Economics in and Practical Use of Multiphase Booster Pumps
Authors: Elde Jan 
Published: October 2008

With the development, qualification and field installation of multiphase pump systems, a new tool has been made available to the oil and gas industry for enhanced production from existing installations or new field developments. This paper presents an overview of the realisation of and economical benefits gained in various field installations carried out the last years and to be completed in the near future, using equipment qualified and manufactured by Framo Engineering AS. The experience and potentials from the comprehensive Field Installation Programmes, as described below, show that implementation of multiphase booster pumps gives a good economical potential in the field developments. This is mainly due to an increase in basic production rates and the potential in increased recoverable reserves. It has also shown that multiphase pumps can operate in various and often harsh well environments providing significant well stream pressure boost.

Introduction

Multiphase booster pumps are today commercially available, and an increasing part of the oil and gas industry has accepted the technology to be mature enough for installation in their oil and gas fields. This is a result of several development programmes and extensive testing of the equipment carried out the last 10 years by Framo Engineering AS, which have lead to installation of multiphase booster pumps in actual field applications. This paper is meant to provide an overview and status of the major achievements and potential economical benefits gained from actual field installations performed and to be completed in the near future. The potentials and economical benefits related to use of multiphase booster pumps, for both enhanced production and direct well stimulation, have been demonstrated in several commercial projects. Among these are topside applications for Statoil's Gullfaks Field and subsea applications for the Shell Draugen Field, Statoil's Lufeng Field, BP's ETAP Field Development and Mobil's Topacio Field Development. n this paper we have presented a review of the State-of-the-art related to the practical use of multiphase booster pumps, and the installation scenarios for the above referenced field developments, with emphasis on the potential economical advantages of enhanced and boosted production.

Multiphase Pumping

Framo Engineering AS has contributed considerably in developing and supplying new subsea equipment and solutions, that match very well with existing and new field developments and the requirements of deepwater challenges. The new developments are based on experiences from Framo pumping systems and close cooperation and contribution from major oil companies, where Norsk Hydro, Shell, Mobil and Statoil have been some of the main contributors. A good track record in pioneering and developing complementary subsea technological building blocks has been an important basis for Framo's product strategies. Utilization of multiphase booster pumps may under the right circumstances provide considerable commercial benefit to the operators:Increase the reach of satellite fields to thereby utilise existing infrastructureIncrease the basic production rate for satellite developments or potentially increase the total recoverable reservesImprove production profiles maximum plateau and production from deepwater developmentsBalance the wellhead performance from commingled multiwell or multitemplate completionsReduce the sensitivity to increase in water cut i.e. maintain production rates at increased water cuts