Offshore Oil and Gas: From Production To Transportation

Summary

The video takes viewers on an immersive journey into the world of offshore oil and gas extraction, showcasing the advanced technology used to extract hydrocarbons from beneath the ocean floor. It highlights the complexity of operations on offshore platforms, from drilling to gas conditioning, and the challenges faced in transporting natural gas. With cutting-edge processes like liquefaction, gas is reduced to a fraction of its volume, making transportation feasible across vast distances. The video explores the energy liberation from beneath the ocean, demonstrating how the oceans, once a barrier, now play a crucial role in global energy supply.

Takeaways

• 😀 Oceans cover over 70% of Earth, with vast underwater resources like oil, gas, minerals, and precious stones.
• 😀 Offshore platforms, like those in the Sakhalin region, are crucial for extracting hydrocarbons from the seabed.
• 😀 Advanced technologies allow extraction to occur at increasing depths, even in the harshest environments like the Arctic.
• 😀 Specialized training is required for personnel, including helicopter underwater escape training for safety during takeoff and landing.
• 😀 Offshore platforms are large, complex structures divided into production and accommodation areas, functioning like self-sustained cities.
• 😀 Gravity-based platform supports are used to withstand the platform's weight and ice pressure, while also housing critical systems like desalination and sewage.
• 😀 Natural gas from offshore fields is a mixture of methane, sand, produced water, and condensate, requiring conditioning before it can be safely transported.
• 😀 Gas conditioning prevents freezing in pipelines by using substances like monoethylene glycol to manage temperature and pressure fluctuations.
• 😀 Onshore processing facilities (OPF) are responsible for separating gas components and ensuring the purity of natural gas for transportation.
• 😀 Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is created by cooling methane to cryogenic temperatures, reducing its volume for easier global transport.
• 😀 The LNG process involves multiple steps, including air cooling, compression through a choke, and gradual cooling to achieve a liquid state at -165°C.

Q & A

What percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans?

Over 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans.

Why is Earth called Earth and not Water despite oceans covering most of the planet?

Earth is called Earth because, despite the vast oceans, solid ground exists under the water, and the planet is primarily made of solid land and mineral resources.

What is open underwater mining of shelf deposits?

Open underwater mining of shelf deposits refers to extracting minerals, hydrocarbons, and other resources from the seabed, a process that has become increasingly feasible as technology allows deeper exploration of the ocean.

Where does Russia extract oil from in the Arctic region?

Russia extracts oil from the shelf of the Pichora Sea, which is the northernmost oil extraction site in the world.

How do workers reach offshore platforms like Lunskaya?

Offshore platforms like Lunskaya are primarily reached by helicopter, and workers must complete specialized helicopter underwater escape training due to the dangerous nature of takeoff and landing.

What are gravity-based structures used for in offshore platforms?

Gravity-based structures are large, heavy supports resting on the seabed that hold offshore platforms in place and are designed to withstand the weight of the platform, pressure from pack ice in winter, and seismic activity.

How are hydrocarbons extracted from wells at the Lunskaya platform?

Hydrocarbons are extracted from wells drilled into the seabed at the Lunskaya platform. These wells are drilled in different directions to maximize the extraction area, with some extending as far as 9 km from the platform.

What is the purpose of adding ethylene glycol to natural gas on the platform?

Ethylene glycol is added to natural gas on the platform to prevent water vapor from freezing in the pipeline and forming gas hydrate plugs, which could clog the pipes and halt production.

How does the OPF (Onshore Processing Facility) process natural gas from offshore platforms?

The OPF separates natural gas from impurities such as produced water and condensate using several separators. It also generates its own electricity using gas from the platform, ensuring efficient operation.

Why is liquefying natural gas (LNG) important for transportation?

Liquefying natural gas reduces its volume by about 1600 times, making it much more efficient and cost-effective to transport over long distances, especially by sea using specialized LNG carriers.