NETOPT is a powerful tool for the optimization of oil and gas production operations. It is based on the integration of a field-proven non-linear SQP algorithm with PIPEPHASE, a comprehensive simulator for multiphase flow networks. NETOPT also provides an interface for coupling external reservoir simulators with the surface network analysis capability necessary for integrated full-field modeling.
NETOPT enables the definition of an optimization strategy for a wide range of oil and gas field operations. Common examples of optimization goals in the petroleum industry include the maximization of production from the overall asset or the minimization of capital expenditures over the life of a field.
• Maximize field-wide production
• Optimize capital expenditures over economic life of asset
• Minimize daily operating costs
• Efficiently tune simulation models
• Integrated full-field reservoir and surface modeling
Applications
• Surface facilities design in production networks
• Integration with reservoir simulators and full-field simulation
• Field matching with model parameters
• Allocation of lift gas
• Optimization of steam and CO2 injection networks for EOR
• Pipeline and compressor/pump design
• Field planning studies
Features
• Optimization objective is formulated on the basis of underlying PIPEPHASE simulation model
• Associated design and operational limitations are specified as constraints
• Decision variables are selected from adjustable parameters
• Built-in Calculator function provides specification flexibility
• Time-dependent revenue/cost parameters facilitate formulation of economic models
Model Tuning to Match Field Data
NETOPT accurately matches measured field data by automatically adjusting tunable parameters such as pipe roughness, heat transfer coefficient, and pipeline efficiency for each segment in the network.
Gas-Lift Allocation
The injection of lift gas in a well improves the buoyancy of the liquid column in the tubing string. This improvement is countered by the increase in back-pressure from the additional gas in the downstream flow lines. The operator is further constrained by limited lift gas capacity. NETOPT determines the optimal allocation of injection rates that will maximize production from all of the wells in the gathering network.
Field-Wide Compression Strategy
The addition of compression facilities at strategic points in a gas field can significantly improve production from the wells upstream. NETOPT can be used to determine the optimal size and location of compression facilities by analyzing the combined effects of fuel consumption, capital costs, market parameters, and reservoir performance over the life of the field.
Full-Field Reservoir Modeling
Traditional reservoir simulation tools substitute the effect of the surface network through the use of flow tables representing the flowing bottom-hole pressure at a well as a function of the flow rate. This approximation is not valid when there is a significant hydraulic interdependency between the wells at the surface. Full-field reservoir models address this problem by coupling the reservoir simulator with a model of the surface network at each time step of the simulation.
INDUSTRIES:
• Exploration & Production
• Natural Gas Transmission
• Utility Networks