Oil & Gas Process Simulation

Course Content

• SOFTWARE PRESENTATION

  • Presentation of the different pieces of equipment: pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, turbines, turbo expanders, separators, valves, pipes.
  • Choice of the thermodynamic model: PR, SRK…
  • Definition of components, pseudo-components, heavy-cuts.

• SIMULATION OF A CRUDE OIL FIELD TREATMENT UNIT

  • Main field treatments for crude oils: stabilization, sweetening, desalting and dehydration, associated gas compression and treatment.
  • Study of an offshore crude oil field treatment unit, based on Multiple Stage Separation (MSS).
  • Influence of the number of separators on the quality (API°, RVP…) and quantity of stabilized oil.
  • Optimization of the operating parameters: pressures and temperatures of separators, suction and discharge condition of compressors, pumping needs for export by pipe.
  • Identification and adjustment of the controlling parameters.

• SIMULATION OF A NATURAL GAS FIELD TREATMENT UNIT

  • Main field treatments for natural gases: dehydration, sweetening, LNG extraction/recovery, compression and export…
  • Study of an offshore natural gas dehydration, liquids extraction and compression unit.
  • Optimization of the operating parameters: primary separator operating conditions, dehydration parameters, cooling temperature for a sufficient liquid extraction, compression needs upstream the export pipe.
  • Identification and adjustment of the controlling parameters.
  • Analysis of hydrate formation risks.

• SIMULATION OF A GAS DEHYDRATION UNIT BY PHYSICAL ABSORPTION (TEG)

  • Simulation of the glycol loop: contactor, flash separator, regenerator (still), circulation pumps, glycol/glycol exchanger.
  • Adjustment of controlling parameters: dry gas residual moisture content versus purity of lean TEG, moisture flow to be removed versus TEG circulation flow.

• SIMULATION OF A NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS (NGL) EXTRACTION/RECOVERY UNIT

  • Progressive build up of the PFD of a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) extraction unit.
  • Three processes are studied:
  • External refrigeration loop (cryogenic loop).
  • Joule Thomson expansion valve.
  • Turbo Expander.
  • Illustration of the results on phase envelope diagram.

• SIMULATION OF A PROPANE CRYOGENIC LOOP

  • Study of a simple loop.
  • Improvement of loop performances by addition of an intermediate expansion.
  • Use of propane enthalpy diagram to validate the software results.
  • Influence of propane purity and consequences of air ingress.

• SIMULATION OF NATURAL GAS LIQUID FRACTIONATION UNIT - DISTILLATION PROCESS

  • Principle of separation by distillation process and main operating parameters.
  • Simulation of a LNG fractionation unit using distillation columns.
  • Characteristics and operating conditions of the main equipment. Specific constraints.