Optimizing the Location of Platforms and Manifolds

This paper presents a general method for optimize platform and manifold location in offshore projects, by maximizing their net present value. Finding the best offshore facilities locations is further than minimize the total pipelines length. The distances between wells and platform are related to their productivity, the farther the distance the less production. Each well has a particular response to pressure loss along the pipelines due to fluids and reservoir characteristics. Therefore, not only costs related to distances must be taken in account, but also revenues from the oil production, which are a function of flow conditions in the reservoir, tubing and pipelines. Moreover, to locate a manifold also means choose which wells will be linked with it. Every possible combination of wells leads to a different production rate. Again, petroleum engineering expertise it is needed to optimize the project, working together numerical techniques. A simple optimization method is proposed and to testify it a small example model was built.