Natural Resource State Estimation for Pipeline Blockage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for managing natural resource extraction in pipelines lack real-time monitoring and control, leading to overestimation of hydration risks and excessive chemical injection, resulting in inefficient operations and potential blockages.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that acquire measurement data from sensors in the extraction network, estimate the state of the natural resource at various locations, calculate the margin for flow path blocking matter generation, and adjust operational parameters such as chemical injection, temperature, and pressure to prevent blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If MEG injection is performed based on engineer experience without real-time monitoring, then flow path blockage prevention is attempted, but excessive chemical injection occurs leading to increased operational costs and environmental impact
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously monitoring the state of natural resource (pressure, temperature, composition) within the extraction network and adjusting MEG injection rates accordingly. The state estimating section uses measurement data and process models to provide real-time information about hydration risk, enabling dynamic adjustment of chemical injection to match actual conditions rather than relying on fixed engineer experience-based rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically determining optimal MEG injection rates through the state estimating section and control logic, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention by engineers. The system monitors its own operational state and self-adjusts chemical injection parameters based on real-time conditions, making the process autonomous and reducing reliance on human expertise for routine adjustments.
2Measurement precision
If real-time monitoring and state estimation is implemented, then precise control of inhibition apparatus is achieved, but device complexity and measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a process model as an intermediary between raw measurement data and state estimation results. The state estimating section uses the process model to translate limited sensor measurements into comprehensive estimates of natural resource state throughout the extraction network. This model-based approach acts as a mediator that amplifies the value of limited measurements without requiring proportional increases in sensor density.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction network is segmented into multiple sections or zones for monitoring purposes. The state estimating section estimates parameters at multiple locations along the flow path, dividing the complex monitoring task into manageable segments. This segmentation allows the system to track state changes throughout the network using distributed but limited sensor placements rather than requiring comprehensive coverage at every point.
3Reliability
If MEG injection amount is increased to ensure blockage prevention, then flow assurance is improved, but operational costs and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static, experience-based MEG injection rates to dynamic, real-time adjustment of injection parameters. The state estimating section continuously updates estimates of natural resource state and hydration risk, enabling the control system to adjust MEG injection rates dynamically according to actual conditions. This dynamic approach ensures flow assurance when needed while reducing injection when conditions permit, optimizing the balance between reliability and operational cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
To estimate a state of a natural resource in pipeline equipment during extraction in an oil field, provided is an apparatus including a data acquiring section that acquires measurement data, measured by a measurement device, indicating a state of a natural resource that is a fluid flowing through an extraction network for extracting the natural resource; a state estimating section that estimates the state of the natural resource at least at one location differing from a location where the measurement device is provided in a flow path of the extraction network, using the measurement data and a model of the extraction network; and a margin calculating section that calculates a margin until flow path blocking matter is generated in the extraction network, based on the estimated state of the natural resource.