Wet Gas Allocation on the Canyon Express Project

摘要

In September 2002, production from the three fields that together form the Canyon Express Project - King's Peak, Aconcagua, and Camden Hills - was begun. Drilled in record water depths of 2000 to 2200 meters in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, each of the nine wells was connected to one of two 12-inch pipelines carrying the commingled wet gas back to the Canyon Station platform for processing, a distance of 91 kilometers away in Main Pass block 261. rnDual-differential wet gas meters were chosen for the task of allocating gas and liquid back to individual wells. Because the gas from all three fields is relatively "dry" (Lockhart-Martinelli parameter < 0.01, GVF > 99%) and because the operating pressures are quite high (~ 250 bar), this was an area of application in which these devices had heretofore not been applied. rnThe use of these meters on the nine wells making up the Canyon Express Project is reviewed and discussed in detail. Their unusual performance is explained, and the route to an acceptable overall measurement experience is explored, including the manner in which successful allocation was achieved. Finally, several important lessons that were learned during the course of the project are presented.