Flow Assurance

Overview

Flow assurance is about making sure that oil and gas keep moving from the reservoir to the processing facility throughout the life of a field. Hydrates, wax, asphaltenes, scale, slugging and corrosion can each restrict or stop flow, sometimes within hours, and the cost of remediation in subsea and long-distance systems can be enormous. This course explains the causes of these problems and the strategies used to prevent and manage them. Participants study multiphase flow behaviour and slugging, thermal design and insulation, hydrate formation and inhibition, wax deposition and pigging, asphaltene and scale management, and emulsions and sand. They then learn how flow assurance shapes design decisions, operating philosophies and procedures for start-up, shutdown and depressurisation, and how monitoring and modelling support day-to-day operations.

Objectives

• Explain multiphase flow regimes and slugging behaviour
• Perform basic thermal and hydraulic analysis of flowlines
• Predict hydrate formation and design inhibition strategies
• Assess wax and asphaltene risks and select mitigation methods
• Identify scale, sand and emulsion problems and their controls
• Develop operating strategies for start-up, shutdown and depressurisation
• Apply monitoring and modelling to manage flow assurance risks
• Integrate flow assurance into field development decisions

Who should attend

Training methodology

Each threat is explained through its underlying physics and chemistry, then explored through laboratory data, field cases and simple calculations. Participants use phase envelopes and hydrate curves, estimate inhibitor dosages, perform heat loss calculations and interpret pigging and pressure data. A design workshop asks teams to develop a flow assurance strategy for a subsea tie-back, including operating procedures. Lessons from blockages and remediation campaigns are shared throughout, and a final assessment completes the course.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Fees are in GBP. per delegate.

Certificate

Frequently asked questions