System and method for providing information on production value and/or emissions of a hydrocarbon production system

Abstract

A system for providing information on production value and/or emissions of a hydrocarbon production system is disclosed. The system includes: a plurality of sensors configured to measure a respective plurality of measured parameters of the hydrocarbon production system; an input interface for inputting a plurality of specified parameters into the system; and a processor configured to determine the production value and/or emissions of the hydrocarbon production system in real time based upon the measured parameters and the specified parameters.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of providing information on production value and/or emissions of a hydrocarbon production system, wherein a plurality of measured parameters of the hydrocarbon production system are provided and wherein a plurality of specified parameters are provided, the method comprising:
 determining the production value and/or emissions of the hydrocarbon production system in real time based upon the measured parameters and the specified parameters.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions that, when run on a computer, will configure the computer to perform the method of  claim 29 . 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more individual sub-process systems, wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of sub-process system sensors configured to measure a respective plurality of sub-process system measured parameters, and wherein a processor is configured to determine the respective performances of the sub-process systems using the sub-process system measured parameters. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises a plurality of sub-process systems, and wherein the determined emissions comprise the emissions of the hydrocarbon production system as a whole and the emissions of the respective sub-process systems. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises a plurality of sub-process systems, wherein the determined production value of the hydrocarbon production system comprises the production value at the respective sub-process systems and the production value of the hydrocarbon production system as a whole. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein a processor is configured to determine, using the emissions and/or production value of one or more of the sub-process systems whether repair and/or replacement and/or cleaning of the one or more sub-process systems would improve the production value and/or emissions of the hydrocarbon production system as a whole. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the specified parameters include reservoir data, constants, hydrocarbon market price and/or efficiency numbers. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the measured parameters include pressure and/or temperature of production fluid produced by the hydrocarbon production system at various locations in the hydrocarbon production system. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a processor is configured to determine the actual fluid composition and properties of the production fluid at the various locations in the hydrocarbon production system using the pressure and/or temperature measurements. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the measured parameters include:
 fluid data of the production fluid, such as pressure, temperature, flow rate and/or composition;   fluid data of a working fluid, such as pressure, temperature, flow rate and/or composition;   differential pressure of the production fluid across one or more individual sub-process system of the hydrocarbon production system;   differential pressure of a working fluid across one or more individual sub-process system of the hydrocarbon production system   flow rates of the production fluid at a plurality of locations of the hydrocarbon production system;   flow rates of a working fluid at a plurality of locations in the hydrocarbon production system;   fluid bulk density of the production fluid at a plurality of locations of the hydrocarbon production system;   fluid bulk density of a working fluid at a plurality of locations of the hydrocarbon production system;   salinity or conductivity of the production fluid at a plurality of locations of the hydrocarbon production system;   salinity or conductivity of a working fluid at a plurality of locations of the hydrocarbon production system;   liquid hold-up;   valve position of one or more valves of the hydrocarbon production system;   machine data of one or more machines of the hydrocarbon production system;   power consumption of one or more powered sub-process systems of the hydrocarbon production system;   energy/power loss due to one or more sub-process systems of the hydrocarbon production system;   emission data from one or more energy sources of the hydrocarbon production system; and/or   value of the production fluid.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein there are more than 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 or 5000 sensors measuring more than 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 or 5000 respective measured parameters. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein a processor makes use of more than 500, 600, 700 or 800 mathematical relationships to determine the production value and/or emissions of the hydrocarbon production system in real time based upon the measured parameters and the specified parameters. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more sub-process systems that are cooled or heated by a working fluid, wherein the measured parameters include fluid data of the working fluid, and wherein a processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems that are cooled or heated by the working fluid from the measured fluid data. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more sub-process systems that act on the production fluid to change the energy of the production fluid, wherein the measured parameters include fluid data of the production fluid, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems that act on the production fluid from the measured fluid data. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more sub-process systems that consume energy, wherein the measured parameters include energy supplied to the one or more sub-process systems, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems from the measured energy supplied to the one or more sub-process systems. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more sub-process systems are heated or cooled by a working fluid and consume energy, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems by comparing the energy change in the working fluid passing through the one or more sub-process systems to the consumed energy. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more sub-process systems both act upon the production fluid and consume energy, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems by comparing the energy change in the production fluid passing through the one or more sub-process systems to the consumed energy. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more sub-process systems are heated or cooled by the working fluid, act upon the production fluid and consume energy, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems by comparing the energy change in the production fluid and the working fluid passing through the one or more sub-process systems to the consumed energy. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more sub-process systems that operate at variable speeds and/or consume variable amounts of power, wherein the measured parameters include operating speed and/or power consumption of the one or more sub-process systems, wherein a relationship between operating speed and/or power consumption and efficiency is known for the one or more sub-process systems, and wherein a processor is configured to determine the efficiency of the one or more sub-process systems from the measured operating speed and/or power consumption and the relationship. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises one or more sub-process systems that both consumes energy and changes the energy of the production fluid passing through it, wherein a processor is configured to determine or validate at least some of the fluid data of the production fluid passing through the one or more sub-process system using the consumed energy and/or the determined efficiency of the one or more sub-process system. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system comprises a plurality of wells, and wherein a processor is configured to determine the flow rate for each well from the measured parameters. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the amount of water in the production fluid from the measured parameters. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the processor is configured to use the amount of water in the production fluid to determine how much anti-hydrate formation agent should be added to the fluid at one or more locations in the hydrocarbon production system in order to avoid hydrate. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein a processor is configured to determine the changes to the emissions and/or the production value of the hydrocarbon production system in light of any changes to the operation of the hydrocarbon production system or to forecast future changes that may occur in response to proposed changes. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the processor is configured to output information, the information comprising an instruction to the controller to alter the operation of the hydrocarbon production system. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein a processor is configured to forecast future trends or future values of the production value, the emissions and/or of any other value determined by the processor in relation to the hydrocarbon production system.