Abstract:
This paper presents lessons learned over eight years of using the first digital twin in the South China Sea by Cenovus Energy and China National Oil Company (CNOOC) on the Liwan Field. The digital twin provides a collaboration platform for integrated operations and is based on dynamic multi-phase flow simulation models for wells, flowlines and slug catchers, coupled to live field measurements. One of the main objectives of the digital twin is to provide continuous real-time virtual instrumentation, as well as aggregated information related to flow assurance and integrity management with a novel multidimensional model-based leak detection workflow. The digital twin workflows enable operators to better prepare and respond to planned and unplanned events in the field and to analyze and optimize performance of the field, in combination with a data analytics tool. Subsea wet gas flow meters (WGFM) in the field initially provided flow rate information to deep water operations in line with the operational strategy. After one year in production, a reduction in WGFM performance was observed. A mitigation strategy was developed to use the digital twin flow rate calculations combined with the remaining WGFMs for improved operational decision making. Β© 2023, Offshore Technology Conference.
