Petroleum Exportation Through Pipelines: Important Considerations

Abstract

The flow of petroleum through pipelines in deep waters is an alternative that has been adopted in several development projects at the production stage. Some aspects should be considered during the design phase of an exportation system, including the type of oil involved and its characteristics. Very viscous oils predominantly flow in laminar regime and heat transfers cause thermal-hydraulic phenomena responsible for problems, especially during the restart pumping stage. Less viscous oils may also provide flow assurance problems mainly related to gelation due to wax precipitation. This work presents the aspects that should be taken into consideration in the design and installation of an offshore pipeline system, considering the main characteristics of the oil to be exported. Therefore, it identifies alternative forms of flow mitigation able to reduce operational risks, presenting examples of real systems.