Summary
This paper is intended to be part of the continuous development and
adaptation of mechanical-cylindrical induced-gas-flotation (IGF) technology
that meets the demands of today’s offshore production practices as the
best-available technology (BAT). The focus of this paper relates theory to
practice for this new, yet proven, technology, and presents the real-life
example of one of its applications. This paper presents the problem-solving and
selection process adopted by Chevron Corp.’s North America Operations Team at
the Typhoon production facility, located in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The
paper compares alternative solutions, and the economic advantages and
disadvantages of each. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the performance
achieved after installation of the dual cell on the basis of the theoretical
model developed for this equipment.
Introduction
Produced-water production is by far the most challenging problem for the
mature oil fields of our time. The actual production numbers are unknown, but
various literature has reported an estimated 210 million BWPD on a global scale
(Khatib and Verbeek 2003). The American Petroleum Inst. (API 2000) reports that
18 billion bbl of water was produced from onshore operations in 1995, in
addition to large amounts from offshore, in the U.S. alone. A study by Veil et
al. (2004) for the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) estimates that from 1985 to 2002,
there has been a steady increase in water production in the U.S. from 7.4 to
9.5 bbl of water for each bbl of oil produced. Regardless of the locality of
these estimates, similar trends have been reported elsewhere on the global
scale. These facts are in line with increased debottlenecking activities for
major operators at oil-production facilities worldwide.
In addition, increased environmental awareness, discharge limits set by
governmental regulatory organizations, and self-imposed regulations are other
factors in the produced-water-treatment problem. Sheer production volume and
ever-tightening regulations are imposing an economic burden on all producers at
large. In recent years, the market demand for more economic treatment of
produced water has revived a new interest in water-treatment technologies and
has acted as the catalyst to the efforts for improving these technologies.
© 2006. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
27 March 2006
- Revised manuscript received:
23 June 2006
- Manuscript approved:
29 June 2006
- Version of record:
20 September 2006
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