Together with Cognite and AkerBP, our consultants built a multiphase flow meter to minimise production losses for Aker BP.
When multiple oil companies operate in the same field, their production pipelines are often routed to the same separator, which separates the mixed fluid into oil, gas and water streams. At this stage, ownership information is lost and to accurately identify it, measurements are done by dedicated multiphase flow meters for each field.
The primary challenge in this case stemmed from the Alvheim infrastructure, which limited the calibration of multiphase flow meters (MPFMs) to a single line rerouted to the Alvheim separator, causing it to exceed capacity. This necessitated production throttling or well shutdowns, resulting in significant production losses and operational inefficiencies.
Approach
To tackle the calibration challenges, Aker BP, in collaboration with Cognite and Expert Analytics, developed an innovative algorithm-based calibration method that significantly reduced the need for rerouting third-party flowlines. This approach aimed to streamline the calibration process by requiring only a single line to be rerouted, thereby alleviating the operational strain on the Alvheim separator.
Furthermore, the new method offered the potential to eliminate rerouting altogether by leveraging planned production changes for calibration. This not only minimized production losses but also enhanced the efficiency of the calibration process, allowing Aker BP to maintain smoother operations and reduce the associated costs significantly.
Impact
The implementation of the algorithm-based calibration method had a profound impact on Aker BP by reducing deferrals by over 95%, which translated to an estimated annual savings of $3.5 Million. Additionally, the new approach minimized the strain on the Alvheim separator, allowing for more efficient operations and enabling smoother production processes, while also being scalable for future developments and tie-ins.
https://www.cognite.com/en/customer-stories/dataops-oil-gas-multiphase-flow-meter-calibration