Oil Flow Optimization by Using PertafloSIM - Software Developed by Pertamina Upstream Research & Technology Innovation (URTI)

Abstract

A study has been conducted to analyze and optimize the performance of the pipeline system using PertafloSIM - Software Developed by Pertamina Upstream Research & Technology Innovation (URTI). The case study used is an oil mixture from the Rantau Field and Pangkalan Susu Pertamina EP Asset-1 which is flowed through onshore and offshore pipes for shipment by tanker. It was reported from the field that there was a pressure drop that was quite large that could potentially cause damage to pumping equipment. To prevent such conditions, an optimum pumping system is needed. The first step is carried out by entering the data reported from the field such as pipe length, inside diameter, outside diameter, elevation and roughness, both for onshore, offshore, flexible hoses, and floating hoses leading to the tanker into PertafloSIM software, as well as oil flow rate, temperature, API Gravity of 50 API oil, loading pump pressure (upstream), and SPM pressure (downstream). From the results of the base case study, it was found that the bottleneck occurred in the flexi hose pipe which has a significant pressure drop and fluid velocity of more than 15 ft/s.

Furthermore, various pipeline system optimization scenarios are carried out, including by replacing the existing flexi hose pipe with two sets of flexi hose pipe each 12 inch in diameter, two sets of flexi hose pipe each 6 inch and 12 inch in diameter, and two sets of flexi hose pipe each 6 inch in diameter. From all of these optimization scenarios, "two steps of flexi hose pipe each 6-inch and 12-inch in diameter" is the best and profitable scenario because only to continue using the existing 6-inch diameter flexi hose coupled with 1 series of 12-inch flexi hose pipe, this will be useful for increasing capacity, increasing reliability, and there is a spare flexi hose pipe if one of them leaks / breaks, so it is also beneficial from an economic aspect. All the results of this studies show that PertafloSIM is able to calculate fluid flow in the pipe accurately and reliable for optimizing fluid flow in the pipe.