Thermodynamic analysis of oil and gas platforms over various production profiles and feed compositions

Oil and gas platforms present similar structural designs but process fluids with different thermo-physical and chemical properties. In addition, the field properties, such as the gas-to-oil and water-to-oil ratios, change significantly over time. It is therefore not possible to suggest a standard flow diagram of these facilities. Different processes and operating modes may be implemented to maximise the petroleum production and improve the overall system performance. The present work evaluates, in a first step, the variations of the heating, cooling and power demands over time, in terms of energy and exergy. Feed compositions and production profiles, which correspond to data from actual fields, are used for calibrating the simulations. In a second step, the minimum energy and exergy losses of the platform are assessed by performing thermodynamic analyses, assuming an ideal scenario in which all processes are run at their design points. This approach proves to be useful for evaluating consistently different options for oil and gas production, and for determining, in a further step, the most promising solutions for minimising the energy use over a field lifetime.