Integrating Flow Assurance Into Risk Management of Deep Offshore Field Developments

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractWhile designing Deep Offshore fields developments, several decisions have to be made : defining the system architecture, selecting technologies, defining operating and maintenance policies, etc. The objective is to ensure production by mitigating risks while lowering costs and maximising profits.However, risks are numerous (e.g. equipment failures or Flow Assurance issues) and strongly interact with each other thus making the behaviour of the production process quite complex. Hence, in order to make correct decisions, engineers need a tool able to :− integrate various risks, especially those arising from Flow Assurance issues, − simulate accurately the complex behaviour of the subsea production system all along the field lifecycle, − estimate the performances of the candidate designs in order to choose the best one. This paper describes a risk management methodology based on the general framework provided by Dependability. After a hazard identification step, a model is built based on hybrid interpreted stochastic Petri nets which allow to model complex interactive systems and mix both discrete (e.g. equipment failures) and continuous (e.g. progressive degradations such as corrosion or deposits) aspects of the production process. The model provides fast computations of the availability and production availability of the system thus giving criteria for risk management.The methodology was applied to a simplified representative subsea production system and allowed to quantify the influence of major risks in terms of economic consequences and optimize a maintenance policy.

Risk Analysis of Oil and Gas Leakage of Subsea Production System Based on Fuzzy Fault Tree

“…In International Student Offshore Design Competition (2005), students from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have talked about subsea production system for gas field offshore Brazil without analyzing leakage [1], though J.P. Dejean, D. Averbuch integrated flow assurance into risk management of deep offshore field development, realizing the quantification of major risks in terms of economic consequences and optimizing a maintenance policy. But they have not provided quantitative analysis of oil and gas leakage [2]. Accordingly, it is of high value and necessity to conduct risk analysis of oil and gas leakage of subsea production system.…”