Pore to shore
and more.
We follow the problem across equipment, controls and facilities. Where the interactions matter, we model the system together.
- Wells &
flowlines - Pipelines &
flow assurance - Platforms &
FPSOs - Gas processing
& LNG - Refining, petrochemicals
& utilities
Engineering services
Compressor surgeCan the anti-surge valve protect the compressor during an emergency shutdown?
- Objective
- Check whether the proposed anti-surge valve could prevent surge during an emergency shutdown.
- What we did
- Simulated the shutdown with the proposed valve alone and with a cold bypass. Compared compressor flow with the surge limit throughout the transient.
- Findings and decision
- The proposed valve alone allowed the compressor to enter surge. Adding a cold bypass kept it clear of surge in the modelled shutdown, giving the design team a basis for including the bypass.
Compressor controlsWhy were parallel compressor trains behaving differently?
- Objective
- Explain the uneven performance of parallel compressor trains and the flaring at low throughput.
- What we did
- Investigated inconsistent flow readings, uneven load sharing and high discharge temperatures across the trains.
- Findings and decision
- The troubleshooting study linked performance differences to fouling and anti-surge valves passing. The findings identified valves for replacement and a need to address corrosion products.
Carbon capture and storageCan a compressor trip create dry ice in the recycle loop?
- Objective
- Check whether Joule–Thomson cooling across the anti-surge valve during a trip or rapid valve opening could form solid CO₂ (dry ice).
- What we did
- We modelled the pressure and temperature response through trips and valve opening, screened the recycle path for solid CO₂ formation, and assessed how the recycle temperature controls responded.
- Findings and decision
- We screened recycle configurations for dry ice risk and assessed how hot and cold recycle could manage temperature. The design check is whether the controls keep the recycle stream clear of the solid CO₂ region throughout the transient.
Flow assuranceHow much liquid reaches the slug catcher, and where could wax build up?
- Objective
- Assess slugging and wax deposition risk in offshore production flowlines and determine what the receiving facilities need to handle.
- What we did
- Benchmarked the OLGA multiphase model against steady-state hydraulics, then used transient cases to track liquid slugs and assess liquid arrival during pigging. Used fluid-specific wax data to examine deposition risk.
- Design decisions
- Use the predicted liquid arrivals to assess slug catcher capacity and pigging operations. Use the wax assessment to identify where mitigation may be needed.
Heat exchanger tube ruptureCan the low-pressure side withstand the first pressure wave?
- Objective
- Check whether the exchanger and connected piping could withstand a rupture on the high-pressure side.
- What we did
- Simulated rupture at several tube locations and compared pressure peaks with and without a responding check valve.
- Findings and decision
- The highest transient pressure at each location provided the basis for checking equipment and piping design pressures.
Liquid surge and water hammerWhat does backwash do to pump suction pressure?
- Objective
- Check whether backwashing one seawater filter train could cause a low-pressure excursion while the others stayed online.
- What we did
- Modelled the backwash sequence and checked the pressure at the pump suction.
- Findings and decision
- Suction pressure approached its low-pressure limit. We recommended monitoring it at commissioning and slowing the discharge valve stroke if the limit was crossed.
Flare systemsCan the flare system handle a throughput increase?
- Objective
- Close a HAZOP action on whether the existing flare system could handle higher column throughput.
- What we did
- Benchmarked steady-state and dynamic models against plant data, then simulated the overpressure scenarios at increased throughput.
- Findings and decision
- The analysis found the existing relief system could handle the proposed increase and closed the HAZOP concern.
Specialist engineering
Near-wellbore modelling with OLGA and ROCXCan automatic choke control reduce gas breakthrough?
- Objective
- Assess whether automatic choke control could reduce gas breakthrough during oil production.
- What we did
- Used ROCX for near-wellbore reservoir modelling and OLGA for well flow modelling to evaluate how choke adjustments could affect gas breakthrough.
MEG regeneration and salt precipitationWhen does lean MEG need pH adjustment?
- Objective
- Predict lean MEG pH and identify where salts could precipitate across the operating life.
- What we did
- Used an electrolyte model to compare feed conditions and pretreatment cases.
- Findings and decision
- The early-life case could require caustic dosing. Later-life cases were already alkaline, so the study flagged scaling and oxygen-scavenger compatibility for review.
Refinery brine recycleHow much cooling does caustic neutralisation need?
- Objective
- Establish cooler duty and check pumps and valves for a caustic neutralisation upgrade.
- What we did
- Modelled electrolyte chemistry, including the heat of solution and neutralisation, at start- and end-of-run feed conditions.
- Findings and decision
- The study identified the governing cooler duty and checked the proposed brine recycle pump and valve sizing.
Sulphur deposition in natural gasCan solid sulphur form at pressure-regulating valves?
- Objective
- Determine whether solid sulphur could form around pressure-regulating valves.
- What we did
- Compared chemical reaction, hydrocarbon condensation and direct deposition from the gas phase.
- Findings and decision
- Direct deposition was possible under the conditions studied. We recommended inspecting the valve internals to inform preventive maintenance.
Specialist process developmentCryogenic CO₂ removal and sustainable fertiliser process development
We support early-stage process development and prototyping through thermodynamic modelling, feasibility assessment and operability studies.
Applied AI and machine learningWhat damaged the column internals?
- Objective
- Investigate why a sour water stripper missed product specification, ran above design temperature and suffered internals damage.
- What we did
- Used steady-state and dynamic models to test plausible mechanisms, then applied machine learning to field data to identify operating patterns that could contribute.
- Findings and decision
- The investigation narrowed twelve candidate causes to four judged highly likely and suggested changes to procedures for lean-feed operation.
Full service directory
Process design and plant modifications
- Feasibility, concept selection, pre-FEED, FEED and detailed design support
- Heat and material balances, process flowsheets and equipment sizing and adequacy checks
- Hydraulic calculations, pump duty, piping and control valve sizing
- Gas processing, dehydration, condensate stabilisation and NGL fractionation
- LNG liquefaction, regasification and terminal studies
- Offshore topsides, tie-ins, brownfield modifications and plant rejuvenation
Flow assurance and pipeline hydraulics
- Steady-state and transient multiphase hydraulics for wells, flowlines, risers and pipelines
- Pressure and temperature profiles, capacity and operating envelopes
- Liquid holdup, slugging, receiving facility response and liquid management
- Riser de-packing, pipeline pressurisation and integrated pipeline–topsides studies
- Gas lift, gas recycle, production networks and ramp-up studies
- Low-temperature assessment and sulphur deposition studies
Compression, dynamics and process control
- Gas, air, nitrogen, refrigeration and CO₂ compressor studies
- Anti-surge protection, recycle and bypass valves, load sharing and capacity control
- Start-up, shutdown, trips, restart and upset response
- Integrated topsides and facility-wide dynamic studies
- Control scheme development and evaluation for separation, gas breakthrough, fuel gas and blending
- Dynamic studies of compact separators and multiphase pumps
Process safety and pressure protection
- HAZID, HAZOP and safety integrity level (SIL) classification
- Process safety time, high-integrity pressure protection systems (HIPPS) and safeguard response
- Overpressure and relief loads, flare system modelling, header and tip backpressure, and restriction orifice sizing
- Emergency depressuring, blowdown and minimum temperature assessment
- Heat exchanger tube rupture, including multiphase response
- Hydraulic surge and water hammer in loading, injection, seawater and utility systems
Ionic systems and specialist thermodynamics
- Electrolyte and carbonate chemistry, pH prediction and pH control studies
- Salt precipitation in monoethylene glycol (MEG) regeneration and reclamation
- Caustic neutralisation, spent caustic treatment and sour water stripping
- Custom property models, solvent phase equilibria and aromatics partitioning in MEG and methanol
- Fluid characterisation, extended gas–oil ratio studies and supercritical CO₂ property modelling
Carbon capture and storage
- CCS feasibility and concept screening, including delivery to depleted reservoirs
- CO₂ conditioning, dehydration and compression design
- CO₂ pipeline hydraulics, phase behaviour and flow assurance
- Injection pressure and capacity control and detailed-design dynamic studies
Troubleshooting, debottlenecking and optimisation
- Plant data benchmarking, root-cause investigations and operating limit assessment
- Separation, water evacuation, fractionation, tray capacity and column internals investigations
- Compressor and refrigeration troubleshooting and production capacity improvements
- Integrated refinery and petrochemical modelling, production planning and optimisation
- Field-wide production monitoring, forecasting and network optimisation
Utilities, energy and heat management
- Steam network dynamics, header integration and pressure control
- Cogeneration, boiler feedwater, demineralised water and condensate networks
- Fuel gas, cooling water, seawater, heating medium and water injection systems
- Offshore heat management and hot-oil circulation studies
- Utility reliability, performance monitoring and energy optimisation
Custom models, software and operating systems
- Plant-wide and equipment models for design, troubleshooting and daily operations
- Custom simulation software, engineering calculation tools and workflow automation
- Model migration, rebuilding, benchmarking, maintenance and engineering support
- Operator training simulators (OTS) and lifecycle simulation
- Data analytics, machine learning toolkits and model-based performance monitoring
Embedded engineering support
- Engineering support for live studies and ongoing model ownership
- Model review, workflow improvement and technical coaching on real engineering problems