Insulated flowline system extends deepwater cool-down times

摘要

Increasingly, large-scale deepwater developments are being based around a Spar, TLP, or FPSO linked to 30-100 km of insulated flowlines. A big concern for the operator is the potential impact of unscheduled production shutdowns. In these cases, the flow assurance system must provide sufficient time for the operator to react while preventing formation of hydrates or wax. Typically, there will be a "no touch" time of around two to six hours during which production can be resumed without further action on the pipelines. Then follows a longer period (10-20 hrs) in which hydrate-prone fluids are ushered out of the flowlines and replaced by inert fluids. In either case, the brevity of the no-touch period rarely allows replace-ment equipment to be drafted in, so the production facilities must essentially be autonomous, with back-up mandatory for all-important items.