 320 to 280 PSIA. Figure 3a is the compressor performance map of discharge pressure versus flow (MMSCFD) and is based on an inlet pressure of 320 PSIA. This shows that the system can in theory deliver 450 MMSCFD at 1300 PSI at 100% speed. Moreover the power and discharge temperature will be within the design limits. However, in practice, the operator will find that as the flow is increased above 400 MMSCFD the compressor surges, reaches 105%, i.e. the maximum continuous speed and eventually trips at a high discharge temperature. After many attempts, the operator will find that he is unable to get much more flow than 410 MMSCFD. He will then call the vendor and tell him that his machine is down in performance. The vendor will listen carefully and ask what the compressor suction pressure is - he will be informed that it is 280 PSIA. Curve 3a, however, is based on 320 PSIA inlet pressure! This can be explained as follows. The compressor can pull 450 MMSCFD of gas at 320 PSIA and discharge it at 1300 PSI, i.e. a pressure ratio of 4.06 at a 100% speed. However at 280 PSIA the pressure ratio is 4.64 which is well beyond the machine design capability. Moreover at 280 PSIA the gas density is 14.4% lower, which increases the volumetric flow capacity proportionally. The apparent and the actual operating points are shown in Figures 3a and 3b respectively. The above example is summarised in Table 1 below and serves to illustrate the problem of what happens to a compression system when the inlet pressure decreases from its design value of 320 PSIA to 280 PSIA, i.e. a reduction of 40 PSIA. Table 1
1 Inlet Pressure (PSIA) 320 2 280 450 1,300 4.643 3 320 450 1,300 4.06

With depleted fields, when the pressure has declined from between 300 and 400 PSIA to less than 100 PSIA, the problem is more acute and requires reconfiguration of the compression system. 3.0 RECONFIGURATION OPTIONS Reconfiguration of compression systems can be economically justified where gas reserves are still available, but production is restricted by equipment limitations. Reconfiguration of the compression system can be carried out in a number of different ways. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages as well as a capital expenditure value and production capability. It is therefore necessary to approach this subject in an rational way and review all the available options before adopting a specific scheme for development. In general terms the reconfiguration options can be divided into two broad categories: with additional power; without additional power.

In terms of cost, the most important consideration is whether the reconfiguration requires additional power or if the same power can be used with a more efficient compression system. Thedecision whether to use additional power or not requires a careful study which matches the reservoirs predicted performance with the compression system. 3.1 Power Requirements Power calculations should be made using the actual compression system with specific compressor characteristics and available gas turbine power. This data can be obtained from compressor vendors or from an optimised compressor selection program, which allows the evaluation of a number of alternative schemes on a consistent basis, see Reference 1. General purpose compressor calculations using standard 70-75% efficiency can give misleading answers. Sometimes theoretical analysis may indicate that additional power is not necessary in terms of numbers alone, but it may be prudent to do so if allowance is made for practical considerations such as: reliability and availability of turbines and compressors; loss of revenue from production shut down during changeover.

Standard Flow (MMSCFD) 400 Discharge Pressure (PSIA) 1,250 Pressure Ratio 3.906

Volumetric Flow (CFM) 12,500 16,071 14,062 Compressor Speed 92% 116% 100%

Page 2

3.2 With Additional Power Additional compression power can be installed in a number of different ways, see Figure 4, including: adding a low pressure booster compression system; adding a high pressure booster compression system; adding additional parallel trains.

The additional power provides greater flexibility in reconfiguring the system. In particular, loss of revenue from production shutdown can be minimised. An example of a high pressure booster compression system configuration developed by our Company for expansion of the Kaarsto terminal in Norway is described in Reference 2. 3.3 Without Additional Power An option which does not require additional power is of course more economical and should be carefully evaluated first. Analysis of power requirements on many fields indicate that initially compression power increases with declining pressures, but later it reaches a peak value and then decreases with falling pressures if we ignore the effect of recycle flows. It is possible to reconfigure the compression system and so improve the overall performance, as well as minimise and avoid recycle flow. The compression reconfiguration without additional power can be performed in a number of different ways, some of which are listed below: rewheeling existing compressor casings; rearranging existing multiple trains; replacing the existing compressor casings with a different casing arrangement; changes in cooler arrangement.

During the past five years our Company has been involved in reconfiguring gas compression systems to optimise production for a number of existing offshore platforms and associated onshore receiving facilities. These include Brent, Leman, Indefatigable, Thames and Tyra - all of which have a large number of gas compressors and turbines. The Leman field alone has over 300,000 HP of installed power. The object of this paper is to share some of this experience in general terms, using typical examples, and with emphasis on the approach rather than the actual design details. 4.0 EXAMPLES OF RECONFIGURATION Two case studies have been selected - one with additional power, the other without additional power. 4.1 Case I - With Additional Power This example, illustrated in Table 2, examines a gas production facility for a large gas field initially designed to produce 800 MMSCFD of gas at 320 PSIA inlet pressure. The suction pressures have declined sharply below 320 PSIA and the compression system is restricting production. Reconfiguration of the compression system to 50 PSIA so the field can deliver 440 MMSCFD is required. Table 2
Original System New Configuration 4 x Parallel HP + Train Arrangement 4 x Parallel 2 x New LP Boosters Installed Power (HP) MMSCFD Compressor Inlet Pressure (PSIA) Mole Weight Inlet Volumetric Flow (CFM) Discharge Pressure (PSIA) Pressure Ratio Head (Ft) Absorbed Power (HP) Intercooling Stages 80,000 800 320 17 25,000 1,300 4.06 74,000 78,500 1 150,000 440 50 17 93,000 1,300 26.0 185,560 110,000 3

The additional compression is added to the existing system in a number of different ways to suit the requirements of each particular facility. Again, no strict rules can be laid down and each compression system has to be evaluated on its own merit. Studies should be performed to match the reservoir standard flows and corresponding well head pressures with an efficient compression system and associated processing facilities.

Page 3

The reconfiguration involves adding two low pressure compressor trains which will boost the inlet pressure from 50 PSIA to 320 PSIA and retain the old compression arrangement unchanged (see Figure 4b). This involves the design and construction of two of the largest centrifugal compressor casings in terms of volume flow capacity ever to be installed on an offshore platform. The new system also needs to be capable of greater production at pressures above 50 PSIA. By careful design and optimisation of the performance curves, the system can also deliver 490 MMSCFD at 61 PSIA and 600 MMSCFD at 90 PSIA. Lower flows can be handled by shutting down an LP train or one or more of the HP trains. The new compression system can be accommodated either in a new module or when possible installed on a separate platform 'bridge linked' to the existing facilities, which will minimise disruption to gas production during installation. When specifying the piping classification of the low pressure booster system, due consideration should be given to startup, when the settle-out pressures can be considerably higher than the normal operating pressure due to well characterisics. 4.2 Case II - Without Additional Power The next example, illustrated in Table 3, analyses a large gas field and compression system with four parallel trains delivering 1100 MMSCFD at 365 PSIA compressor inlet. The total installed power is 115,000 HP. With falling reservoir pressures, compressor reconfiguration is required to handle 450 MMSCFD at 80 PSIA without additional power. In this example additional power is not necessary as the existing compression system has been reconfigured to achieve lower suction pressures. The total number of trains remains the same but the system has been reconfigured from four parallel trains to an arrangement of two series and two parallel trains, as shown in Figure 5. The system will require changing two casings into low pressure trains. Two existing casings can be retained as HP casings. Thus the total changes are limited to piping reconfiguration and replacement of two existing casings with two new low pressure high volumetric flow casings. The new arrangement will operate at pressures down to 65 PSIA, when it will deliver 350 MMSCFD and absorb 75,000 HP.

Table 3
Original System New Configuration 2 x Parallel HP + 2 x Parallel LP Installed Power (HP) MMSCFD Compressor Inlet Pressure (PSIA) Mole Weight Inlet Volumetric Flow (CFM) Discharge Pressure (PSIA) Pressure Ratio Head (Ft) Absorbed Power (HP) Intercooling Stages 115,000 1,100 365 18 32,000 1,650 4.52 78,000 110,000 1 115,000 450 80 18 60,000 1,300 16.25 155,000 90,000 2

Train Arrangement

4 x Parallel

5.0 PRODUCTION ENHANCEMENT Considering the investment that has been put into an existing gas producing field (its replacement cost) there is much to be gained from enhancing production using the existing infrastructure. This can be achieved by: optimising the existing compression system; bringing in new nearby gas fields; transportation of Third Party Gas.

5.1 Optimisation An optimisation study to examine current production levels and what the system can potentially deliver if the bottlenecks were removed is a very cost effective way of enhancing production and has much to commend it. Production from existing fields can be optimised by a careful analysis of the performance of all the main components. Very often the fields are capable of producing much more gas but are bottlenecked by one particular item of equipment - it could be a gas turbine, a cooler, the pipeline or a compressor. Operators are very experienced in spotting the offending item and develop operating practices using the system as it stands - they cannot change it so they live with it!

Page 4

Optimisation studies will yield maximum benefit when due account is taken of practical and operational difficulties. Gas cooler modification and compressor rewheeling can often remove such bottlenecks and enhance production cost effectively. 5.2 The Introduction of New Fields or Third Party Gas Production can also be enhanced by bringing in new gas fields or third party gas. This gas will initially bypass the compression system and will be injected at compressor discharge with the main gas. Later as the pressure declines, this gas can be re-routed through the compression system at lower pressures. A note of caution: when bringing in either new wells or third party gas, the effect of back pressure on the wells and the compression system must be carefully ascertained. The increased back pressure will restrict flow from the existing low pressure wells. 6.0 ACCURATE ANALYSIS OF THE TOTAL SYSTEM In compressor reconfiguration studies, it is necessary to determine the maximum production capacity of the installed system under steady state conditions. This can be determined for a series of compressor suction pressures using computer modelling and dynamic simulation techniques. This relationship between maximum gas production and compressor suction pressure is a very useful parameter in reservoir management and production forecasting. A computer model of the field including wells, suction pipelines, compression process equipment and export pipelines is essential to perform this analysis. It will optimise production and determine the effect of third party gas. Such a computer model has proved invaluable in: determining the performance of an existing compression system; comparing performance of alternative reconfigurations; determining the effect of new wells; determining the net flow from existing wells; determining the fuel consumption of the system; troubleshooting and identification of bottlenecks; production forecasting.
Page 5

In Case Study II it was shown that the reconfigured system will deliver 450 MMSCFD at 80 PSIA and 350 MMSCFD at 65 PSIA. It will deliver a much greater flow at pressures above 80 PSIA, as the following example will illustrate. 6.1 Example This example shows that the reconfigured system for Case Study II will deliver 575 MMSCFD at 96 PSIA inlet pressure. The results are based on the performance of the entire gas field using the Company's Gas Production Management System, and show the flow from individual gas wells and the pressure losses in the piping surface network (see Figure 6). The program optimises interstage pressure for maximum flow and determines the performance of the LP and HP compressor trains, see Figure 5, which also shows cooler pressure losses and fuel consumption. Individual compressor performance characteristics are shown in Figure 7. 7.0 CONCLUSIONS The main conclusions of this paper can be summarised as follows: As gas fields are depleted, the falling well head pressures can bottleneck and restrict production prematurely due to equipment design limitations. Compressors are particularly sensitive to falling suction pressures where these affect the overall pressure ratio and inlet volumetric flow which can exceed the design. Compression systems can be reconfigured either with or without additional power, subject to field performance and future production scenarios. Compressor reconfiguration can restore production, but must be carefully optimised with actual compressor characteristics and operational data. Gas deliverability can be enhanced by routing new wells and third party gas through the system. Computer simulations are necessary to determine the effect of third party gas and its effect on production from low pressure wells.

Such computer models can be used to optimise gas production from a network of gas fields and complex compression systems. REFERENCES 1. M. S. Akhtar - "Selection and Optimisation of Centrifugal Compressors for Oil and Gas Applications", presented to The Institution of Mechanical Engineers Conference Using Computers in the Design and Selection of Fluid Machinery - London, December 1993. 2. A. Lynghjem and B. T. Hauge - "The Operational Experience with Statpipe Sales, Gas Compressors and the Design of Compressor Extension" - CIMAC 20th International Conference - London 1993. CONVERSION UNITS 1 Normal cubic meter of gas/day = 37.245 MMSCFD 1 Bara = 14.5 PSIA 1 M3/Hour = 0.5886 Cfm, approx. 1 meter (head) = 3.28 feet, approx. 1 Kw = 1.34 hp, approx.

Page 6

Figure 1 Simplified Well & Compressor Characteristics

Page 7

Figure 2 Well Q/P Curve

Page 8

Figure 3 Compressor Performance Characteristics

Page 9

Figure 4 Ways to Reconfigure Compression Systems

(a) Original Compression System

(b) Reconfiguration with Low Pressure Booster

(c) Reconfiguration with High Pressure Booster

Page 10

Figure 5 formance Flow Diagram Pe formance Flow Diagram r

Figure 6

Page 11

Figure 7

Page 12