Optimizing Production in a Deepwater Brazilian Field through Integrated Production System Modelling

Deepwater developments present significant technical and economic challenges, where late-stage design changes can be costly and difficult to implement. In such environments, understanding the interaction between reservoir performance and surface production systems is critical for effective decision-making.

This study presents an integrated production system modelling (IPSM) approach that combines reservoir simulation, well performance, and surface network modelling into a unified workflow. The methodology incorporates uncertainty analysis and optimization to evaluate a wide range of development scenarios and identify optimal operating conditions across the full production system. 

The approach is applied to the Atlanta Field in the Santos Basin, Brazil, a deepwater development with multiple reservoirs producing through a shared FPSO. The integrated model enables consistent representation of subsurface and surface interactions, including flowline constraints, artificial lift systems, and facility processing limits. By coupling multiple reservoirs with the production network, the workflow captures dynamic pressure and flow behavior across the entire system.

Uncertainty ranges are defined across key parameters, including reservoir properties, facility constraints, and operational conditions. An efficient sampling strategy combined with optimization techniques is used to evaluate multiple scenarios and identify configurations that maximize production while respecting operational constraints. Results are visualized across the network to identify bottlenecks and assess system-wide performance.

Simulation results demonstrate that the integrated approach enables rapid evaluation of complex scenarios with minimal additional computational cost. In this case, fewer than 80 simulation runs were required to explore the uncertainty space and identify an optimized solution. The resulting strategy achieved approximately a 21% increase in cumulative oil production compared to the base case, highlighting the value of integrated modelling for production optimization in complex offshore developments. 

Why This Matters

• Integrated modelling improves decision-making
  Coupling reservoir and surface systems provides a more realistic representation of field performance and avoids suboptimal decisions based on isolated models. 
• Uncertainty can be evaluated efficiently
  Sampling and optimization techniques enable rapid exploration of complex parameter spaces with a limited number of simulations. 
• System bottlenecks can be identified early
  Network-wide visualization highlights constraints such as processing capacity, lift limitations, and flowline design. 
• Production gains can be significant
  Optimized configurations delivered up to ~21% increase in cumulative oil production in this case study.
• Supports high-cost offshore developments
  The methodology reduces risk by enabling better-informed decisions before implementation in capital-intensive projects.