Subsea Multiphase Flowmeters Save Deepwater Operator USD 12 Million And Enabler Production Enable Higher Case Study Oss Flowmeter
User Manual: Subsea Multiphase Flowmeters Save Deepwater Operator USD 12 Million and Enable Higher Production Case Study Resource Library
Open the PDF directly: View PDF 
.
Page Count: 2
CASE STUDY
Deepwater development required cost-effective but accurate well testing
The Parque das Conchas (BC-10) fields lie in water depths ranging from about 5,000 ft to 6,500ft in
the Campos basin offshore Brazil. The subsea fields are tied back to a floating production, storage,
and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which has a processing capacity of 100,000 bbl of oil equivalent per
day. Constant swells and hostile conditions at the seabed create significant technical challenges
for operations.
Brazilian regulatory requirements mandate periodic well tests during production. Traditionally,
deepwater well testing requires complicated infrastructure both subsea and topside, which not only
makes the field development more complicated but also increases project installation time, risk,
and cost. The operator required a reliable, cost-effective solution that would enable real-time well
monitoring while satisfying the stringent regulations.
CHALLENGE
Improve production well testing economics
while meeting stringent regulatory
requirements in the deepwater Campos
basin offshore Brazil.
SOLUTION
Deploy PhaseWatcher* subsea multiphase
flowmeters with Vx* technology instead of
conventional well test equipment.
RESULTS
■ Saved operator USD 12 million in
equipment costs.
■ Increased production by 1,000 bbl/d.
■ Improved data quality by replacing periodic
well tests with continuous monitoring.
■ Satisfied all regulatory requirements.
Subsea Multiphase Flowmeters Save Deepwater
Operator USD 12 Million and Enable Higher Production
PhaseWatcher flowmeters win approval from Brazilian regulatory authority and
improve accuracy of deepwater well testing
21 PhaseWatcher subsea multiphase flowmeters provide continuous, high-resolution well flow measurements,
cost-effectively and in real time, from the three fields that constitute the deepwater Parque das Conchas project
offshore Brazil.
Subsea Metering
Vx multiphase well testing technology provided
continuous monitoring
The PhaseWatcher subsea multiphase flowmeter with Vx technology is
specifically designed to provide critical well diagnostic information without
the complexity of conventional testing operations. The compact device can
measure individual fluid phases in real time without separation and provide
flow rate measurements throughout the life of the field.
Before using the technology, it was necessary to obtain authorization from
the regulator, Agência Nacional do Petróleo (ANP). The approval process—
the first of its kind in Brazil—involved two stages:
■ Obtain authorization to commercialize the multiphase flowmeter in the
Brazilian market.
■ Obtain authorization to use the multiphase flowmeter in lieu of
conventional periodic well testing for production allocation.
The operator and OneSubsea worked in close cooperation to present the
case to ANP and succeeded in obtaining authorization. In the first phase
of the project, eight PhaseWatcher flowmeters were configured and
successfully installed, one per well, in retrievable arrangements on the
subsea Christmas trees.
Operator improved field economics and production
Less topside equipment led to a reduction in the number of risers, saving
the operator USD 10 million. Eliminating the need for a test separator saved
an additional USD 2 million; it also reduced the deck space required.
The continuous, high-resolution well flow measurements provided by
the subsea flowmeters in real time were far superior to the data from
conventional well test equipment (test lines, manifolds, separators). The
improved monitoring helped increase production by 1,000 bbl/d and
enhanced overall recovery. Pleased with the results, the operator decided
to use the flowmeters in subsequent stages of the project as well. A total
of 21 PhaseWatcher flowmeters were installed, resulting in further savings
and production gain for the operator.
At the OneSubsea facility in Horsøy, Norway, PhaseWatcher flowmeters undergo
rigorous testing at pressures exceeding the expected pressure on the seabed.
*Mark of Schlumberger
Other company, product, and service names
are the properties of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2016 Schlumberger. All rights reserved. OSS-1094
onesubsea.slb.com/PhaseWatcher
CASE STUDY: PhaseWatcher subsea flowmeters optimize deepwater well testing in multiple fields, offshore Brazil
