Understanding the Oil and Gas Upstream

According to Jerry, there are five processing phases in the upstream oil and gas business, beginning with discovery, evaluation, development, production, and ending with abandonment. The discovery and evaluation process is still focused on defining the field prospects to be assessed and calculating the potential and reserves of the resources found there. This process can take 5 to 10 years. The production stage, which lasts around 15 to 30 years, includes the development, production, and abandonment processes.
He emphasized that oil and gas developments are not short-term projects. The duration of the process is determined by the amount of oil and gas that is available. The procedure is complicated, and it requires a substantial sum of money. This industrial contract has an average duration of 40 years.

Basic of Offshore Surface Facilities Engineering and Design

Each gas has its own set of specifications. Methane makes up 83 percent of the gas. The stated specifications must match the sales specifications. A simulation is run using the engineering process based on this specification. Each procedure will result in different outputs; for example, when clean CO2 gas is required, an appropriate removal must be applied.

“The production separator involves 5 to 6 different methods. The force of gravity is a commonly used method. Through this separation, gas, oil, and water will be separated,” he said. Jerry also explained the platform components, such as the deck/topside, jacket, and piles.

The entire process starts with design criteria, which serve as a guide to start on a project. Because each project is customized to different sea depths, each one has a unique design. There are also company-specific codes and standards, as well as some that are international in scope.

After that, there's structural analysis, which is a calculation process that can produce an image as a result. Fabrication is the final process. This process, which begins with the purchase of goods, will put everything that has been calculated and drawn into action.

Reporter: Hanan Fadhilah Ramadhani (Civil Engineering, 2019)
Translator: Sekar Dianwidi Bisowarno (Bioengineering, 2019)