BASICS OF OIL AND GAS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS

Chennai Office

by Varanasi Rama Rao Contact: ram7407@gmail.com

Preface
This Presentation has been compiled to give a quick overview of the upstream facilities of Oil and Gas for Civil engineers joining

the industry without previous exposure to Oil and Gas industry.

The emphasis is on the onshore part of the industry.

This presentation is by no means a comprehensive description of

the Oil and Gas industry but will serve as basic guide to appreciate the facilities and the complexities involved in the design of the facilities.

Contents
1. Introduction 2. Facilities 3. Up stream Process Overview 4. Main Process section 5. Civil Scope 6. Typical Plot Plan

7. Interfaces
8. Important terminology

1. Introduction
Oil has been utilized for many thousand years in areas where oil is found in shallow reservoirs. It was in 1859 colonel Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well in the north-west Pennsylvania for the sole purpose of

producing oil. The well was less than 50m and can be called very shallow as per
the modern standards. However, the well produced a very good amount of oil. At the end of 19th century, oil became the most essential fuel of our society.

Photo: Drake Well Museum Collection, Titusville, PA

2. Facilities ( On shore and Off shore)

The Oil and Gas industry comprise of two streams known as Up stream and Down stream The Up stream facilities are further classified as On shore facilities and Off shore facilities
Up stream Facilities: The on shore/off shore oil facilities basically comprise of the following: Well heads ( Source of Oil and Gas). Gathering Manifold Stations and Central Processing Facilities ( which separate crude oil, gas and water) Down stream Facilities: The Down stream facilities basically comprise of: Refineries

Upstream

Downstream

Figure 1A

UP STREAM

DOWN STREAM

Figure 1B

Typical onshore wellhead Figure 2

Schematic showing how the multiphase fluid consisting of oil, gas and water reaches well head

Figure 3

On shore well

Off shore wells

Figure 4

The oil wells consists of a multiphase mixture of oil, gas and water.

The oil wells can be dug on the shore or off shore on the sea bed.

Hence the basic difference between on shore and off shore is that the
well head is in on the ground for on shore and on the sea bed for off shore.

3.

UP STREAM PROCESS OVERVIEW

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

4. Main process section

The main process section of upstream comprise of the following:

Well heads
Gathering Manifold stations Central Processing Facilities

Well heads: The well head sits on top of the actual oil or gas well leading to the reservoir as shown in the figures 2 & 3. A well head may also be an injection well which injects gas and water to maintain the pressure levels. Gathering manifold stations: A gathering manifold station comprises of set of pipe lines and manifold systems to which the oil or gas or a multiphase fluid consisting of oil, gas and water is diverted from well head. From Gathering manifold station the Oil or Gas or Multiphase fluid is sent to Central production facilities for further processing. The purpose of setting manifold station is to allow set up of production well sets so that for a given production level, the best reservoir utilization well composition ( gas, oil , water) etc. can be selected from the available wells

Gathering manifold- Photo-1

Figure 6

Gathering manifold Photo 2

Figure 7

Gathering Manifold station Block diagram

Metering area

Flow line from wellheads'

Gathering Manifold area

To Central Processing facility

Testing area

Control Building

Figure 8

Central Processing Facility: This is called as heart of the upstream facility. In this facility the crude oil or gas is produced and sent to the down stream facilities like Refinery for extracting all the by-product with in the crude. Down stream by-products: For oil crude some of the by-products are: Gasoline Jet fuel Diesel Petrol Kerosene Lube oil Bitumen Naphtha Polymers, etc For Gas crude some of the by-products are: LNG LPG, etc

Central Processing Facility- Block Diagram

Gas compression Gas storage and metering

From Gathering Manifold stations

Power generation

Gas Pipe line

Pig launcher

Separation trains

Inlet facilities

Oil Pipe line Pig launcher

Crude Oil storage

Crude Oil metering

Produced Water

Figure 9

5. Civil Scope ( Overview)

So far we have seen broadly the configuration of upstream facilities. Now let us briefly discuss about the General scope of civil work in the up stream facilities. Please note that the scope described below contains only the main items which appear almost in all kinds of projects related to up stream industry. However, these are not the only items but there can be some more items which are specific to a particular project. Scope near Well heads ( On shore): Topographic Survey Geotechnical Investigation Grading and Paving Roads ( optional) Fencing of the well head area Pipe supports Mechanical Equipment foundations. Miscellaneous foundation for light poles, instrumentation items etc.

Scope in Gathering Manifold stations: Topographic Survey Geotechnical Investigation Grading and Paving Roads Fencing Manifold foundations Manifold shelters Metering equipment/skid foundations Mechanical Equipment foundations Pipe supports Minor Pipe racks ( optional) Test Separator foundations Control Building ( Optional) Fire water tank foundation ( Optional) Flange Pits ( Optional) Cable trenches Minor UG networks Miscellaneous foundations for lighting poles, instrumentation items etc.

Scope in Central Processing Facilities: Topographic Survey

Geotechnical Investigation Grading and Paving Roads Fencing UG networks Pipe supports Pipe Racks Platforms Technological Structures Horizontal and Vertical Vessel foundations Heater foundations Flare foundations Skid foundations Pump foundations Compressor foundations Turbine and DG foundations ( in case power generation is required) Tank foundations Sub station Buildings Transformer foundations Over head line foundations Pits Cable trenches Control Buildings Non Plant buildings Shelters Sheds, etc.

In the above pages so many structures and foundations

corresponding to up stream equipment are mentioned but how the

equipments look like? Please go through some of the photographs in the following pages which are collected from various sources.

Figure 10- Horizontal Vessel

Pipe support

Pipe rack

Vertical Vessel

Figure-11

Figure 12 Tank founded on ring wall

Manifold shelter, small vertical vessel

Pipe sleepers

Figure 13

Figure 14 Separation train ( partial view)

SHELTER

PITS

Figure 15

SKID Figure 16

TECH STR.

Figure 17

Figure 18- Gas Turbine Generator ( GTG)

Self supporting flare

Guyed flare

Figure 19- Flare

Heater

Cooler supported on a pipe rack Figure 20

Figure 21: Control Building and Telecom tower

Figure 22- Flow lines coming from gathering manifolds

Figure 23- Diesel Generators

Figure 24: Metering Skid

Figure 25: Pipe lines for carrying crude/Gas to Downstream

Figure 26: Slug Catcher

Figure 27: Burn Pit

6. Typical Plot plan

Control room Sub-station building Produced water area

Inlet facilities Gas compression area

Metering and pumping area Separation train area

Pipe racks

Crude oil Storage area

Figure 28

Figure 29- Typical 3D model of a Central Processing Facility

7. Interfaces
Procurement Electrical Instrumentation

Mechanical

Civil

Piping

Frequent interaction

Construction Projects

Process

8. Important Terminology
i. PFD( Process flow diagram): schematically shows all major equipment items and how they are linked together by piping ducts and conveyors. ii. Equipment list: An itemized accounting list by class of all equipments to be used in a project iii. P&ID ( Piping and Instrumentation Diagram): schematically shows all process utility and auxiliary equipment as well as piping, valves &instrumentation. iv. Plot plan: is an arrangement drawing that highlights the equipment and supporting facilities coming in a process plant v. UG ( Underground network): All the arrangement corresponding to drainage facilities in a plant is called Underground network. vi. Pipe rack: A 3D frame supporting the piping vii. Pipe Support: a 2D frame/ or T supporting piping viii. Pipe sleeper: A concrete base supporting a pipe ix. Equipments: Are generally, Horizontal and Vertical Vessels, Pumps, Compressors etc. which require only a foundation to be designed by Civil x. Skids: are steel frames on which equipments or set of equipments are mounted

Frequently used abbreviations:

FGL: Finished Ground Level NGL: Natural Ground Level TOC: Top of concrete TOG: Top of Grout TOS: Top of Steel BBS: Bar Bending Schedule

GA: General Arrangement

EL: Elevation BL: Battery Limit UG:Underground U/S: Under side BBP: Bottom of base plate POS: Point of Support

Thank you
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