Pipeline Management Simulator

Pipeline Management Simulator (PMS) is a specific application dedicated to upstream processes and focusing on the transients in multiphase pipelines and consequences on the process facilities.

In most cases, the RSI SIMCON PMS is connected to a pipe multiphase simulation software to obtain a single integrated simulation environment from wellheads to process facilities including the multiphase pipeline network.

PMS is a tool for:

• Engineering
• Support to Operation
• Supervision
• Training

The PMS may be connected to any DCS in which case it acts as a ‘window in the pipe'. The main applications of the PMS, implemented in various projects, are:

• to anticipate physical and hydrodynamic phenomena:
  • pressure losses and temperature profiles
  • liquid content in steady sate flow
  • MEG injection rates
  • liquid accumulation rate in pipelines
  • pigging speed
  • filling curve of the slug catcher vs time
• to help to establish operational procedures in various configurations:
  • permanent flow regime
  • shut down and restart
  • flow rate adjustments
  • liquid slug arrival due to pigging operation
• to determine the optimal operating scenario regarding:
  • pigging frequency
  • management of MEG inventory
  • optimizing procedure for slug catcher reception
• The major benefits are:
  • What-if studies
  • Leak detection: very difficult to estimate with instruments
  • Packing/Unpacking
  • Liquid hold up tracking: oil/condensate and water profiles, total liquid volume in the pipeline
  • Pig tracking: pigging frequency
  • Slug management: slug frequency, maximum allowable ramp-up rates
  • Corrosion monitoring: corrosion hotspot monitoring and inhibitor tracking
  • Hydrate monitoring: hydrate monitoring tendencies, required amount of inhibitor
  • Operation optimization and de-bottlenecking
  • Prediction of deliveries and operational constraints
  • Predictive studies on operational events: well by well production, start up and shut down procedures, pigging sequences.