The objective of this paper is to explore the benefits of using the Interactive Epoch-Era Analysis(IEEA)methodology for evaluating architectural changes in a trade space exploration study.In this paper asubsea tieback offshore Brazil will be used as reference case to investigate this premise from a full fielddevelopment perspective.An automated concept exploration tool is employed.It applies meta-heuristics to generate differentoffshore facilities concepts with varying building blocks.The interaction between reservoir behavior andfacilities design is accounted for,meaning pressure and temperature losses throughout the system are takeninto account in each concept differently.These concepts are ranked in terms of economic performanceindicators(NPV,IRR,etc.),and each run with a given set of boundary conditions covers what is calledan Epoch.This process is iterated for the whole life of field with a set of different boundary conditions,such as commercial aspects($/bbl,$/MMBtu,market demand)and/or technological maturity aspects(TRL,novel technological concepts),generating what is called an Era.The whole data set is then evaluated in aninteractive platform thru the Humans-In-the-Loop(HIL)process.Model Based Systems Engineering(MBSE)is being employed successfully in other engineering fieldsoutside the O&G context such as the aerospace and automotive industries.While digital tools have beenidentified as a potential key contributor to the future of O&G performance enhancement and furthercost reductions,that is yet to be shown.This work intends to provide backing for that argument in oneof the potential applications during early concept exploration phases by showing that quick high valueassessments following an MBSE approach may be carried out,once significant effort has been put intoproper development,verification and validation(V&V)of such digital tools.While integrated models for asset development have long been a subject of interest for O&G operators,the application of Systems Engineering concepts to it has not yet been thoroughly explored.SystemsEngineering provides a rigorous and proven method of dealing with complex systems that is highlyapplicable to offshore field developments.MBSE is the current State of the Art for capital intensive projectssuch as space exploration spacecrafts and rovers.Learning from these successful use cases and applyingthese methodologies in the development of digital technologies may provide a new set of tools in the beltof O&G operators Facilities Engineers and alike.The study case presented shows MBSE's capability of capturing intrinsic non-linearities and specificities of each O&G field/location while ensuring project widefunctional requirements are successfully met.
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