Name
Subsea Choke Vibration: Identification of Root Cause, Assessment of Fatigue Impact, and a Design to Mitigate
Date & Time
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Matt Dionne
Description

Vibration was detected on the subsea chokes of gas wells during certain operational scenarios. The conditions under which the vibration was seen were transient, but apparently linked to certain operational conditions relating to flowrate and pressure. Detailed CFD and acoustic finite element analysis of the tree and choke systems identified the likely cause of the resonation and aligned tightly with actual production data. Measurement of the choke vibration in situ enabled validation of the modeling efforts. The operational conditions to avoid if possible were identified through modeling analysis and integrated into standard operating procedures. Mechanical dynamic finite element modeling of the choke assembly determined the fatigue sensitive components. Existing fatigue damage was estimated through the analysis of production data utilizing the vibration model developed. Validation of the model allowed for proposing a design change to the choke plug and cage assembly that would reduce the vibration force by a factor of 2 to 5. The workflow developed and validated here provides a roadmap for future projects intending to leverage existing oil-based choke designs in high-rate gas fields to verify acceptable vibration performance in the application.

Location Name
Room 006
Full Address
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
900 E Market St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
United States