Key Performance Indicator System for Deepwater Flow Assurance Operations

Abstract

Abstract The industry is good at identifying risks, but in some instances is less proactive in ensuring the effectiveness and robustness of risk mitigating barriers. This becomes critical in deepwater Flow Assurance (FA) operations as latent threats, such as hydrate blockages can lead to significant financial losses. With this in mind, a multi-layered Key Performance Indicator (KPI) system was developed and implemented in 2 operating deepwater fields offshore Angola. Continuous use of the tool over a 2-year span has helped materialize a substantial positive business impact. Conceptually, the solution sought was three fold: (1) design of a multi-layered KPI system with low level PIs used for monitoring and high level KPIs used for reporting, (2) creation of an automation tool to minimize data processing time, allowing engineers to concentrate on analysis and (3) engagement of an external contractor with the appropriate technical and organizational capabilities to generate periodic reports in a timely manner. Unlike other single-criterion approaches, the FA KPI system is built bottoms-up using clearly defined thresholds while capturing the influence of several contributing factors. These features have proved important in understanding the complexities around FA threats while adapting to an ever-evolving operation. The solution also emphasized transparency, maintainability, scalability and documentation as the ultimate goal is to make a system adaptable not only to a larger local operation but also to other operating regions. Periodic FA KPI reports have been crucial in assessing the current state of the operation. The systematic layered-approach of this system has helped convey to senior management the robustness of both design and operational protective measures against flow assurance threats at a glance, through simple graphical representations, yet allowing engineers to peel off the layers and facilitating the identification of root cause(s) of the different issues. The information gained from this system has also allowed informed decisions to be made leading to the introduction of changes in strategies and operating procedures. Finally, FA KPI reports have uncovered subtle aspects of the operation, e.g. operator errors in trying to follow overly-complex instructions. The need for sharing this type of information openly, in the right context, has been recognized as a key lesson learned to improve the way in which deepwater fields are operated.