Offshore staff
HOUSTON – Aramco has issued an overview of its presentations during Houston's Offshore Technology Conference, held in May.
During a technical session, Chief Engineer Nabilah Al-Tunisi outlined some of the issues the company addressed during the development of theArabiyah and Hasbah fields, located offshore Jubail in the Arabian Gulf.
Both fields will be major suppliers to the Wasit Gas Program, designed to increase Saudi Arabia’s gas production capacity to meet growing domestic demand for electric power.
The non-associated gas project presented various difficulties, Al Tunisi said. “We found we were unique with such high pressure, high temperature gas. There was no industry reference so there was a lot of learning and lessons to be shared.”
Among the challenges was introducing a big bore or "super wellhead" capable of producing up to 350 MMcf/d (9.9 MMcm/d); installing offshore composite subsea power cables and gas trunk lines capable of handling high pressure and high temperatures; and the application of a special coating for pipes and valves to prevent corrosion.
Instead of a traditional flare system, the company opted for a high-integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS) to manage the high pressures. The equipment took a specially created HIPPS steering committee and a team of valve specialists two years to develop.
Additionally, the three-year program required multiple procurement locations across Europe, Asia, and within Saudi Arabia. During the peak offshore installation phase, more than 70 types of specialty vessels were employed, including heavy lift, pipe layers, and barges.
The Sensors Development team of theAramco Research Center-Houston presented its work on accelerated development of critical sensor systems used to monitor a well’s production and increase recovery.
Martin Poitzsch, senior Petroleum Engineering consultant at theAramco Research Center-Boston, showed how the company is applying nano-based materials for reservoir surveillance and stimulation.
6/1/2015
