OIL SYSTEM TUNING

The main objective of the oil system tuning was to operate the Stabilization column (CA-310) in automatic
mo! by DCS. There were 2 main issues for the Stabilization column to be operated in automatic:
. To smooth the oil flowrate at the inlet of column
2. To change the steam flow control mode at the inlet of the reboiler !C"#$.
. Smoothing the flow to the Stabilization column
There are 2 separators upstream of the Stabilization column: DS"#$%
st
stage separator% and DS"#$2% 2
nd
stage separator. &n between those 2 separators are installed the plate heat e'changer !C"##.
The !C"##s are flow"variation sensitive e(uipments: rapid flow variation should be minimized to avoid failure
of the plates by vibration. This can be obtained by smoothing the flow out of DS"#$ and by adjusting the cold
by"pass flowrate.
a) DS"#$ level is controlled by *+#$,. This control valve has been designed to handle high surge flow:
up to ,-$%$$$ ./D for a delta pressure of , bar. Therefore any small opening variation of the valve will have a
great impact on the flow rate. To smooth the flow we choose to accept level variation in the separator by
reducing the response time of the valve. This has been done by reducing the gain and increasing the reset time
of the /&D controller.
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% LIC301' a%!( Gain ) 0*3 +!#!t ) ,00# +at! ) 0- o.!%atin$ #!t .oint i# /00*
0 detailed drawing of the DS"#$ separator internals with recommended set points and volume against 1 DCS
has been filed in the CC2 folder for operator reference.
b) Cold by"pass flowrate is manually adjusted waiting for /C+#33 to be installed. &n normal production
phase the ball valve is open at around ,1. &t should never been closed unless this was instructed by /lant
Supervisor.
c) DS"#$2 level is controlled in cascade mode: *T#$2, is feeding the set point of the 4&C#2, that control
4+#2, at the outlet of the desalters. Similarly to DS"#$ tuning% the changing aim was to slow the response of
the controllers. 0s most of the gas has been evacuated in DS"#$% the available li(uid height in DS"#$2 is
higher% therefore higher"level fluctuation are acceptable.
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% LIC30,' a%!( Gain ) 0*, +!#!t ) ,00 +at! ) 0*1#- o.!%atin$ #!t .oint i# ''0*
&t is not usual to use 2ate on level control but this very small 2ate value was added to compensate the very
slow reaction of the controller.
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% 1IC3,1' a%!( Gain ) 0*, +!#!t ) 100 +at! ) 0*
0 detailed drawing of the DS"#$2 separator internals with recommended set points and volume against 1 DCS
has been filed in the CC2 folder for operator reference
Those new settings have smoothed the oil flow to the Stabilization column. .efore the tuning the flowrate could
vary from #$$ to $$ m#5h% it is now varying from 2#$ to 6$ m#5h.
2. Change the steam flow control mode
/revious control mode was as displayed in 0ppendi' .
The Steam flow to reboiler !C"#$ was controlled on cascade mode from TT#$$ feeding the set point of
4&C#$, that control the 4+#$,. .ut the steam pressure in the reboiler bundle was fluctuating% some times
reaching the steam networ7 pressure. Therefore the 4+#$, had no more action on the steam flow because of
no differential pressure. &t was then impossible to control the flow in automatic.
0 new control mode has been implemented% as displayed in appendi' 2.
8ow the TT#$$ is still feeding the set point of 4&C#$,% but 4& #$, now control *+#$9. The 4+#$, is forced
to fully open position. :e now have a stable pressure in the reboiler bundle smoothing the heat e'change rate.
.ecause in this control mode the condensate level is not controlled and steam may ingress the condensate
networ7% we had a selector on the control of *+#$9. &ndeed when the level drops in reboiler bundle down to
3$1 ;e(uivalent to ,1 of the bundle height) the *T#$9 will ta7e over the control. 0s *&C#$9 set point is 9,1%
it will tend to close the valve% the level will increase and no steam will ingress the condensate networ7.
<nce level has reached 3,1 ;e(uivalent to $1 of the bundle height)% the 4&C#$, will again ta7e over the
control of *+#$9.
This has been tested at very low oil flow rate% around $%$$$ ./D% as well as high flowrate% around =,%$$$ ./D%
and it is wor7ing fine.
The tuning of the controllers are as below:
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% TT3100 a%!( Gain ) 0*/ +!#!t ) 120 +at! ) '#- o.!%atin$ #!t .oint i# 3'4C
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% 1C310' a%!( Gain ) 0*5 +!#!t ) 1'0 +at! ) 0#*
N!" #!ttin$# !nt!%! &o% LIC3102 a%!( Gain ) 1 +!#!t ) 100 +at! ) 0#- o.!%atin$ #!t .oint i# 2'0*
Due to taping relocation of *T#$9% the 1 displayed in the DCS does not represent the condensate li(uid height
in the reboiler bundle. 0 curve showing the DCS reading against the li(uid height has been plotted and is
displayed in the CC2.
Stabilization temperature of Tray 2, is to be controlled at -,>C. Some test were done from $$ >C to -2>C to
identify at what minimum temperature the tower can be operated without losing the ?2S specification on the oil
e'port. 0t -=>C the ?2S is still within the specification but at -#>C the ?2S in the oil e'port start to increased%
and at -2>C the ?2S content in the oil e'port is too high: above $$ ppm. 0t -,>C the ?2S e'port is around #$
ppm and there some margin for any fluctuation.
ATTENTION
0ll above tunings are performing within certain fluctuation of the oil flow from the wells. :ells change over from
production to test line and vice versa are creating flow fluctuation to DS"#$ inlet. The above tuning will handle
such variation but for some specific wells with high @<2 ;D"2/ and D"2,/) the operator may have to control
the separator level in manual in case of high surge flow from the well due to improper well diversion from the
cluster. <nce situation is normalized% the automatic control can be resumed.
2egards%
!ric Darfeuille
Aharg% 2# Bay 2$$9