Recent Projects

BGO

MSi Kenny has commissioned the Leak Detection System (LDS) for Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) at its Bandar Gas Operations (BGO) facility. MSi Kenny’s leak detection technology is bundled with its Virtuoso®/Monitor solution to provide accurate leak detection. BGO is monitoring for gas leakage in real-time on multiple pipelines throughout its operations.

Escravos-Warri Pipeline

A Leak Detection System for the Escravos-Warri gas pipeline was developed for Greenford Energy Nigeria. This system models a 60km pipeline that runs from an onshore natural gas processing plant in Escravos, Nigeria to a distribution plant in Warri, Nigeria. The solution includes Virtuoso/ES, Virtuoso/Monitor and leak detection and location. The system is a pilot which is expected to expand and cover more pipelines in the Nigeria gas distribution network.

Nord Stream

MSi Kenny has been selected by Nord Stream to design, configure and deliver Virtuoso/ES and Virtuoso/Advise for its gas pipeline link between Russia and Europe in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream will transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas each year and will use ES and Adviseto perform hydraulic and thermodynamic simulations, and real-time monitoring of the pipelines' operations respectively.

OCTIP

The Onshore Terminal Integration Project (OCTIP) was developed by BP to increase reserves pull through from the aging Southern North Sea (SNS) assets while rationalizing processing facilities from three nearby terminals for improved operational efficiencies and safety risk reduction. The project consisted of installing two trains of two stage compression and combining all liquid processing equipment at the Dimlington Gas Terminal. The scope for MSi Kenny consisted of two major deliverables. The first deliverable was to provide a full field transient simulation model which encompasses the entire SNS asset. Virtuoso/ES, designed to provide engineers with a full-field integrated model with 135 wells, 32 flow lines, six compressors (with corresponding load balancing and control algorithms), eight separators, two condensate stabilization trains, and one dew point train. The product was utilized by BP to develop new operational procedures, examine new control loops, and carry out detailed liquid transport and pigging analysis studies. The Virtuoso /Train module included exact replicas of the SCADA HMI and this module was utilized to train operators in advance of first flow through the compression system. The second deliverable by MSi Kenny was to provide a real-time asset management system. The primary objective of this software system is to advise and assist control room operators on impending liquids handling problems at the terminal. Virtuoso/VMS and Virtuoso/Optimize were deployed to monitor and forecast gas and liquid transport, initiating at the well head and terminating at the sales point, and advise operators in advance of any problems such as liquid handling issues, over pressurization, and nomination shortfall. The solution also includes leak and restriction on all 32 flow lines for surveillance engineers. Virtuoso/Optimize provides engineers with valuable compressor information such as operating efficiency, and fuel gas usage as well as production rates at various operating pressures to enable engineers to make informed decisions on what suction pressures to operate the compressors at.

Qatar Petroleum

The QP Leak Detection System was originally deployed in 2004. Under massive redevelopment and modernization, Qatar Petroleum has greatly expanded their Gas Distribution System and with it MSi Kenny’s Leak Detection System. The LDS covers over 45 pipelines all across Qatar from the main distribution center in Mesaieed, to the rapidly growing Ras Laffan area. QP continues to add new pipelines to provide Sweet Gas to the consumers in the western Qatar Dukhan area. MSi Kenny’s Leak Detection System has been selected once again to cover these new Dukhan area pipelines.

Due to the complex and intricate interconnection of the QP pipelines and less than favorable process instrumentation, MSi Kenny has made extensive use of its Chameleon™ technology. This technology is used to properly filter bad instrument signals, perform a multitude of signal and flow logic, and automatically provide mass balance to maintain model accuracy and robustness.

The system also provides standard pipeline operation guidance using Virtuoso/Advise for look-ahead and predictive forecasting techniques to provide specific advice to meet future demands, and evaluate potential gas supply constraints.

MSi Kenny’s Virtuoso/ES and Virtuoso/Train software systems provide operator training for their complex gas network operations at two locations in Qatar. A SCADA system emulator has been implemented so operators can get realistic training of SCADA operations and train in safe, offline mode.

Perdido

The Perdido project was developed by Shell and consists of 22 subsea wells (Phase I) at depths of 7000 to 9000 feet of water and their multiphase pipeline network. MSi Kenny was selected to provide a stand-alone transient engineering simulator and integrate the model alone into an OTS solution incorporating subsea, lift, and process control systems. The stand-alone Virtuoso/ES system provides engineers with a high fidelity, integrated model that encompasses the wells, pipelines, caissons, ESPs, and topside equipment. The integrated nature of the model allows a user to observe complex field behavior and interactions without having to use multiple specialized simulation packages. Special Features Include:

Subsea Caisson and ESP Modelling

The Perdido development uses an innovative subsea caisson separation with ESP pumping technology. The ESPs were integrated into the model. Each ESP is driven by a variable frequency drive (VFD). The VFD manages the AC frequency to the pump to get the required flowrate while protecting the pump from resonance frequencies, high amperage, etc. The controls for the pumps are also handled by the model. The properties of the pumped fluid, and its operational boundary conditions are used to calculate the pump parameters, which are then fed through the control logic to prevent damage to the pump, just like in the field.

Bundled Thermal Model

Three concentric tubing strings in the top-tensioned risers exchange heat with each other. The cool gas rises up the outer annulus, while the oil-water mix gains some of the waste heat as it goes through the ESP. The heat transfers from the middle annulus carrying the upward-flowing pumped liquid to the outer annulus filled with gas and on through to the outer wall and insulation to the surrounding cold water. As the fluids rise to shallower depths, warmer seawater temperatures can reverse the direction of heat flux. When liquid is pumped into the downcomer, the innermost string, it commonly enters hot at the top and loses heat to the rising gas and liquid columns in the annuli, therefore, cooling down as it reaches the caisson. A bundled heat transfer model captured these important transient thermal effects.

Composition and Property Tracking

Fluids are produced from multiple wells and commingled into several pipelines and then separated at the mud line at dynamic pressures ranging from 650-1500psig, which results in varying bubble points for the liquid pumped up the riser. This has a significant impact on the hydraulics and slugging potential of that riser. A fit-for-purpose composition modelling scheme based on pseudo-components, and mixing rules was developed so accurate bubble-point predictions were achievable at little computational cost.

Viking AGF

The Viking Above-Ground Facility (AGF) is being constructed in Etzel, Germany to manage gas storage operations out of six underground storage caverns. MSi Kenny developed the Virtuoso/ES system including a custom-built cavern model. The cavern was first modelled using a Computational Fluid Dynamics package. The results were used to develop reduced-dimensional models to improve the model speed. MSi Kenny is also developing a Virtuoso/Control system called ViPER, which is a high-availability system designed for 24x7 operation to optimise and operate the AGF.

ViPER will provide continuous monitoring of the storage facilities and key process equipment. Using proprietary models of the plant, ViPER will predict and monitor process states which cannot be or are not measured. This includes storage pressures, temperatures, water content, and composition. The system also monitors pipeline pressure, temperature, and hydrate formation potential.

ViPER will use fast forecast models to calculate optimum ways to operate the plant and using intelligent control algorithms, implement changes in the control system to effectively operate the plant in cruise control mode.