Below is a selection of research and development projects LedaFlow Technologies DA is contributing to.
Please contact us if you want more information or to share ideas for the improvement of LedaFlow and multiphase flow modelling.
Partners
LedaFlow Technologies, SINTEF, Kongsberg Digital, ConocoPhillips, TotalEnergies, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Wintershall Dea, Petrobras
Objective
Make LedaFlow a robust and accurate tool for simulating CO2-rich systems (with and without impurities).
Project period
2022-2024
Program
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a key technology that is needed to fulfill the net zero greenhouse gases (GHG) emission targets by 2050.
Flow assurance is essential for designing and operating CCS systems. Accurate simulations will enable reduced design margins and decreased investment costs of CO2 transport and injection systems while maintaining operational safety. Precise predictions are also essential for energy and cost-efficient operations and will help minimize risk through simulations of various operational scenarios.
The ambition of the CO2Flow project is to enhance the LedaFlow capabilities for CO2 modelling.
The project builds on results from the CO2FACT project (see below) and the DeFACTO project.
Partners
LedaFlow Technologies, SINTEF, Kongsberg Digital, ConocoPhillips, TotalEnergies, AkerBP, Clariant Oil Services
Objective
To provide guidelines for the characterization of complex fluid systems with chemicals and surfactants, and develop new LedaFlow models that will enable accurate simulation of tiebacks transporting fluids with complex chemistry.
Project period
2020-2025
Program
Oil and gas production systems often require the injection of chemicals into the flow to prevent flow assurance complications such as corrosion or formation of scale, wax or hydrates. The presence of chemicals and surfactants can change the flow behaviour drastically, potentially causing severe problems such as flow instabilities, poor separation, foaming, and thus production loss. Multiphase flow predictions that account for effects arising from surface active components would allow more targeted use of chemicals and avoid flow assurance problems. However current multiphase flow models don’t take into account the effect of chemicals properly.
The ambition of the ChemFlow project is to overcome the current limitations of multiphase flow models when it comes to accurately model complex fluid systems with chemicals and surfactants.
The project builds on results from the Accurate IPN project (see below) but takes a leap beyond predicting “clean” fluid systems, where the effect from chemicals and surfactants are not taken into account.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway
Partners
Equinor, TotalEnergies, Gassco, LedaFlow Technologies, Schlumberger
Objective
LTDA contributes to the CO2 FACT project, with the goal of delivering to the market a LedaFlow software suite capable of performing typical flow assurance simulations required for CO2 pipelines and wells design and operations.
Project period
2019 – 2022
Program
Publication(s)
Z. Yang, A. Fahmi and M. Drescher (Equinor), L. Teberikler and C. Merat (Toral E&P Norge), S. Solvang and O. J. Rinde (GASSCO), J. G. Norstrøm and W. Dijkhuizen (LTDA), T. Haugset and A. Brigadeau (Schlumberger), M. Langsholt and L. Liu (IFE), “Improved Understanding of Flow Assurance for CO2 Transport and Injection”, GHGT 2021
The success of full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects relies on all parts of the system being designed properly. Design of the pipeline transporting CO2 is one of the most important part. Transport of pure CO2 normally takes place in one homogenous phase and the physics is relatively well understood and modelled. In industrial applications however, CO2 is often mixed with small amounts of other substances and present in multiple phases.
The ambition of the CO2 FACT project is to overcome the current limitations of multiphase flow models when it comes to accurately model the complex thermal-hydraulic phenomena that might occur during transport of CO2 with impurities.
LedaFlow already includes a general single component module, which will be validated for pure CO2 using experimental data gathered during the CO2 FACT project. The software will then be further developed to support CO2 with impurities. Finally, the accuracy of the LedaFlow simulations will be assessed using data from new experiments.
Partners
LedaFlow Technologies, SINTEF, Kongsberg Digital, ConocoPhillips, TOTAL
Objective
Improve the LedaFlow models allowing the industry to reduce safety margins, thanks to an increased prediction accuracy of liquid amounts and pressure drop in oil and gas transport systems.
Project period
2017 – 2020
Program
Publication(s)
J. Kjølaas ; I. E. Smith ; C. Brekken, “Pseudo slug flow in viscous oil systems – experiments and modelling with LedaFlow“, BHR-2018-461.
To reduce costs and minimize the environmental impact associated with the development of new offshore petroleum fields the oil, water and gas are often transported together in the same pipeline. This means that multiphase flow from the reservoir to the processing facilities needs to be accurately modelled. The pipelines are often laid as “tie-backs” from the wellhead to the nearest onshore facility or to existing pipes on the seabed. Therefore, gas, oil and water must be transported over very large distances; in many cases 50-100 km and in some cases considerably longer.
To avoid operational problems related to long-distance multiphase transport, and to maximize profitability, good design decisions must be made based on an accurate prediction of the flow in these long pipes. Today’s multiphase flow models have shortcomings that limit their overall precision.
The ACCURATE project aimed to close the most critical knowledge gaps associated with accurate modelling of multiphase flow.
Key issues addressed in the project are:
Partners
Objective
To bring to the industry a fundamentally new framework for simulating the effects of hydrates and wax precipitation and transport in multiphase flows.
Project period
2016-2019
Program
Demo 2000 project 259155
Publication(s)
P. Puente, V. Martinez, V. Richon, J. Morud and N. Zambare, “Wax deposition and hydrate transport dynamic simulations on an oil pipeline – Experiences applying novel models for flow assurance assessment”, ADIPEC 2018.
Low reservoir temperature and high pressures increase the risk of hydrate and wax formation. Today’s concepts for offshore developments in deepwater and arctic regions imply long and costly tie-ins (pipeline and riser insulation, heating systems) and large use of chemicals for hydrate and wax prevention. Moreover, operators need to have complete control over the flow assurance and operational challenges facing such projects in order to ensure a safe and cost efficient production, minimizing the environmental impact related to the use of chemicals.
The hydrate precipitation and the wax deposition are independently well understood, but a comprehensive tool combining this behavior and multiphase flow has been missing for the operators to achieve a good concept selection. Improving this was the purpose of the project “Cost effective management of hydrates and wax with LedaFlow”.
The project was funded by the Research Council of Norway
A software-based solution to ensure the continuous flow of oil and gas from the reservoir to the processing facilities – in a safe, economical and environmentally friendly way.
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