The Impact of Subsea Processing on Integrated Flow Assurance Solutions

It has been well documented how an integrated approach to flow assurance can reduce the impact on the surface production facilities resulting in increased availability (uptime) of the satellite production. It is also well known how a well designed chemical program properly executed can assure production availability from subsea tie-backs. What is perhaps less well documented is the effect of subsea processing specifically on flow assurance issues. Much has been said about the reduced back-pressure and increased flow but not so much emphasis has been placed on its effect on flow management and surface facilities. There are a number of benefits and some minor issues that must be addressed when adding pumps and separators for seabed processing, this presentation will address the benefits and issues using examples taken from real applications and study work.