Optimization program for offshore network

The Upper Zakum field, 50 km (31 miles) long and 30 km (19 miles) wide, is located offshore the United Arab Emirates, in latitude 25/sup 0/ North and in longitude 53/sup 0/30' East, approximately. The field facilities include one central production platform (central complex), three satellite platforms for primary separation, about 60 drilling or injection platforms, and one exporting terminal located on Zirku Island. Drilling and injection platforms are connected to the satellite platforms through 134 flowlines ranging from 4 to 12 in. in diameter. Connection between each satellite platform and the central complex is ensured through three special-purpose trunklines designed to convey crude oil and gas from satellites to a central complex, and injection water from the central complex to satellites. The trunklines are either 18 or 24 in. in diameter. Crude oil is dispatched from the central complex to Zirku Island through a 42-in. main oil line. This paper describes a program designed to optimize the pipelaying procedures. Since May 1980, the program has been run in the field office on a Hewlett Packard 9845 T computer. Once the yearly overall pipelaying schedule was determined, the program was run weekly to optimize the next 10 lines representing aboutmore » 2 months of lay barge work. Such optimum monitoring and record keeping of the entire construction effort from the pipe mill to the riser installation would not have been possible without this management tool which certainly saved considerable barge transfer and stand-by times, resulting in an important reduction of the overall investment.« less