Chapter 2 - Flow Assurance

Abstract

Oil and gas production operations have as their main goal to deliver hydrocarbons from the reservoir to their last terminals safely and economically. Flow assurance is principally a term that entails the different strategies used to maintain and assure the safe, smooth, and economical flow of fluids. Flow assurance studies encompass fluid hydrodynamics and production chemistry problems. Fluid hydrodynamics entails thermal-hydraulic analysis and assessment of multiphase flow and its related problems, whereas production chemistry involves phase separation, solids deposition, microbiological activity, corrosion, and other system integrity related issues. The main aim of flow assurance strategies is to manage these issues. A generic flow assurance strategy involves fluid sampling and characterization, modeling and simulation, mitigation, monitoring, and optimization. In this chapter the different flow assurance issues and management strategies are discussed in light of the recent advances.