Flow Assurance for Pipeline Systems

Introduction

This course will provide an understanding of flow phenomena that can help the participant avoid problems such as hydrate formation, pressure (surge) waves, or high viscosity liquid flow failure. This intensive, five-day intermediate-level course addresses several critical problems in achieving pipeline flow assurance. The focus of this course is on potential challenges to pipeline operations including surge, corrosion, hydrate formation, wax deposition, multiphase fluids, and slugging. The causes of these problems, design solutions, and operational responses will be an integral part of the course.

Objectives

By the end of this course participants will learn:

• About identifying and applying fluid characteristics and behavior in the design and operations of pipeline systems
• To assess the physical behavior of the key flow assurance and integrity challenges: corrosion, hydrate formation, transient behavior, and wax deposition
• To evaluate mechanical integrity
• About evaluating the effectiveness of pigging operations and leak detection systems
• To define the roles and uses of SCADA systems in flow assurance

Target Audience

Technical professionals in the pipeline business including project managers, pipeline engineers, facilities engineers, design engineers, and engineering contractors

Pipeline & Transportation Outline

The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to oil and gas fluid transport properties
• Fluid property data and phase determination
• Fluid flow analysis – single and multiphase
• Slug formation and prediction
• Surge analysis
• Corrosion – internal and external
• Hydrate formation
• Wax formation and deposition
• Pigging operations
• Leak detection and SCADA