Managing Crucial Business Decisions Related to a Wastewater Disposal System Using Hydraulic Simulation

Abstract

Abstract Business decisions management in the petroleum industry is often constrained by a lack of representative projections, time limitation, and cost implications. Proper administrations of future amendments to existing facilities necessitate accurate predictions of proposed upgrades. The precise outcomes of hydraulic simulation have proven reliable in forecasting operational scenarios related to wastewater disposal (WWD) system. The accurate predictions of hydraulic simulation, coupled with identified time frames and monetary investments, pave the way for accountable and successful managerial decisions. Increased water production from mature fields requires facilities to be upgraded to meet future business demands. WWDs are integral constituents of oil processing facilities as they are the conduit for responsible and environmental disposal of produced water. Facility-A injects wastewater into five disposal wells at a given capacity. Production demands have increased, which subsequently, entail the need to avail extra injection capacity to Facility-A. Long-term plans to an entire system upgrade are well underway; yet, the demand for extra potential is imminent. Many short-term plans were conceptualized to meet the injection requirements in the interim period until the long-term upgraded facility is on stream. A hydraulic simulation model was built and calibrated for Facility-A as a baseline model. Full system analysis of Facility-A disposal network, utilizing hydraulic simulation techniques, was performed to predict the outcome of each proposed short-term scenario. The contemplated scenarios were tapping into a nearby facility's disposal system, installing temporary injection pump at the wellheads, and adding two more injection wells to a new pipeline network. This paper will present in depth the hydraulic simulation results of the abovementioned scenarios and highlight their feasibility as viable short term scenarios. In addition, a detailed account of the associated time periods and respective costs of conceived short-term plans is going to be shown.