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Grane Long Wells

- from Reservoir to Flare tip
Dynamic simulation of inadvertent valve opening in inlet arrangement to Grane
Presentation: Henriette Raddum, Aker Solutions
Stavanger 27.10.2011

2010 Aker Solutions

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Background
M structure located about 6 km from Grane
Various concepts studied for tie-in of M to Grane
Subsea template and pipeline
Long well drilled from Grane

M well equipped with gas lift

Design for inadvertent opening of valve in M well inlet arrangement with fully
open choke and high upstream pressure
Static calculations
Flaring rate above installed PSV / flare capacity
Back pressures above equipment test pressures
Extensive flare modifications required to achieve acceptable back
pressures
Conclusion: HIPPS (High Integrity Pressure Protection) required

Decided to perform dynamic simulations

Includes effect of well and topside system volumes
Dynamic effects are accounted for
More realistic relief load

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Process overview
M 2013 (Max oil) production:
Oil:
Gas:
Water:

4 795

Grane 2013 background production:

Sm3/sd

Oil:

218 170 Sm3/sd

0

Set point
220 barg

Gas:

Sm3/sd

Water:

Gas lift

14 238 Sm3/sd
6 050 000 Sm3/sd
10 252

Gas lift
choke

Sm3/sd

220

Grane HP liquid

10

Grane LP wells

Gas lift: 200 000 Sm3/sd

LP
manifold

16

HV

Topside
choke

G-37
X-mas tree
M
Wing
valve

12
6x
PSVs
Set point
12 barg

Max Cv =380

14

14

KO drum

1.0

1st stage

HZV

10

11.0
6.5

14.8

13.2
220

12

19.4

Master
valve
177

145
EV

Gas lift to M

219

Topside
Sub sea

Reservoir pressure (barg)

DHSV

Normal operating pressure (barg)

Maximum shut-in operating pressure (barg)
Design pressure (barg)
Maximum Allowable Accumulated Pressure (barg)
Test pressure (barg)

246

164
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M Wells
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OLGA model schematic

FLARE TIP

HP gas
Grane
HP
liquid

Grane LP
production

HP LP

Choke
Max Cv = 380

Lift gas

6 x PSV
SP=12 barg

HZV-20-0944

GAS
1st stage separator

Wing valve HV-13-5041

EV-13-0780

OIL

LP
manifold

GLV
Y1

KO drum

LIQ

WAT

Long well
Valve which is
inadvertently
opened

Y2

M-structure

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The Well

Sloping well path from topside

to reservoir at around 1800 m
depth.
Two horizontal well strings (Y1
and Y2), each about 2000 m
long, drain the reservoir.
Gas lift valve (GLV) is located
downstream the merging point
of the two horizontal well
strings, about 4000 m from
Grane.
Reservoir pressure 165.3 bara
and temperature 78C.
Well simulated in detail with all
casing layers and a 10 m thick
layer of formation
Well simulated with 5
perforation zones in each
horizontal well string

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Topside geometry
Grane long well M inlet and flare elevation profile
Yellow: According to ISOs - Blue: As simulated with OLGA
130
120
110
100

Elevation [m]
(El. 0 refers to sea level)

90
80
70
Grane liquid from
HP degasser

1st stage separator

60

PSVs

50

G37 X-mas
tree

40

Flare KO drum

Choke

HV

30
HP/LP spec break

20
Grane LP production

18" LP manifold

10
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

260

280

300

320

340

Horizontal length [m]

(0 refers to wellhead)
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360

380

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Modeling in OLGA
Advanced Well Module used to include heat transfer between

production tubing and annulus with lift gas

Well productivity index adjusted to meet premised production

Well injectivity set to 1/3 of productivity
Pressure drop in topside bends and fittings included by using the

LOSS keyword in OLGA. HYSYS used for tuning of pressure drop.

Flare system: Only stream path downstream PSVs and to flare tip is

modelled. Rest volume of headers/tailpipes added as dummy pipe.

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OLGA network

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Simulated scenario inadvertent valve opening

The scenario consist of:

Normal production (year 2013) for 4 hours

Well shut in for 6 hours with continued lift gas supply at 220 bara
Blow-down of well by opening of valve at LP manifold with fully
open choke
Various constellations of downstream valve positions, control
system state, etc. considered for the blow-down phase. The
worst case (Case 3) presented here.
CASE 3:

Start-up of M well as additional source to normal Grane

production
No response from the PSD system
Compressor train trips, causing blocked separator gas outlet
Gas from HP degasser flared simultaneously due to trip of
compressor train

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Blow-down Analysis
Results of main interest:

Pressure at HP/LP spec break upstream 1st stage separator

1st separator pressure
PSV back pressure
KO drum pressure
Pressure upstream flare tip
Flare rate

Acceptance criteria (according to Statoil Technical Requirements):

Pressure within Maximum Allowable Accumulated Pressure

(MAAP) according to design code for piping and equipment.
MAAP = design pressure + 10%.
If peak pressure is above MAAP, but below maximum pressure
allowed by the design code for a low probability incident,
software locks shall be implemented in a protected system with
documented integrity (PSD or corresponding).

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Results pressurising of well

P @ wellhead = 146 bara

Liquid content in sloping part of well

Liquid content in horizontal parts of well

Liquid content 0

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Results inadvertent valve opening (1)

Total mass flow @ wellhead

Liquid mass flow @ wellhead

P @ wellhead

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Results inadvertent valve opening (2)

Separator pressure

PSV opening fraction

Separator level

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Results inadvertent valve opening (3)

Gas mass flow to flare tip

Design flare
rate 92 kg/s

KO drum level

KO drum pressure

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Results inadvertent valve opening (4)

P @ HP/LP spec. br.

MAAP=14.2 bara
P in separator
P downstr. PSV
P in KO drum

P upstr. Flare tip

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Results summary

CASES

CASE 3,
static
CASE 3,
dynamic
Design pressure
/ flare rate
MAAP
(Design + 10%)
ASME B31.3
allowance
(Design + 33%)

27-Oct-2011

Max
pressure at
HP/LP spec
break
barg

Max. 1st
stage Sep.
pressure
barg

barg
~28

barg
~16

14.6

13.2

10.0

8.0

5.4

105

12

12

14

10

92

13.2

13.2

15.4

11.0

6.6

16.0

18.6

Slide 16

Max PSV
back
pressure

Max. KO
drum
pressure

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Max.
pressure
upstream
flare tip
barg

Max. flare
rate

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kg/s
~290

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Main conclusions
Lower flare rate and back pressures with dynamic simulation than

static calculations.

Overpressure at HP/LP spec. break in the separator inlet piping is >

MAAP, but within the limits given in ASME B31.3 for occasional
variations above design pressure.

Software interlock system between block valves and choke in M well

inlet arrangement required to prevent opening of valves with open

choke.

HIPPS not required. Sufficient PSVs capacity and acceptable back

pressures without flare modifications.

Further evaluations regarding radiation required to decide whether

the excess flare rate is acceptable.

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Copyright
Copyright of all published material including photographs, drawings and images in this document
remains vested in Aker Solutions and third party contributors as appropriate. Accordingly, neither the
whole nor any part of this document shall be reproduced in any form nor used in any manner without
express prior permission and applicable acknowledgements. No trademark, copyright or other notice
shall be altered or removed from any reproduction.

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