R & D of Multiphase Pumps in Offshore Oil Production System

Abstract

The development of offshore oil and gas basins such as in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico is increasingly characterized by “marginal” reservoirs. The main challenge facing the oil industry is to economically develop these discoveries. One of the major technical trends in the development of such marginal reservoirs is the drive towards total subsea production. All reservoir fluids will be transporteduntreated to a central process facility or ultimately to shore. The development of “multiphase production systems”, either in flow-lines to a central platform or in pipelines to shore, is favored due to important cost reductions resulting from the minimization of field process facilities and pipeline costs. For such a production concept to be a practical proposition, a high level of confidence is required in the application of the multiphase flow technology to the transportation of untreated reservoir fluids over long distances. Multiphase pumping is one of three main aspects of multiphse flow technology that requires further development to make such concepts workable. The development of pumps to handle multiphase flow constituting the full range of flow patterns and with gas void fractions from 0 to 100% is progressing, and some prototype units are currently operational. Japan National Oil Corporation has started R & D in this area, bringing together its expertise, research laboratories and teams since 1990.