A Upstream - Downstream real time surveillance and optimization systems, two sides of the same coin, or never the twain shall meet?

摘要

Downstream Refineries and Chemical Plants have benefited from real time optimization systems (RTO) for the last 30 years. Downstream RTO is a well established and permanent fixture in many plants - the "way we do things 'round here!". Upstream E&P operations have "come to this party" much more recently and are using RTO more sparingly, even though the economic and HSSE benefits can be very significant. There are key differences between downstream and upstream. For example, downstream facilities do not deal with the uncertainties of geology, multiphase flow and difficulty in placing measurements in prohibitive environments; while upstream operations do not usually have to deal with complex chemical reactions. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast downstream and upstream RTO learnings with a view to identifying and describing: 1.similarities in production unit operations e.g. fluid separation, compression etc.; 2.key differences between production unit operations; 3.cultural differences between operations; 4.RTO activities from a technical perspective; 5.RTO business benefits and how these might be leveraged and sustained in both directions. What will emerge from this analysis will be a comparison highlighting points of commonality and differences leading to a better understanding of how RTO can be more effectively exploited in the upstream business - the cheapest oil available!