{"id":2506,"date":"2017-04-04T08:19:42","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T13:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/?p=2506"},"modified":"2017-04-04T08:26:19","modified_gmt":"2017-04-04T13:26:19","slug":"2506","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/2017\/04\/2506\/","title":{"rendered":"Get the most from your asset with this checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"blogpost\">Finding Opportunities Checklist<\/h1>\n<section class=\"share\">\n<div class=\"addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>This Tip of the Month (TOTM) discusses places to look for opportunities to increase production quickly. I\u2019ll discuss the concepts, techniques, and later where to look for and find opportunities\u2026.to be able to answer the<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong>Key Question: \u201cAre we getting the most from our Asset?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you know how your asset makes money?\u00a0 Is it simply oil price, and gas price?<\/li>\n<li>Do the prices of oil and gas change daily?<\/li>\n<li>Do you adjust your operating conditions based on the prices of oil and gas?<\/li>\n<li>Does fuel gas have any value?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>BENCHMARKING AGAINST PHYSICS\u2122<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What are your process Key Performance Indicators?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Energy Consumed per boe (barrel of oil equivalent) produced?<\/li>\n<li>Theoretical Energy Required per boe produced?<\/li>\n<li>Design Energy required per boe produced?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>WHERE ARE THE GAPS?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How do you evaluate the performance of your:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pumps<\/li>\n<li>Compressors<\/li>\n<li>Processes\n<ul>\n<li>Oil \/ Water Dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Gas Dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Gas Treating<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2508\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2508\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2508\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Apr-17-FAC.png?resize=700%2C480\" width=\"700\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Apr-17-FAC.png?w=797 797w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Apr-17-FAC.png?resize=300%2C206 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Apr-17-FAC.png?resize=768%2C527 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2508\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1: Technical Limit Diagram or Choke Model<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Looking at the Technical Limit Diagram (Choke Model) shown in Figure 1, where could there be opportunities?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How can we use the current equipment to increase production?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the cost of one day of downtime?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the monetary value of the annual flare volume?<\/li>\n<li>How can we increase inflow from the wells to increase production?\n<ul>\n<li>Can we reduce the inlet pressures to the facilities to increase reservoir inflow?<\/li>\n<li>Are we holding<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>backpressure<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>on the facilities, or are we floating the sales gas pipeline?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any excessive pressure drops in the flowlines\/equipment?<\/li>\n<li>Scale<\/li>\n<li>Remove choke internals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>COMPRESSORS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Energy Efficiency:<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the position of the recycle valve? Are you wasting energy?<\/li>\n<li>Reciprocating: Adjust Pockets \/ re-cylinder<\/li>\n<li>Centrifugal: Consider re-wheeling<\/li>\n<li>Can you reduce the suction temperature of the compressors to increase available HP<\/li>\n<li>Infinite Recycling of LPG\n<ul>\n<li>Is this occurring in your compression system?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s causing downtime of your machines?<\/li>\n<li>Could your upstream separators be carrying over liquids?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>HEAT EXCHANGERS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have the overall heat transfer coefficients become lower?<\/li>\n<li>Have the pressure drops increased?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>PUMPS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0What\u2019s the position of your centrifugal pump discharge control valve?\n<ul>\n<li>Do you have too much HP, consider re-wheeling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Are you<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>shearing<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>and creating a lot of<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>emulsion<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>requiring higher chemical costs?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>SPECIFICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Challenge sales specifications.\n<ul>\n<li>Are we<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>over treating?<\/li>\n<li>How\u2019s our crude vapor pressure (RVP)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Are we over stabilizing?\n<ul>\n<li>How\u2019s our crude BS&amp;W?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Are we<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>over treating?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>REDUCE OPEX<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chemical Costs: Demulsifier\n<ul>\n<li>Are we<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>over dosing?<\/li>\n<li>Are we adjusting the chemical injection rate base on changes in the inlet gross rate?<\/li>\n<li>Have we done a \u201cshootout\u201d with other vendors, and allowed treating to failure point?<\/li>\n<li>Are there recycle streams we can eliminate from the process and treat separately?<\/li>\n<li>Do we have an OPEX model?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Have we identified our fixed and variable costs?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the cost of fuel?\u00a0 Is fuel free?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the cost of flaring?<\/li>\n<li>Are there operating cost differences between \u201cA crew\u201d and \u201cB crew\u201d?\n<ul>\n<li>Set up a competition between \u201cA crew\u201d and \u201cB crew\u201d.\u00a0 Bbls produced, $ energy used per bbl, $ gas flared\/bbl<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>DOWNTIME<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How many times have we repaired this pump this year? Or over its life to date?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the cost of downtime in $\/hr?\u00a0 How many $ in revenue has we lost this quarter?<\/li>\n<li>How long does it take to repair?\u00a0 Do we need a new seal design?\u00a0 More spare parts?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>CAPITAL PROJECTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What could we add to increase production?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is inlet compression profitable? (Lease \/ Purchase)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>FLARE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Is the flare smokey?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This means its rich gas containing<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>propane \/ butanes<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>worth more than methane.\u00a0 It\u2019s a place to look for process changes to prevent the loss of these higher valued components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>WELLS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What\u2019s the effect of increasing the tubing size?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the effect of optimizing the gas lift?<\/li>\n<li>Do all injection wells need the same maximum pressure for<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>gas<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>lift or water injection? Can we segregate the system?<\/li>\n<li>Do the wells need stimulation?<\/li>\n<li>Do the wells need water shutoff?<\/li>\n<li>Manifolds \u2013 Are there leaking check valves allowing backflow from an HP well into an LP well?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Case 1:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Different Molecules have different values in the Gas and Oil.\u00a0 Are you maximizing the value of your products?<\/p>\n<p>Offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, some contracts allow higher vapor pressure in the sales crude oil during the winter months.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>KEY QUESTION:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>How can you take advantage of this opportunity?<\/p>\n<p>Generally, selling molecules as oil has been more valuable than selling the molecules as gas.\u00a0 So how can you send more of smaller LPG molecules into the sales crude oil to increase the number of crude oil barrels sold?<\/p>\n<p>As you learned about vapor pressure and phase diagrams in G4 (Gas Conditioning and Processing course) you simply have to increase the pressure of the final<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>separation,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>and decrease its temperature.\u00a0 In winter months by lowering the oil dehydration train temperature, and increasing its pressure you increase the vapor pressure in the sales oil<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>tank,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>and increase the number of barrels sold.\u00a0 You can generate millions of dollars per year, by simply adjusting a temperature control setpoint and a pressure control setpoint. For Zero CAPEX.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Case 2:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>High Gas Prices<\/p>\n<p>For a short period in<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>2000<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>a unique opportunity presented itself.\u00a0 Gas Prices Spiked!<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.petroskills.com\/images\/2017-blog-images\/april-totm\/2.png\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>KEY QUESTION:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>How do we take advantage of this opportunity?<\/p>\n<p>Simply send your molecules into the gas sales by dropping the oil dehydration<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>treater<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>pressure and raising its temperature.\u00a0 Many Operators in the GOM took advantage of this opportunity. Some just sat and watched!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about similar cases and how to minimize operational problems, we suggest attending our<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petroskills.com\/course\/gas-conditioning-and-processing-g-4\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">G4 (Gas Conditioning and Processing)<\/a>,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petroskills.com\/course\/practical-computer-simulation-applications-in-gas-processing-g-5\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">G5 (Advanced Applications in Gas Processing)<\/a>,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petroskills.com\/course\/concept-selection-and-specification-of-production-facilities-in-field-development-projects-pf-3\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">PF3 (Concept Selection and Specification of Production Facilities in Field Development Projects)<\/a>, and<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petroskills.com\/course\/troubleshooting-oil-and-gas-processing-facilities-pf-49\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">PF49 (Troubleshooting Oil &amp; Gas Processing Facilities),<\/a><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>courses.<\/p>\n<p>PetroSkills offers consulting expertise on this subject and many others. For more information about these services, visit our website at<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"http:\/\/petroskills.com\/consulting\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">petroskills.com\/consulting<\/a>, or email us at<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><a tabindex=\"-1\" href=\"mailto:consulting@PetroSkills.com\" data-tabindex-value=\"none\" data-tabindex-counter=\"1\">consulting@PetroSkills.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By: James F Langer, P.E.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finding Opportunities Checklist This Tip of the Month (TOTM) discusses places to look for opportunities to increase production quickly. I\u2019ll discuss the concepts, techniques, and later where to look for and find opportunities\u2026.to be able to answer the\u00a0Key Question: \u201cAre we getting the most from our Asset?\u201d Do you know how your asset makes money?\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[17],"class_list":["post-2506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s1pQc4-2506","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2506"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2510,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2506\/revisions\/2510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2506"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jmcampbell.com\/tip-of-the-month\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}