ANALYSIS OF THE OPERATING RISKS OF HORIZONTAL FLARE UNITS UNDER UNSTEADY EQUIPMENT REGIME CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article focuses on complications that arise when new water and gas injection wells are brought on regime and operation of horizontal flare units (HFU), which are part of the reservoir pressure maintenance (RPM) system in the simultaneous water and gas injection mode. In the process of bringing on regime there is a procedure to warm up and maintain working pressure in gas pipelines, for this purpose the associated petroleum gas is redirected to the HFU of the well pad. The existing design of the HFU does not allow maintaining technological parameters of gas injection into the well because of the lack of a regulating device in front of the HFU. The present article describes the measures aimed at ensuring stable operating pressure required when starting up new wells of the reservoir pressure maintenance system in the mode of simultaneous water and gas injection. Modernization of the existing HFU design with installation of a choke diaphragm, providing maintenance of operating pressure in the system of gas pipelines, is offered. The selection and calculation of the choke diaphragm were performed. The results of calculations of HFU with the new design of the choke diaphragm show the possibility of maintaining the working pressure in the gas pipeline when redirecting gas to the HFU during the launch, adding new water and gas injection wells in the system of reservoir pressure maintenance. Calculations of temperature distribution over the HFU surface are performed and dosages of hydrate inhibitor to ensure hydrate-free operation are specified.