ABSTRACT
PETRONAS completed Well H16 in BS field, East Malaysia with a Digital Intelligent Artificial Lift (DIAL) - an improvement to the current applied gas lift system in the field for production optimization system. This DIAL installation represents the first ever successful installation of the technology in an Offshore oil well for Dual String production. This paper provides the details of the installation planning, designing stages, operational process, well unloading and production undertaken to achieve this milestone. DIAL is a unique technology that enhances the efficiency of gas lift production. Downhole monitoring of production parameters informs remote surface-controlled adjustment of gas lift valves. This enables automation of production optimization removing the need for well intervention which will be challenging in high deviation well (more than 60-degree deviation). With remotely operated, non-pressure dependent multi-valve units, the technology removes the challenges normally associated with gas-injected production operation in a dual completion well i.e., gas robbing and multi-pointing. DIAL introduces a paradigm shift in design, installation and operation of gas lifted wells. This paper will briefly highlight the justifications of this digital technology in comparison with conventional gas lift techniques. It will consider value added from the design stage, through installation operations, to production optimization. Digitization and automation have become the new concepts in managing the operations in order to boost efficiency that reflected in long-term cost savings especially in Operating Expenditure (OPEX). This paper focusses on a well completed in November 2020, the fourth well to be installed with the DIAL technology across PETRONAS Assets. The authors will provide details of the well strategy, installation process and production phases: system design, pre-job preparations, improvements implementation, run in hole and surface hook-up. The results of well unloading while utilizing the DIAL system to start up the well and lifting the completion brine will be explained in detail in this paper. For each phase, challenges encountered, and lessons learned will be listed together with observed benefits. Despite the additional operational & planning complications due to COVID-19 restrictions, the well was completed with zero Non-Productive Time (NPT) and Loss Time Injury (LTI). Once brought online, this DIAL-assisted production well can be remotely monitored and controlled ensuring continuous production optimization, part of PETRONAS' upstream digitization strategic vision. © 2022, Society of Petroleum Engineers.
ABSTRACT
PETRONAS completed well H-X on B field in Malaysia with a digital intelligent artificial lift (DIAL) gas lift production optimization system. This DIAL installation represents the first ever successful installation of the technology in an Offshore well for Dual String production. This paper provides complete details of the installation planning and operational process undertaken to achieve this milestone. DIAL is a unique technology that enhances the efficiency of gas lift production. Downhole monitoring of production parameters informs remote surface-controlled adjustment of gas lift valves. This enables automation of production optimization removing the need for well intervention. This paper focusses on a well completed in November 2020, the fourth well to be installed with the DIAL technology across PETRONAS Assets. The authors will provide details of the well and the installation phases: system design, pre-job preparations, improvements implementation, run in hole and surface hookup. For each phase, challenges encountered, and lessons learned will be listed together with observed benefits. DIAL introduces a paradigm shift in design, installation and operation of gas lifted wells. This paper will briefly highlight the justifications of this digital technology in comparison with conventional gas lift techniques. It will consider value added from the design stage, through installation operations, to production optimization. This DIAL system installation confirms the ability to be implement the technology in a challenging dual string completion design to enable deeper injection while avoiding interventions on a well with a greater than 60-degree deviation. With remotely operated, non-pressure dependent multi-valve in-well gas lift units, the technology removes the challenges normally associated with gas-injected production operation in a dual completion well - gas robbing and multi-pointing. Despite the additional operational & planning complications due to COVID-19 restrictions, the well was completed with zero NPT and LTI. Once brought online, this DIAL-assisted production well will be remotely monitored and controlled ensuring continuous production optimization, part of PETRONAS' upstream digitization strategic vision. © Copyright 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers
ABSTRACT
Amid 2020 challenging business environments due to COVID-19 pandemic and strong global push towards transition to cleaner energy, PETRONAS has declared its' aspiration to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. PETRONAS sustainability journey has begun for more than two decades and with strong management support towards renewable and as part of PETRONAS's technology agenda, its' research arm, PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB) has been working on ways to use renewable energy sources for offshore oil and gas platforms in Malaysia. Oil and Gas industry has long relied on turbine generators for offshore power generation. These turbo-fired machineries are operating as microgrid with existing power management system (PMS) as microgrid controllers. They normally use either gas or diesel as fuel gas to ensure reliable power generation where high maintence cost is expected to operate these generators. Also, they have low energy efficiency and hence, usually oversized to ensure meeting the demand reliably. Typically, the power generation load is being taken by two units of turbine generators with another unit as spare. This has resulted in high operational expenditure (OPEX) and contributes to high levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for offshore power generation for such conventional system. LCOE is the yardstick for power generation technology, and it measures discounted lifecycle cost consisting of both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and OPEX, divided by discounted lifecycle of annual energy production [2], [4], [5]. Also, these turbine generators operating at platforms that have gas evacuation pipelines will use up precious fuel gas which can otherwise be sold. This will have impact on the total sales gas revenue. Not withstanding, the burning of the fuel gas will result in the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hence is exposed to carbon tax. To mitigate this issue, PRSB has developed an offshore hybrid power generation concept to leverage and optimize wind turbine system for offshore power generation in weak wind area such as Malaysia. In this concept, one gas turbine generator is replaced by an offshore wind turbine adapted to low wind speed region. This will lower the maintenance cost and carbon exposure. Also, the fuel gas will be diverted to sales gas. This in turn will improve the economics of the renewable solution thereby making offshore renewable power generation feasible for oil and gas platforms. Forward thinking efforts include pushing the limits of harnessing wind energy in weak wind area such as Malaysia. In here, considerations of a total solution include not only the type of wind turbine generator that can be adapted to weak wind area and having the lowest maintenance requirements as possible, but also looking into cutting edge foundation technologies. The LCOE is expected to be lower than conventional power generation. To ensure optimized hybrid concept, careful selection and adaptations of wind turbine system and its' substructure are required to achieve a cost-effective solution [3], [2]. Conceptual engineering and front-end engineering design were conducted which resulted in the development of the hybrid offshore power generation system. In this paper, the hybrid concept will be shown, the considerations for selection of a suitable wind turbine will be shared and the decisions leading the to the selection and optimization of the foundation type, either fixed bottom or floating are elaborated. © 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers