Portable Reservoir Fluid Analysis System for Offshore Platforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to analyze reservoir fluids efficiently at remote locations, such as offshore platforms, where space and transportation constraints hinder detailed analysis, leading to sample contamination and increased costs due to the need for transporting pressurized samples to centralized facilities.
Innovation Solution
A portable system capable of continuous, unattended gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) measurements that assesses the properties of reservoir fluids by separating and analyzing vapor and liquid phases, using sensors and a controller to automate the process, allowing for rapid, precise analysis at remote locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sample is transported to a centralized testing facility for analysis, then detailed fluid properties can be determined, but the analysis time is excessive and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the analysis capability from centralized facilities and places it at remote well sites through portable equipment. This allows detailed fluid properties determination to occur locally, eliminating transportation time and enabling rapid analysis within hours rather than days.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary portable analysis system that operates between the well site and centralized facilities. This intermediary system performs preliminary detailed analysis locally, reducing the need for sample transportation while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If a sample is transported over long distances, then detailed analysis can be performed, but the sample may become compromised or contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the laboratory analysis capability and brings it to the well site, eliminating the need for sample transportation. This ensures sample integrity is maintained while still enabling detailed fluid properties analysis through portable equipment.
3Productivity
If voluminous analysis equipment is maintained at remote sampling sites, then rapid analysis can be performed, but space constraints prevent this
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential analysis functionality from large centralized laboratories and consolidates it into compact portable equipment that can operate at remote well sites. This provides rapid analysis capability while requiring minimal platform space.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the scale and configuration parameters of analysis equipment from fixed laboratory-size instruments to portable field-deployable units. This maintains analytical capability while adapting to the space constraints of offshore platforms.
4Ease of operation
If headspace vapor is analyzed instead of liquid, then analysis can be performed at the site, but less information about the liquid is obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a multi-functional portable system that can perform both vapor phase analysis and liquid phase analysis. This provides complete compositional information about the reservoir fluid while maintaining ease of on-site operation, unlike systems limited to headspace vapor analysis only.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, accurate, and cost-effective analysis of reservoir fluid properties at remote sites, reducing contamination risks and transportation costs, while providing comprehensive data for reservoir management.
Implementation Method 1
separating the reservoir fluid sample into a vapor phase stream and a liquid phase stream
Data Source
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AI summary
Processing a reservoir fluid sample includes separating the reservoir fluid sample into a vapor phase stream and a liquid phase stream, assessing a composition of the vapor phase stream, sampling a property of the liquid phase steam, and assessing a volume of a components of the liquid phase stream based at least in part on the sampled property of the liquid phase stream. A system for processing a reservoir fluid sample includes a volumetric receptacle (126) adapted to accept the reservoir fluid sample, a phase separator (128) configured to receive the reservoir fluid sample from the volumetric receptacle (126) and to separate the reservoir fluid sample into a vapor phase stream and a liquid phase stream, a gas chromatograph (134) arranged to receive the vapor phase stream from the phase separator (128), and a liquid flow meter (138) configured to detect an interface including at least one component of the liquid phase stream.