Development of an Integrated Wells - Pipeline Networks - Process Facilities Model for the Greater Burgan Oilfield from a Model Centric Approach

Abstract Several efforts have been made in the past for generating an Integrated Asset Model (IAM) for the Greater Burgan field in Kuwait with mixed results on sustained utilization and benefits. A new effective full field Integrated Asset Model has now been developed within an Integrated Operational Excellence (IOX) program towards Digital Transformation of the Greater Burgan field. A proven model centric approach has been adopted to bring multiple interdependent wells, pipelines networks, and process facilities models together into one single truly integrated asset model. The IAM platform also includes a water processing facility model which consists of 2 effluent water disposal plants, a crude oil export pipeline network and a water injection network model. Development of this integrated wells-network-facility-crude export-water processing facility-water injection network model incorporating the 14 gathering centers in the South and East Kuwait (SEK) asset focused on providing all the essential valuable inputs to business processes for better asset management, faster and more accurate decision-making and optimizing the hydrocarbon flow path all the way from the reservoir till the export point. The assessment was done at full field level where the complete system constraints, interactions and back pressure effects between more than 2000 different wells were fully accounted up to the crude processing facilities. The availability of this fully integrated asset model with up-todate calibrated wells and network models and process models enables Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) engineers to better understand current well performance and production potential, identify any possible bottlenecks imposed by the large complex surface network and process facilities of Greater Burgan Oilfield. The simulated results such as pressure gradient, temperature gradient and erosional velocity ratio gradient across the production networks are presented on the GIS map for easy opportunity identification. The paper describes how the Integrated Asset Modeler tool enables the asset teams to evaluate different operating scenarios to further enhance well performance and the overall asset productivity via re-routing well flow path to an appropriate header, identifying well workover opportunities, re-evaluating artificial lift design, adding new wells for field development and comprehensive understanding of well integrity and flow assurance studies. The integrated asset model can be coupled to the Greater Burgan reservoir model for comprehensive field development studies in future.