PIPELINE CAPACITY INCREASING

BY MULTIPHASE PUMP

V. PANNEER SELVAM
CAIRN INDIA LIMITED

CONTENTS
¾ Introduction

¾ Summary

¾ Project Background

¾ Technical Challenges

¾ Feasibility Study

¾ Ravva Application

¾ Operational Challenges

¾ Conclusion
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2ND INTERNATIONAL EMBT CONFERENCE // PIPELINE CAPACITY INCREASING BY MULTIPHASE PUMP

OVERVIEW OF CAIRN INDIA ASSETS

Rajasthan – Exploration (RJ-ON-
90/1)
Cairn (Operator)
Rajasthan – Development
Cairn (Operator)
ONGC
¾ 14 blocks, 2 producing:
Ravva and CB/OS-2
¾ Operated gross field
100% production 75,835
boepd (working
interest 19,482
70% boepd)
¾ 11 offshore
30% platforms and 2
processing plants

RJ-ON-90/1 ¾ Rajasthan block under

development
¾ Exploration ongoing in
all blocks except
CB/OS-2 CB/OS-2
¾ 5 operated

RAVVA
Cambay (CB/OS-2) Ravva

Cairn (Operator) 40% Cairn (Operator) 22.5%

ONGC 50% ONGC 40%

Tata 10% Videocon 25%

Ravva Oil 12.5%
Note : * 9mths 07 figures

INTRODUCTION- RAVVA ASSET

¾ Lies in KG Basin of Eastern
coast of India
¾ Water depth of 5m to ~40m
¾ Total area of the block is
331.26 km2
¾ 225 acre onshore processing
facility
¾ PSC signed in Oct’94
¾ 8 unmanned platforms with
RAVVA
minimal facilities
¾ Onshore terminal located at
beach
¾ Three main pipelines to
transport production fluid
(multiphase) to terminal

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 SUMMARY

¾ Pipeline capacity constraints resulting high back pressure

to wells
¾ Multiphase pumping technology found suitable
¾ Unique application- Pumps located at onshore terminal
(close to the separators)
¾ Incremental production benefits achieved (back pressure
to wells reduced)
¾ Future applications being explored

PROJECT BACKGROUND

¾ Additional back pressure to

the wells due to pipeline
capacity limitation

¾ Reduction of pipeline
pressure to reduce back
pressure to wells

¾ Various options examined

¾ Multiphase pump
¾ Drag Reducing Agent
¾ New pipeline

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2ND INTERNATIONAL EMBT CONFERENCE // PIPELINE CAPACITY INCREASING BY MULTIPHASE PUMP

TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
¾ Selection of Multiphase Pumps
¾ Dynamic operating parameters
¾ Transient flow conditions at pump inlet
¾ Seal design
¾ Understanding slugs
¾ Transient analysis is complex, time consuming and costlier
¾ Solids (sand) and emulsion buildup
¾ Locating the pump, selection of type, selection of drive with the
consideration of CAPEX and OPEX
¾ Operational flexibility to use in other trunk lines

FEASIBILITY STUDY
¾ A feasibility study was carried out to establish the suitability
of MPP
¾ Locating MPP at unmanned platform or onshore Terminal
¾ Feasibility to use MPP by reducing terminal pressure and thereby
reducing back pressure to the wells
¾ Transient analysis to understand pressure benefits at platform and
slug patterns at the pump inlet
¾ Cases with various scenario's of wells and water cut studied

¾ Existing electrical system and new power requirements

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FLOW ASSURANCE STUDY
¾ For steady state, PIPESIM was used validated with field data
¾ Pressure and flow rates analyzed for arriving expected
benefits
¾ Cases with various suction pressure of the pumps and fixed
discharge pressure (separators back pressure) studied
¾ Transient analysis performed using OLGA-HYSYS dynamic
simulation
¾ Speed, suction pressure controller and alarm settings for the
pumps derived from this study
¾ Concluded that MPP to operate at 100% GVF continuously for
30minutes
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RAVVA APPLICATION
¾ Pump Location at onshore terminal
¾ Type selected as twin screw pumps (2 X 50%)
¾ Spare power availability checked and 6.6KV Variable
Frequency Driven Motor chosen as drive (2 X1.3 MW)
¾ Capacity finalized with the consideration of future wells
and water cut
¾ Total liquid handling capacity 36,000blpd
¾ Oil up to 30,000bopd, water up to 10,000bwpd and gas up to
412,000scmd

¾ To handle GVF up to 95% for continuous run, up to 100%

for max of 30 minutes
¾ Double acting mechanical seal – API plan 54 modified
¾ Operating speed 600 to 1500rpm

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2ND INTERNATIONAL EMBT CONFERENCE // PIPELINE CAPACITY INCREASING BY MULTIPHASE PUMP

RAVVA APPLICATION - SCHEMATIC

OFFSHORE ONSHORE
RA Platform 10" RA-RT (10.4 km)

RC Platform

LINE 1

TO SEPARATORS
LINE 2 12" RE-RT (8.5 km) Terminal
FWKOD
FWKOD
RE Platform

FLOW
8" RF-RB (6 12" RB-RT (11.4 km) SPLITTER
8" RD-RE (6 km) km)

RF Platform

RD Platform
RB Platform

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RAVVA APPLICATION- PUMP SCHEMATIC

FROM P/F

TO
SEPERATORS

FLOW
SPLITTER

PUMP SKID
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 OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES

¾ Wells deliverability, fluid rates, reservoir pressure different from

the design conditions
¾ Fluid withdrawal limitation due to sanding of wells
¾ Benefits lesser than design while using in Line - 1
¾ Tried in Line-2, benefits are better in terms of pressure
reduction and incremental crude production
¾ Suction pressure control (speed control) issues persist due to
slugs
¾ Preferential flow of high GVF fluid to one pump causing high
casing temperature – symmetrical piping may help

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FIELD DATA
RD-RE-RT LINE (LINE -2) RD-Prod.Pr
RE-Prod.Pr
PRESSURE RESPONSE WITH MPP RE-Term.Pr
480 300
470 275
460
250
450
Pressure Psig (RE & RT)

440 225
Pressure psi (RD)

430 200
420
175
410
400 150
390 125
380
100
370
75
360
350 50
700

700

700

700

900

900

900

900

1100

1100

1100

1100

1300

1300

1300

1300

1450

1450

1450

1450

Pump speed
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2ND INTERNATIONAL EMBT CONFERENCE // PIPELINE CAPACITY INCREASING BY MULTIPHASE PUMP

DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL DATA

10" RA-RT(Line-1) 12" RD-RE-RT(Line-2)
* Without * With $ With $ Without $ With $ With
Pump Pump Pump Pump Pump Pump
(Actual) (Design) (Actual) (Actual) (Study Result) (Actual)
Total Flow
29,250 36,000 32,565 29,527 29,527 33,100
Gross bbls/d

Water Cut % 6 20 36 19.4 19.4 24

Manifold RA/RD 490 513 352 455 413 435

Pressure
Psig RC/RE 505 541 369 310 251 240

Terminal Pressure 180 50 50 180 50 83

Psig

* Data collected During Feasibility Study in April -06, $ data collected in Jan/Feb -08

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CONCLUSION
¾ Incremental production of
around 1,300 bbl oil /d

¾ Full Advantage not

realized due to sanding of
wells

¾ Benefits in future being

explored in other lines

¾ Combination of efforts
like DRA/Pipeline with
MPP enhances benefits
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