Recent Developments in Control and Monitoring of Remote Subsea Fields

Abstract

Abstract Two trends in development and operations of offshore oil and gas installations give increased demand for real-time monitoring and control; number & reach of subsea tie-ins and emerging implementation of integrated operations solutions. Within integrated operations, remote operation and collaboration between onshore and offshore are key elements. Sophisticated monitoring and control applications for wells and pipelines have been available from several vendors for some time. However, these applications have generally been stand-alone expert applications connected to a single subsystem, for example, a slug control solution for pipelines located in the plant control system or a virtual flow metering system for wells located in the subsea (control) system. The usage and benefit of these systems have therefore been limited. This paper outlines how monitoring and control applications for gathering networks should be structured in an integrated operations framework, and which benefits this will give for operators. Structuring of the different applications ensures that data from monitoring applications are easily available for a large group of users while ensuring that closed-loop control applications retains the robustness and security that is required. Furthermore, recent developments of the applications itself, partially made possible by the modern integrated operations system topology with increased data availability, provides additional functionality not only for expert users, but for generalists as well. Finally, synergies between different monitoring and control applications can give additional value to the users. Control and monitoring for remote subsea field in an integrated operations framework offers benefits such as faster decision making processes, increased production, improved deduction testing, condition monitoring of sensors using a combination of virtual metering and process data. The paper outlines the status and future development trends for control and monitoring applications for subsea fields, illustrates the value of the technology and gives recommendations for implementation.