SPE 93636
Success Story To Produce 200 MMscfd of Gas From Mutiara
Y.A. Prihartono, A.P. Riksa, and S.R. Affan, VICO Indonesia
Copyright 2005, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2005 Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and
Exhibition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, 5 – 7 April 2005.
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Abstract
Mutiara Field is one of four fields in VICO Indonesia, East
Kalimantan that located in southern of the contract area.
The central processing plant of Mutiara Field is originally
designed for processing 165 MMscfd gas. In 2002-2003,
some planned work programs were done successfully that
include 5 well workover, installation of additional one MP
compression unit and 2 well drilling program. The success
of these work programs became apparent that Mutiara
could produce more than 165 MMscfd. However, the plant
throughput was limited by flare system capacity and gas
dehydration capacity. So, the challenge was to overcome
the capacity limit at minimum cost to allow Mutiara to
increase sales gas export.
Some inter-multidisciplinary studies were conducted to
solve the problem, to find the most suitable and most
economic solution. The study concluded that there are two
options to process gas more than plant capacity limit that
are: installing additional flare system or to modify plant’s
overpressure protection system. The last option was
selected based on time and cost justification. This
modification is to cease incoming gas to the plant in order
to maintain gas inside the plant below the flare capacity in
case of overpressure occurred in the event of process
upset.
Other problem that exists is limitation of dehydration unit to
absorb water in the gas until the allowable limit. Overhaul
dehydration unit had been done to improve its performance.
This was also to include clean up and pressure testing of all
equipment associated. Also, some pipeline debottlenecking
projects at outlet plant were done to reduce plant outlet
pressure that also supports operation of the plant.
The above changes were made at almost no capital cost,
allowed Mutiara to produced gas at 200 MMscfd started on
mid of 2003.
Introduction
VICO Indonesia is the operator of Sanga-Sanga PSC in
East Kalimantan – Indonesia (Fig. 1). VICO has four major
fields that averagely produce about 800 MMscfd gas and
30,000 BOPD. The gas is delivered via pipeline to Bontang
LNG Plant and processed to LNG products for distribution
and sale in East Asia market. The production facility which
is this paper focused on is in Mutiara Field.
Discovered in 1990, Mutiara Field manages three areas,
which are located in the southern part of VICO PSC (Fig.
2). These areas are Mutiara, Beras located in southern area
and Pamaguan located in northern area of the field.
Hydrocarbon accumulations exist in the Middle to Upper
Miocene aged sandstones, at depths from 1,000 feet to
around 11,000 feet. The thickness of the reservoirs range
up to 110 feet while the reservoir permeability is generally
good and can be as high as 2 D. The original gas in place is
1.3 TCF with 1.0 TCF of recoverable gas reserves. To date,
total 100 wells have been drilled with total cumulative
production around 500 MMscfd.
In the beginning Mutiara Field was focusing on
development of oil reservoir. Until 1990 when a significant
gas reserves in this area found. Based on the result, it was
decided to produce the gas to develop the reserve and also
support gas demand from Bontang LNG Plant. In 1990,
Mutiara started to build the central gas processing plant in
Mutiara Central Plant (MCP). This plant receives gas and
liquid from wells in Mutiara area. To support the production,
three gas gathering stations were built. Two gas stations
are located in Beras area to receive gas and liquid from
wells in this area; and one gas station in Pamaguan area.
Gas in Beras and Pamaguan areas are gathered into
medium pressure (MP) system or very low pressure (VLP)
system then compressed into MP system before it is
delivered to MCP for further processing.
Gas processing plant in MCP production capacity was 120
MMscfd. Gas delivered to Bontang LNG plant through 20”
pipeline. The plant is also equipped with gas dehydration
unit, oil/condensate stabilization system, produced water
treatment plant, and utilities facilities.
Since 1991 until the end of 1999, the production rate was
120 MMscfd. In the beginning of 2000, some gas wells
drilling developments were performed, and gave a good
result that allow Mutiara to delivered gas up to 165 MMscfd.
Since the plant capacity was designed at 120 MMscfd it is
2 SPE 93636
decided to install additional MP compression unit (55
MMscfd capacity). Theoretically, after installation of the new
compressor Mutiara gas production more than 165 MMscfd.
Another constraint was the flare stack capacity with
maximum capacity at 165 MMscfd, it was decided to limit
the plant capacity to produce gas at this level for safety
reasons (Fig. 3).
In 2002-2003, some planned work programs were done
successfully which gave the results higher than prediction.
These work programs consist of 5 wells workover, 2
development drillings, and installation of another MP
compression unit (increased MP compression capacity up
to 180 MMscfd). Well workover and drilling programs gave
very high rate with high reservoir pressure, and produced
into HP system (no more depend on the MP compression
capacity). The success of these work programs became
apparent that Mutiara could have produce gas more than
200 MMscfd.
To accommodate this purpose, some inter-multidisciplinary
reviews were conducted. A multidiscipline team consists of
production and maintenance team, production engineer,
process and compressor engineer was formed to do the
review. The main objective of this team was to identify the
bottlenecking of the existing production facilities and find
the solution to maximizing gas delivery from Mutiara Field.
After reviewing the engineering data of the existing
production facilities, operational history data, and current
practice of daily operation and maintenance, the team
comes up with the following findings:
• The plant throughput was limited by gas flaring
system capacity. Increasing the production rate will
increase load into the flare system when the
undesirable condition occurred, such as fire or
overpressure.
• Gas dehydration unit is designed for 120 MMscfd
capacities. Increasing the rate will make the
performance of the unit became lower and
increasing the water content and risk in the
pipeline. The daily operational record also shows
that the unit was running in non-optimum condition
and gave worse results compared to the original
design.
• The other constraint is pipeline network problem. In
the existing configuration, Mutiara Field used 20”
pipeline to Bontang, sharing with other gas
producer in East Kalimantan. This condition
resulted high back pressure to Mutiara and
lowering the compressor performance.
Improvement and Implementation Planning
Further study was conducted to solve the above constraints
in order to increase Mutiara plant capacity; and several
options were identified for the improvement. Some
considerations for this improvement are the options have to
be safe to be implemented, with reasonable cost and
schedule.
Gas Flaring System Capacity
Mutiara Central Plant has equipped with overpressure
protection system that consist of several pressure safety
valves (PSV), blowdown valves (BDV), pressure control
valves (PCV) and other relief system that usually connected
to gas flaring system. The function of the overpressure
protection system is to protect related equipment from
undesirable condition (such as fire, high or low pressure) to
ensure the equipment are operating in safe condition.
The overpressure protection system was designed to
release all gas in the system to flare system if undesirable
condition occurred. Total rate from released gas into the
flare system has to be lower than flare capacity. In the
existing plant, flare system has the maximum capacity at
165 MMscfd and the released gas can be maintained at this
rate since the maximum incoming rate into the plant is also
maintained at this level.
However, increasing plant delivery more than 165 MMscfd
will increase the risk for the plant. If the plant processes gas
more than 165 MMscfd, the possible released gas into the
flare system will also increase. This condition creates
unsafe situation for the plant. In order to overcome the
limitation of gas flaring capacity, two options are
recommended:
• Increase flare capacity up to 200 MMscfd by install
additional flare stack in MCP, parallel with the
existing flare stack.
• Modify the overpressure protection system to
ensure the load the flare system when undesirable
event happens does not exceed the existing flare
stack capacity, although the gas rate in plant is
higher than 165 MMscfd.
Then, it is decided to select the second option base on cost
and timing consideration. To install a new flare stack will
require high capital cost and also time consumed, while the
demand for the gas is high in the period.
The proposed of new overpressure protection system in
MCP is to reduce load of the released gas into the flare
system when undesirable event happens. This new system
changes the philosophy of overpressure protection system
by closing all incoming gas into the plant when fire or high
pressure condition in the system occurs. The modifications
are as follows:
• For high pressure system: lowering pressure setting
point for all SDV’s at the inlet manifold by 100 psig. This
modification will increase the sensitivity of the SDV’s at
inlet manifold and allow all HP gas wells are closed at
the inlet manifold and reduce released gas into flaring
system.
• For medium pressure system:
- Reduces pressure setting point for all SDV’s at the
inlet manifold by 15 psig. The modifications have
similar impact as high pressure system.
- Increase the setting point of the BDV’s at suction of
MP compressor units by 5 psig to reduce the
sensitivity of valves in order to reduce load to flare
system.
SPE 93636
- Resetting all pressure system in every well to
accommodate with manifold’s SDV.
- Remove BDV at trunkline from stations. Originally
BDV will release gas from the stations when MCP
unable to process the gas. By this modification, the
trunkline closed when MCP is unavailable and
reduce gas load into the flare system.
In general, these modifications change the MCP shutdown
system philosophy by closing the unit first before excess
gas is flared.
Gas Dehydration Unit
Other problem constraints Mutiara to produce higher gas
rate was limitation of gas dehydration unit. The existing gas
dehydration unit is designed for 120 MMscfd gas rate with
moisture content in the export gas at 7 lb/MMscfd gas.
Currently, VICO adopts moisture content standard for gas
in pipeline at lower than 20 lb/MMscfd.
The dehydration unit used in Mutiara is a liquid desiccant
type with triethylene glycol (TEG) as water absorber. The
unit consists of gas contactor and glycol reboiler unit. The
gas contactor is used to mix the wet gas (usually from HP
gas well or from discharge MP compressor) with lean glycol
in counter current flow. Moisture in the gas will be absorbed
by the lean glycol from the reboiler. Gas contactor that used
in Mutiara is structured packing type inside the unit. Glycol
reboiler unit to regenerate the rich glycol contains high
water. The rich glycol heated in reboiler to vaporize the
water to produce the lean glycol before it pumped back to
gas contactor.
Based on engineering simulation, if the plant capacity
upgraded to 200 MMscfd, the existing gas contactor had to
be able to process up to 140 MMscfd with moisture content
maximum 7 lb/MMscfd; while the rest of the gas flows
though by-pass line of the contactor in order to achieve 20
lb/MMscfd moisture content in the sales gas.
To maintain the moisture content at <20 lb/MMscfd, gas
dehydration unit had to be modified by the following
options:
• Replace the existing structured packing with new
type of packing to improve gas dehydration system
gas produce lower moisture content in gas.
• Install new dehydration system with capacity 60
MMscfd.
• Relocate dehydration unit from other field in VICO,
but has lower maximum allowable working
pressure.
From the operation side, it was found moisture content in
the gas stream was higher than the original design. Then, it
was recommended to improve the gas dehydration
performance to achieve the original design parameter.
The option selected was not to install the new equipment,
but improving the existing unit as per original design, while
the excess gas will be by-passing the contractor. An
overhaul of gas dehydration unit was performed. It was
found that the still column of the reboiler unit was plugged
3
by waxy material and prevented the water to vaporize from
the glycol and keep the water content in the glycol high.
Another problem found was the glycol purity was lower than
the manufacturer’s specification. To solve the problem,
inspection, testing and general clean up of the reboiler,
glycol tank, glycol filter and gas contactor were performed.
Then a new glycol with 99% purity was used for
operational.
After the system was cleaned up completely, several gas
dehydration performance tests were done. The operational
parameters are monitored and optimized regularly; the
glycol purity was checked regularly by sending the glycol
sample to laboratory, and also improved the glycol
regeneration system was working to remove the water until
less than 1%. As the final result, the water content in the
export gas can be maintained within the specification.
Pipeline System
In the existing configuration, Mutiara gas flows thru 20”
pipeline to Bontang, sharing with other gas producer in East
Kalimantan. By this configuration, the plant outlet pressure
at MCP is about 990 psig, and sometimes are higher
depends on back pressure from Bontang and gas rate from
other gas producer. This condition also affects the
performance of MP compressor units and whenever the
pipeline pressure increased, causing compression capacity
lower and reduces the plant delivery.
Based on engineering simulation, increasing gas delivery
up to 200 MMscfd will increase pipeline pressure from 990
to 1065 psig at MCP. Increase the plant outlet pressure up
to this level will decrease the compression capacity by 15
MMscfd. The simulation also shows very high pressure
drop will occur in the pipeline section between MCP and PK
1.4 point (when the pipeline is connected to other gas
producer).
To solve this condition, a pipeline debottlenecking project
has to be conducted, either by installing parallel pipeline
from MCP to PK 1.4 point to reduce the pressure drop or by
connected to another pipeline that owned by other gas
producer. The pipeline size is 42 inches pipeline and
crossing nearby MCP and has lower operating pressure.
Project Implementation and the Results
In the beginning of 2003, the options for each constraint
were selected. The schedule was set to produce Mutiara
gas at 180 MMscfd by mid of 2003 and 200 MMscfd by Q4-
2003.
The modification of the overpressure protection was
conducted by Maintenance team. The modifications cover
resetting of related overpressure protection equipment and
also actual test of shutdown system. The modifications
were completed in mid of 2003. Overhaul of gas
dehydration unit and performance test were performed by
Production team.
The modification of pipeline network was also completed by
mid of 2003. A connection from plant outlet into the 42
4 SPE 93636

inches pipeline was proved to lower plant discharge Acknowledgments

pressure by 100 psig that also support operation of the The authors wish to thank the management of VICO
plant. Indonesia and BP-MIGAS for permission to publish and
present this paper at the 2005 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and
When the commissioning was performed in mid of 2003, Gas Conference and Exhibition.
Mutiara Central Plant produces gas at 180 MMscfd. And at
the beginning of October 2003, when new drilled well and
References
MP compressor were put on service, the gas delivery
increased to 200 MMscfd. The above changes made at
almost no capital cost. 1. VICO Indonesia, Mutiara Field Engineering Data Book,
1991
Currently, the field production is 195 MMscfd gas and 4500 2. VICO Indonesia, Mutiara/Beras/Pamaguan Standard
BPD hydrocarbon liquid. (Fig. 4) Operating Procedure, 2000
3. VICO Indonesia, Glycol Dehydration System
Conclusion Troubleshooting, 1997
4. VICO Indonesia year book reserves, 2005
This paper presented an overview of the improvement of a
gas plant to increase plant capacity. The following
concluding remarks are made:
• This project is driven by successful work programs,
such as development drilling, well workover and
facility project.
• The time required to implement this project from
concept to successful operation was about six
months.
• The implementation of this project is possible due
to support and participation from many disciplines
team.
SPE 93636 5

Pamaguan

To
Bontang
Mutiara
Central Plant

M6
Station From
other
company

M8
Station

Sanga-Sanga PSC in East Kalimantan – Indonesia (Fig. 1) Mutiara Field areas (Fig. 2)

Gas Production Profile

1991-2005

Mutiara compression schematic (Fig. 3) Mutiara gas production (Fig. 4)