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It is difficult to control and to manage wells’ start-up in offshore platforms. In order to solve this problem an intelligent system can play an important role, since available qualitative operator and design knowledge can be easily implemented to assist the operator during wells’ start-up. This paper describes the integration of an expert system associated with anti-slug control for well start-up. The intelligent system has many heuristic rules to implement the automation of the start-up procedures, like the opening choke valve while simultaneously respecting many constraints. Severe slugging flow regimes are one of the major disturbances for the operation of offshore production platforms, and can cause many unplanned shutdowns. Therefore, it’s important to combine start-up intelligent system with an anti-slug advanced control module for each well. The benefits are associated to reducing possibility of unplanned shutdowns during well start-up operational procedures, decreasing operators’ stress and also helping to minimizing impacts to the environment. A prototype was implemented in one platform with good results for a safe and efficient wells start-up procedure. This paper will present the development and results of this intelligent system for wells’ start-up and anti-slug control for offshore platforms.

The search for improvements in the production efficiency is one of the main challenges for the production engineers responsible for an asset, mainly at moments of low prices and very strict regulations for safety, environment and quality of products. Another point is that offshore plants are becoming more complex, so advanced control systems can support the operators and play an important role to improve stability and profitability. This paper will present an advanced control algorithm for gas-lift optimization of offshore wells that aims to increase oil production. It will also show and discuss some results of the implementations of this real time advanced control system in two offshore platforms, emphasizing the economic gains and critical points to maintain this controller running with a good performance.