Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header
Contenido archivado el 2022-12-27

DESIGN OF A HEAVY AND VISCOUS OIL PRODUCTION SYSTEM (ROSPO MARE)

Objetivo

The aim of the project was to design methods and equipment specially adapted to produce and discharge the oil from rospo mare field, which is paraffinic, heavy (11 degrees api), has a high sulphur content (6 % by weight) and a high viscosity (2200 cst at 40d.C). Although the asphaltene content is high (17 % by weight), asphaltene deposits appeared low, owing to the naphtenic dominant of the complex.
Optimization of the production system has been continued outside the project by building an experimental platform on the rospo mare site.
Preliminary study of the pumping facilities eliminated the possibility of centrifugal pumping, the efficiency of which drops too sharply as the oil viscosity rises. Long-stroke pumping transpired to be the most attractive method,since it offered better filling of the bottom hole pump, less fatigue on the rods and took up less area on the surface. A novel measuring bench was built enabling the filling coefficient of the bottom pumps to be accurately evaluated for highly viscous fluids. Long-stroke pumps were tested in this way and it was observed that the downward motion of the piston is difficult to accomplish in the viscous crude, whence the recommendation of use drill collars at the bottom of the well.
Study of flow problems on the surface was centered mainly on transporting the crude in an emulsified form. Laboratory research and tests on a semi-industrial circulation loop showed that by creating a direct emulsion of the oil in water, with an optimum water content of 40 %, onecan obtain an emulsion viscosity of about 100 times smaller than that of the anhydrous crude. But there was a lack of stability of the direct emulsion in the event of stopping flow. An emulsifier was selected, delaying the segregation.

Study of the problems of separation, treatment and desalinisation has shown that indirect emulsions form spontaneously and are stable and relatively difficult to break down : simple decantation adding a chemical is not enough and one has to use an electrostatic installation operating at a temperature of about 100 d.C.

Convocatoria de propuestas

Data not available

Régimen de financiación

DEM - Demonstration contracts

Coordinador

GERTH
Aportación de la UE
Sin datos
Dirección
232 AV. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
92500 Rueil Malmaison
Francia

Ver en el mapa

Coste total
Sin datos