Putting It All Together

Operators need to know the properties of their produced fluids in order to manage flow assurance issues embracing the well perspective alongside broader reservoir, production and facilities considerations. Proper fluid sampling and analysis create a firm foundation for minimizing potential disruptions to hydrocarbon flow, and an integrated approach helps address flow assurance challenges at all stages in the production process. Retaining a clean fluid sample at reservoir rather than surface conditions until the laboratory can analyze it is vital, as failure to do so could result in the deposition of solids such as asphaltenes, waxes and hydrates, potentially making the sample unrepresentative. Flow assurance characterization requires an integrated approach that takes into consideration flow assurance from a well perspective as well as from the reservoir, production and facilities perspectives.