The Digitalization of Flow Assurance
Authors: Irwin Richard , Walters Anne-Marie 
Published: November 2019

Gaining access to real-time production and injection data is critical for any upstream oil and gas production operation, as it greatly improves and optimizes production efficiency, while reducing costs. This paper highlights how a well-known oil and gas producer with over 800+ onshore and offshore wells used a digital flow assurance solution to improve real time injection and production knowledge by leveraging digital technologies, expertise, and an open, connected data environment (CDE) to deliver business outcomes and a competitive advantage.

The solution interfaces with other software systems to avoid unnecessary replication of data retrieval. Additionally, direct hardware interfacing to multiple systems for data retrieval and systems control were previously located in separate silos. The oil and gas producer used the flow assurance solution as a central source for managing and monitoring data from all such interfaces across a CDE. The web-enabled, real-time system is used for performance monitoring of well stimulation, treatment design, scale inhibitor squeeze performance, scale monitoring and prediction, water chemistry, monitoring chemical and corrosion, and more.

The organization's goal of using the solution was to ensure that production flowrate targets are achieved and that flow was continuous. The solution provided the user with the tools and information it needed within one central source. For example, the input data was converted into actionable information by a calculation/logic engine, enabling them to identify potential problems more efficiently and provide a faster resolution without affecting production. Summary dashboards provided real-time stimulation information as well as overall performance, which can be viewed from a regional perspective or right down at the well asset level. Scorpion charts allowed users to ascertain which stimulation jobs were the best performers and most cost efficient. Stimulation was performed on a well using varying mixtures of acid solutions to increase or restore production by improving the flow of hydrocarbons.

When a well initially exhibits low permeability, stimulation is used to start production from the reservoir. On operational wells, stimulation is used to further encourage permeability and flow from a well that has slowed down or become under productive. The reporting package within the solution is able to show which jobs are performing badly, and incurring more costs, and identify patterns or relationships that might affect similar assets, job types, geology, and regions within the project more easily for action to be taken.

The solution adopted by the user highlights the importance of flow assurance anywhere in the entire cycle as any breakdown in the process would lead to costly monetary losses to the organization due to the unscheduled downtime and loss of production that could incur. Their digital solution takes the unpredictability out of flow assurance and presents it as an effective and cost-efficient process across the company, with the focus on analysis and proactivity as opposed to data mining and reacting.