New Separation Technology for Heavy Oil Applications

Marit Storvik, FMC Technologies

Rune Fantoft, FMC CDS Separation Technologies

Content

Separation technology market trends and need for new technology

Separation methods the solutions

Subsea Separation Heavy oil, the next step

Summary

An Innovative Approach to Separation

Today

Tomorrow

Subsea SeparationInline / Ultra-compact

separation solutions

New advanced

separation methods

Primary SeparationProcess Design/CFD

Inlet Cyclones

Vane Inlet Device

Plate packs

Distribution baffles

Inline G/L Separation

Inline De-Sander

Inline Bulk Liquid/Liquid

Water TreatmentHydrocyclones

Water de-sanding

Oil TreatmentPlate packs and other mechanical internals

Gas ScrubbersAxial Cyclones

Vane Packs,

Mesh Pad

Gas Treatment

High-Level

Conventional

Primary SeparationProcess Design/CFD

Inlet Cyclones

Vane Inlet Device

Plate packs

Distribution baffles

Inline G/L Separation

Inline De-Sander

Inline Bulk Liquid/Liquid

Water TreatmentHydrocyclones

Water de-sanding

Oil TreatmentPlate packs and other mechanical internals

Gas ScrubbersAxial Cyclones

Vane Packs,

Mesh Pad

Gas Treatment

High-Level

Conventional

Technology Trends in Separation Market

SOLUTION

Separation Technologies

High efficient water treatment technology. Removal of dissolved hydrocarbons from produced

water

Compact technology for gas dehydration / H2S/CO2removal.

Inline primary separation Solids handling technologies. Advanced vessel internals for primary separation. Advanced electrostatic coalescer technology (or

equivalent).

SUBSEA

Green Field Developments

Deepwater gas-liquid separation for boosting Gas-liquid separation for routing to different

infrastructure

Heavy oil separation and boosting Water separation to export quality Future: dehydration, cold flow, CO2/H2S

removal

Retrofit applications

Water separation for re-injection (including heavy oil and sand handling)

Gas scrubbing for gas compression. Future: Water separation for discharge to sea

TOPSIDES

New constructions

Compactness to reduce platform size and weight

Capabilities to handle more challenging fluids (e.g. heavy oils, CO2/H2S)

Strict requirements for discharge to environment (produced water treatment)

Retrofit applications

Capacity increase of installed hardware Decrease system inlet pressure Need to handle increasing water loads Handle increasing sand concentrations

Focus areas development of new separation technology for heavy oil applications

High G-force separation

Electrostatic coalescence

Gravity separation in pipe segments

Sand handling at difficult conditions

Water treatment at difficult conditions

High G-force SeparationCDS StatoilHydro Inline Separation Technology

De-liquidizer

Phase Splitter

De-gasser

De-sander

Bulk de-oiler

Bulk de-waterer

7Developments - Inline Technology Portfolio

Product Status Development plans

De-gasser Qualified and Field Proven Technology

3 commercial applications

Qualification for heavy oil applications foreseen. No specific plan

Qualification for applications / end-clients planned

De-liquidizer / Phase Splitter

Qualified and Field Proven Technology

19 commercial applications

Qualification for applications / end-clients planned.

De-sander Qualified technology

Experience from StatoilHydro pilot installation expected short term.

3 commercial installations to be set in operation during 2009.

Qualification for applications / end-clients planned

Product improvement and qualifications planned in R&D program 2009

Qualification for heavy oil applications foreseen.

Bulk de-oiler Ongoing development Prototype exists. 2 unit extensively tested. 5 unit testing and design improvements ongoing.

Offshore test system being manufactured for Petrobras.

Target commercial break-through 2009

Qualification of 6 unit with StatoilHydro ongoing

Qualification of complete product portfolio planned in R&D program 2009

Inline Electrostatic Coelescer

Conceptual design developed. Prototype conceptual design established by end 2008

Qualification and commercialization of unit target End-2009 and included in 2009 R&D program

De-waterer First generation conceptual design established. Design solution to be defined during 2009

R&D activity to prove conceptual design planned 2009

De-gassing of Heavy Oil

Inline de-gassing field proven building block for gas-liquid separation.

Heavy oil applications applicable, separating small bubbles from liqud flows.

StatoilHydro CDS Bulk De-oiler

Performing oil-water separation in compact cyclones compared to large gravity separators.

Especially of interest for difficult separation applications where high retention time in gravity separator requires large vessels.

Concept qualified with field installation being delivered to prove concept.

Link to bulk de-oiler skid

Electrostatic Coalescence

Heavy oil applications with lower water cut needs enhanced forces for oil-water separation.

Further development of compact electrostatic coalescers ongoing to enable efficient heavy oil separation processes.

Subsea Separation

Gas-liquid separation and liquid pumping (ongoing)

Pump liquid to enable production from heavy oil reservoir.

Efficient separation to allow for single phase pumping.

First application: Pazflor Subsea Separation System.

Heavy oil water separation and re-injection (near-future)

Maturing fields experience substantial problems with water handling.

Subsea separation considered as efficient tool to eliminate.

Existing applications, light oil: Tordis SSBI.

Near future heavy oil applications expected.

Subsea sand handling expected to become a key challenge to heavy oil subsea separation projects.

Heavy oil one of the most focused current challenges within subsea separation applications.

Importance of Separation Efficiency

Sand Handling

Sand transport capacity

in production line and riserSand production rates

- cumulative

- accidental

Mechanism that

determines sand

production

Reservoir injectivity

- required pressure

- maximum sand rate

- frecturing philosophy- sand particle characteristics

Design specificationDesign specificationSubsea equipment

design

Quantitave sand production model; - Sensitivites wrt. rate, water cut, type of sand, age of screens etc..

Mechanisms when

particles/sand is injected

GAS

LIQUID

MULI-STAGE

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP

MUD-LINE

Production

14

Subsea Separation

Customer Field Region Trees Project DriversProject Award

Statoil Tordis North Sea - Increasing Water Production 2005

Shell Perdido GoM 17 Low Reservoir Pressures / Heavy Oil 2006

Shell BC-10 Brazil 10 Low Reservoir Pressures / Heavy Oil 2007

Petrobras Cascade GoM 4 Low Reservoir Pressures / Heavy Oil 2007

Total Pazflor W. Africa 49 Hydrate Formation Risk 2008

Subsea Processing Projects

Caisson separators

3 G/L separation station as part of Green Field development

Pazflor

The Pazflor Subsea Separation Project

First Seabed Gas-Liquid Gravity Separation system Enabling Technology for oil

production Enabling Technology for hydrate

strategy using simplified field architecture

Challenges: Heavy oil - shut down Emulsions Slugs Sand Pump requirement

Special made separator internals design to meet special conditions

Passive sand handling solution sand transported to topside

TOTAL, Angola (W. Africa) Delivery 2011 Size: 21 x 21 x 19 meters

Video

Subsea Water Separation

Typical drivers: Decreasing pressure Increased water cut Heavy oil applications Water injection pressure support

Typical challenges: Heavy oil separation efficiency Water quality Sand handling Water depth Monitoring

PipeSeparator

Inline System

Summary

Heavy oil is one of the most focused current challenges within subsea separation applications

New developments for separation technology needed for both topside and subsea applications

Focus areas for new deveopments are High G-force separation

Electrostatic Coalescence

Gravity separation in pipe segments

Sand handling at difficult conditions

Water treatment at difficult conditions

Heavy oil subsea separation projects already being installed in Brazil and GOM no extreme requirements

Pazflor the next step for subsea gas-liquid separation of heavy oil

Future challenges: heavy oil water separation and water reinjection

THANK YOU!