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51317--9720-Remote Monitoring of the Mechanical Integrity of Oil Sands Facility High Wear Components

This paper discusses the implementation of an on-line remote ultrasonic (UT) system at a SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) facility located within the Athabasca oil sands reserves in Northern Alberta.

Product Number: 51317--9720-SG
ISBN: 9720 2017 CP
Author: Rob Leary
Publication Date: 2017
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The following paper discusses the implementation of an on-line mechanical integrity system at Devon Energy’s Jackfish 2 SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) Project located in Alberta Canada. SAGD wells are used to recover oil that is released from the sands by the injection of steam underground. The recovered bitumen-steam mixture is typically characterized by relatively high concentrations of solids that can create unusual amounts of sand production due to abnormal well operating conditions. The bitumen-solids mixture creates erosion damage that threatens safe well operations and production objectives. The erosion-corrosion mechanism is complicated. Wear rates are uneven and are dependent on product size and density sand and fluid impingement velocities and angles and component geometry’s. Especially affected components include pipe intersections injection points elbows and reducers. These last two components were the targets of the installation of a continuous monitoring system designed to establish erosion-corrosion profiles and predict wear-corrosion rates for the purpose of improving component maintenance and replacement planning. Although previously implemented NDE testing programs have been effective in providing long term mechanical integrity planning information there was a need for a continuous 24/7 hourly reporting system that would provide timely information in the event of an asymmetrical generation of sand that could lead to a near term component failure. This paper discusses the design and installation strategy operational results over the past year and the safety improvements savings and risk reduction factors emerging from the use of this technology.

Key words: conference papers, 2017 conference papers, SAGD, oil sands, erosion, UT, elbows, reducers, mechanical integrity, ultrasound, remote monitoring

The following paper discusses the implementation of an on-line mechanical integrity system at Devon Energy’s Jackfish 2 SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) Project located in Alberta Canada. SAGD wells are used to recover oil that is released from the sands by the injection of steam underground. The recovered bitumen-steam mixture is typically characterized by relatively high concentrations of solids that can create unusual amounts of sand production due to abnormal well operating conditions. The bitumen-solids mixture creates erosion damage that threatens safe well operations and production objectives. The erosion-corrosion mechanism is complicated. Wear rates are uneven and are dependent on product size and density sand and fluid impingement velocities and angles and component geometry’s. Especially affected components include pipe intersections injection points elbows and reducers. These last two components were the targets of the installation of a continuous monitoring system designed to establish erosion-corrosion profiles and predict wear-corrosion rates for the purpose of improving component maintenance and replacement planning. Although previously implemented NDE testing programs have been effective in providing long term mechanical integrity planning information there was a need for a continuous 24/7 hourly reporting system that would provide timely information in the event of an asymmetrical generation of sand that could lead to a near term component failure. This paper discusses the design and installation strategy operational results over the past year and the safety improvements savings and risk reduction factors emerging from the use of this technology.

Key words: conference papers, 2017 conference papers, SAGD, oil sands, erosion, UT, elbows, reducers, mechanical integrity, ultrasound, remote monitoring

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