Subsea multiphase meters improve well testing

Frank Hartley
Drilling & Production Editor

HOUSTON -- Subsea multiphase flow meters (MPFM) have resulted in more accurate reservoir modeling, history matching, simplified volume allocation, said Joshua Oldham, subsea system engineer with ExxonMobil at DOT in Houston on Feb. 12. Additional benefits of the MPFMs were better flowline management, no test lines, and more frequent realistic well tests, he said.

ExxonMobil's first deepwater installation of the MPFM was in July 2005, which included two meters, one on each drillcenter's manifold, configured to be the primary means of well testing the subsea tieback. Since then, two more projects have started up that use subsea MPFMs for well testing via one meter on each well jumper.

The overall performance of the meters and the benefits of using subsea MPFMs instead of a test line has been successful and needs to be monitored and verified through the field life, Oldham concluded.

02/12/2008