Severe Slugging Control: Simulation of Real Case Study

Abstract

The current study shows slugging as one of the flow assurance issues and their effects on the hydrocarbon production rate and surface facilities. Slugging is a complex type of flow regime and unsteady in nature. A case of slugging at one of West Africa′s offshore production pipeline has been used to run the slugging simulation using OLGA software; and comparing the simulation results of this study with the simulation results of Burke and Kashou and the real case study.

Two modes of running OLGA have been studied; the steady state mode and the sensitivity mode, by simulate different control structures e.g., choke valve opening, and different parameters such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate in OLGA version 7 tools, and by reducing the pipeline diameter, and changing pipeline roughness; and study these effects on a particular output (e.g. flow rate, slugging volume, etc.).

The results of the simulation shows an increase in liquid hold up production about 55.74% in the outlet of the riser compare with the liquid hold up production of the case study.


Author(s): Muhammad Ali Theyab*

Abstract | Full-Text | PDF

Share This Article