TY - THES

T1 - Evaluation of a Multiphase Pump as an Addition to Conventional Pumping Systems Used for Artificial Lift Optimization

AU - Cechovsky, Markus

N1 - embargoed until 02-12-2018

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Multiphase pumps offer a great many of advantages to companies in the oil and gas industry, such as increasing field recovery, improving production rates, lowering fatigue of equipment and reducing facilities themselves. Considering these benefits, it is very likely that the installation of a multiphase pump could be beneficial for a company. The crude production from the Bockstedt oil field is routed via an 8 km 6" pipeline to a central processing plant in Barnstorf. Abandonment and structural measures have led to a reduction of pipeline capacity over the years. Considering the increased oil price, wells with higher water cuts have been put online. This in general has led to increased fluid volumes without an increase in pipeline capacity. Consequently, the operating pressure in the PN40 pipeline system increased. Wellhead pressures of about 30 bar were necessary to transport the wet oil from the oil field to the production plant. Prior to the implementation of the multiphase pump, the required pressure was created by the sucker rod pumps, electric submersible pumps and progressive cavity pumps installed in the wells. Since last year, as part of the “Enhanced Oil Recovery" project, further wells were put into operation, an increase in wellhead pressure - due to an additional wet oil volume of approximately 200 m3/d - was expected. To avoid this increase in wellhead pressure, and the exceeding of the pipeline’s design pressure of 40 bar, a centralized multiphase pump was implemented in the Bockstedt oil field in March, 2012. With the installation of the multiphase pump, it was possible to reduce the wellhead pressure by up to 13 bar. This thesis explores the application of the multiphase pump installed in Bockstedt as an addition to the conventional pumping systems and has the goal to evaluate the resulting change in production rates and energy consumption. Furthermore, the cash-flow is calculated and the maximum allowable water cut, at which the multiphase pump is paying-off over a fixed period with the additional production it acquires, is determined. Additionally, the Bockstedt oil field is introduced and an overview of the different multiphase pump types used in the oil and gas industry and their working principles is given.

AB - Multiphase pumps offer a great many of advantages to companies in the oil and gas industry, such as increasing field recovery, improving production rates, lowering fatigue of equipment and reducing facilities themselves. Considering these benefits, it is very likely that the installation of a multiphase pump could be beneficial for a company. The crude production from the Bockstedt oil field is routed via an 8 km 6" pipeline to a central processing plant in Barnstorf. Abandonment and structural measures have led to a reduction of pipeline capacity over the years. Considering the increased oil price, wells with higher water cuts have been put online. This in general has led to increased fluid volumes without an increase in pipeline capacity. Consequently, the operating pressure in the PN40 pipeline system increased. Wellhead pressures of about 30 bar were necessary to transport the wet oil from the oil field to the production plant. Prior to the implementation of the multiphase pump, the required pressure was created by the sucker rod pumps, electric submersible pumps and progressive cavity pumps installed in the wells. Since last year, as part of the “Enhanced Oil Recovery" project, further wells were put into operation, an increase in wellhead pressure - due to an additional wet oil volume of approximately 200 m3/d - was expected. To avoid this increase in wellhead pressure, and the exceeding of the pipeline’s design pressure of 40 bar, a centralized multiphase pump was implemented in the Bockstedt oil field in March, 2012. With the installation of the multiphase pump, it was possible to reduce the wellhead pressure by up to 13 bar. This thesis explores the application of the multiphase pump installed in Bockstedt as an addition to the conventional pumping systems and has the goal to evaluate the resulting change in production rates and energy consumption. Furthermore, the cash-flow is calculated and the maximum allowable water cut, at which the multiphase pump is paying-off over a fixed period with the additional production it acquires, is determined. Additionally, the Bockstedt oil field is introduced and an overview of the different multiphase pump types used in the oil and gas industry and their working principles is given.

KW - multiphase pump

KW - multiphase

KW - pump

KW - MPP

KW - production optimization

KW - wellhead pressure

KW - Bockstedt

KW - artificial lift

KW - Multiphasen Pumpe

KW - Muliphasen

KW - Pumpe

KW - Druckabsenkung

KW - Produktionsoptimierung

KW - MPP

KW - Bocksetdt

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -