SPE 80505

Drag Reducer Increases Pipeline Capacity to Accommodate the Successful

of Field Development
Indra Prasetyo, PT Exspan Nusantara

Copyright 2003, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

90% from its baseline capacity, whilst maintaining the
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and pipeline operating pressure within an allowable range.
Exhibition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, 15–17 April 2003.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
With DRA application, production from KS field could be
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to accelerated, allowing EXSPAN to benefit from the Domestic
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at Market Obligation (DMO) free period incentive and the crude
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of price increment, with minimum investment and operating
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is costs. Within 1.5 years (estimated time required to develop a
prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300
words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous loop line) EXSPAN had a net share increment of about $22
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O.
Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.
million and saved about $0.7 million per year from shutting
down one of three booster pump stations along Kaji–KM.3
pipeline. And within the same period of time, the government
Abstract of Indonesia had a net share increment of about $126 million.
Kaji-Semoga (“KS”) field, located in south Sumatera,
Indonesia, began to produce in March 1997, with 77MMBO Introduction 1
proven reserves and peak production forecast at 40 MBO/d in Drag Reducing Agents (“DRA”) or Drag Reducers (“DR”) are
year 1999–2000. To transport the production of KS field to chemical agents used to reduce or minimize the frictional pressure
Plaju refinery, PT Exspan Nusantara (“EXSPAN”) built a two- loss caused by turbulence in the pipeline. A drag reducer does not
pipeline system comprising 2x4-in diameter pipelines tied up work in laminar flow regimes. This is because drag reduction
to Tempino–Plaju pipeline, and one 8-in diameter pipeline tied occurs by an interaction of the polymer molecules of the drag
up to EXSPAN owned Jene-Km 3 pipeline, with three booster reducer with the turbulence formation of the flowing fluid or
pump stations built along this pipeline. hydrocarbon.
As the development drilling continued, the reservoir DRAs are solutions of poly alpha olefins, high molecular weight
calculation of proven reserves increased to 135 MMBO and copolymers, viscous or non-Newtonian fluids that are based on
the peak production forecast increased to 68 MBO/d in year either hydrocarbon (isopentane or kerosene) or water solvent. By
2001. Problems arose due to the limited pipeline capacity. To reducing pressure loss, we can optimize pipeline operation in
solve these problems, some alternatives were discussed, such several ways, such as increasing flow rate in the existing pipeline
as developing other pipelines or a loop line system. system whilst maintaining the operating pressure, reducing pipeline
operating pressure whilst maintaining total throughput or flow rate,
Both alternatives needed substantial initial investment and reducing energy and operating costs by eliminating a pump booster
time to be developed. For example, approximately 1.5 years station along the pipeline system, and many other applications.
and an initial investment of $12 million were needed to The first use of a DRA in the oil and gas industry was to
develop a loop line system. One alternative, which can be reduce the pressure loss during pumping of fluids downhole to
applied in a short time and does not require a high initial fracture tight formations. Drag reducer application for crude
investment, was suggested. The option called for the use of oil transportation or pipeline system began around 1978 and
Drag Reducing Agents (“DRA”). the first injection was into the Trans- Alaska pipeline systems.
DRAs used presently in oil and products pipelines are
DRA is a chemical agent used to optimize the pipeline themselves hydrocarbons and thus have no effect on refining
capacity by reducing drag and lowering the pressure drop process or refined products. Crude oil treated with DRAs on
across the pipeline. The DRA was applied at Kaji and booster the Trans- Alaska pipeline systems have been refined without
stations along Kaji–KM.3 pipeline. With DRA injection, we incident. Similarly, crude oil from the Kaji-Semoga field at
could increase the Kaji–KM.3 pipeline capacity by more than
South Sumatera, which is transported through the Kaji-KM.3 Drag Reducer Mechanism 1,2,3,4,5
pipeline system treated with a drag reducer, has been refined In a hydrocarbon stream, the DRA lowers the frictional
without any incidents. pressure loss caused by turbulence in the pipeline. In order to
understand how turbulence is created and why the turbulence
2 SPE 80505

could cause a frictional pressure drop in a fluid flow, and also %DR is the percent of drag reduction as defined in equation 1.
how drag reducers could reduce the turbulence and thus the Equation 2 assumes that frictional pressure drop is proportional to
frictional pressure loss, it is necessary to describe the structure flow rate raised to the 1.8 power, for both treated and untreated
of turbulent flow. fluids, and that the discharge pressure is constant for both the
baseline and increased flow rate.
In turbulent flow regimes, there are three different zones or
layers. Nearest the pipeline wall is a zone called laminar sub In general terms, the higher the degree of turbulence of the fluid in
layer. In this zone, the fluid follows the pipeline flow in a the pipeline, the higher the drag reducing performance. Therefore,
typical laminar flow regime. The increase in point velocity as the drag reducing performance is increased as the fluid velocity and
the point moves away from the wall, is linear function of the flow rate increase and as the fluid viscosity and the pipeline
distance from the wall, and directly parallel to the wall in the diameter decrease or following the Reynolds number formula. The
direction of pipe flow. There are no cross flows in this zone. higher the Reynolds number, the higher the drag reducing
In the very center of the pipe is the turbulent core zone. This performance. Reynolds number is a dimensionless number which is
zone is the largest region and includes most of the fluid in the used to determine the type of flow (laminar, critical or turbulent) in
pipe. This is the zone of the eddy currents and random motion a pipeline and expressed in a formula as below:
of turbulent flow. The turbulent core carries all of the flow
where variations in point velocity are random and dependent Re = (3160 x Q) / (Vc x d) …………………………………. (3)
of this distance. Between the laminar sub layer and turbulent
core zones lies the buffer zone. In the buffer zone, variation of A fluid flow with a Reynolds number less than 2000 is a laminar
point velocity with point position is not established. This zone flow. A turbulent flow has a Reynolds number more than 5000.
is important because it is here that the turbulence first forms. Between laminar and turbulent flow, there is a critical flow regime
with Reynolds number more than 2000, but less than 5000.
Now we will discuss how turbulence is created and why the Reynolds number is the first indication to determine whether drag
turbulence could cause a frictional pressure loss in a fluid flow reducer could work or not in a fluid flow in a pipeline system. As
and also how a DRA could reduce the frictional pressure loss explained before, drag reducer could work only in turbulent flow
caused by the turbulence. A portion of the laminar sub layer regime, so it must have a Reynolds number of more than 5000.
called “streak” will occasionally move up to the buffer zone.
Once the streak enters the buffer zone, it will begin to vortex Besides the degree of turbulence, there are some others factors that
and oscillate, moving faster as it gets closer to the turbulence could affect the performance of drag reducer: water cut of crude oil,
core. Finally, the streak becomes unstable and breaks up as it wax content and free gas content (in multiphase flow) are
throws fluid into the core of the flow. This ejection of fluid in examples. Drag reducers are solutions of poly alpha olefins, a high
the core is called “turbulent burst”. The burst creates the molecular weight copolymer with either hydrocarbon or water
turbulence in the core. Energy is wasted in different directions base. High molecular weight copolymer, such as poly alpha olefins,
causing the drag and pressure loss. are shear sensitive, and drag reducing performance could be
affected when passing high shear force region in pipeline system,
Drag reduction occurs by an interaction of the polymer molecules such as T’s, bends, partly open valves, and especially pumps. The
of the drag reducer with the turbulence of the flowing fluid. Drag general rule of drag reducer injection is always to inject drag
reducer polymers interfere with the bursting process or inhibit the reducer on the discharge side of the pump. And if drag reduction is
formation of turbulent burst and prevent the turbulence from being required along a pipeline system with N pump station, the drag
formed, or at least reduce the degree of turbulence, and in turn, reducer must be injected at N points or at every pump station,
reduce the drag or pressure loss. The drag reducer polymers unless the pump station is by-passed.
somehow stretch in the flow, absorb the energy in the streak and
thereby prevent the turbulent burst. As such, drag reducer polymers Drag Reducer Application on Kaji – KM.3 Pipeline 6,7,8
are most active in the buffer zone. The Kaji-Semoga (“KS”) field, located at Rimau block in South
Sumatera, Indonesia, began to produce in 1997 with initial
Drag reduction is defined as the increase in pump ability of a fluid production around 2,600 BOPD. The initial reservoir study
caused by the addition of small amount of an additive (drag forecasted the field peak production to be around 40,000 BOPD for
reducer) to the fluid. The effectiveness of a DR is normally year 1999-2000.
expressed in terms of percent drag reduction (%DR).
Two pipeline systems were built to deliver the field production
DR = (∆Po – ∆Pp) / ∆Po …………………………..…... (1) from Kaji station, the main oil gathering station, to the Plaju
refinery (Fig. 1). The first pipeline, a 2 x 4-in diameter pipeline, tied
Both ∆Po and ∆Pp measured at the same rate up to the Tempino-Plaju pipeline system, which is operated by Gulf
Resources Indonesia, at two selling points, KM-77 and KM-102.
The reduced frictional pressure drop, normally, is used to increase The second pipeline is an 8-in. diameter pipeline, tied up to PT
flow rate whilst maintaining pipeline operating pressure not Exspan Nusantara (“EXSPAN”) owned Jene-KM.3 pipeline, with
exceeding the safe pressure limits within the pipeline system. The total length around 148 km (92 miles). Along this pipeline, to
relationship between drag reduction and percent flow increase can accommodate 40,000 BOPD of KS field peak productions, two
be estimated using equation as follows: booster pump stations, located at Pengabuan and Serdang, were
FI = {[100 / (100 - %DR)]0.556 – 1}x100 …………………… (2) built in 1999, increasing its capacity from 18 MBO/d up to 26
SPE 80505 3

MBO/d. The remaining 14 MBO/d of KS field productions was production forecast. Finally, we achieved the 41 MBO/d flow rate
delivered to KM-77 and KM-102. in March 2000, with total drag reducer injection around 90 GPD.

As the development drilling continued, the KS field reservoir and The drag reducer performance later turned out to be much higher
proven reserves were larger than earlier expected. The proven field than expected. By the end of May 2000, the flow rate through Kaji-
reserves were doubled, and the field peak production was re- KM.3 pipeline had reached 42 MBO/d with total drag reducer
forecasted to be around 68 MBO/d for the year 2001 (as stated in injection around 120 GPD, with a total KS field delivery of about
the revised Plan of Development (“POD”) dated March 2000). 55 MBO/d (including 13 MBO/d delivered to KM-77 and KM-
Because the crude oil transportation system was set up only to 102). By the end of July 2000, the flow rate had reached 46 MBO/d
accommodate the previous peak production rate, 40 MBO/d, with total drag reducer injection around 200 GPD. We finally
adjustments or improvements had to be made in the crude oil achieved the 50 MBO/d flow rate through Kaji-KM.3 pipeline in
transportation system to meet the current peak production rate. September 2000 with total drag reducer injection around 280 GPD
and with drag reducer injection operating cost around US$ 0.50 /
To optimize the Kaji-KM.3 pipeline system, an additional booster, barrel increment, making a total KS field production and delivery
located at Tempirai, was built and began operations in early 2000. of 63 MBO/d, more than the 53 MBO/d forecast for year 2000.
With this booster, the pipeline capacity increased from 30 MBO/d
up to 35 MBO/d. The flow rate to KM-77 and KM-102 was With drag reducer injection, EXSPAN was allowed to accelerate
maintained at 13 MBO/d, making the total pipeline capacity and KS field production without waiting for the new pipeline or loop
KS field delivery at 48 MBO/d. line to be completed, with minimum initial investment costs,
because all of the injection facilities, such as injection pump/skid,
In 1999, a study was commissioned to install a new 10-in. diameter tote tanks, etc., are provided on “free of charge” basis by the drag
pipeline from Kaji to Tj. Api-Api, with total length around 120 km, reducer manufacturer, and operating costs are low. The acceleration
and with capacity of 35 MBO/d. This new pipeline was expected to of KS field production allowed EXSPAN to have a net share
cost approximately $60 million of initial investment and increment of about $22 million within 1.5 years, the estimated time
completion period of about two years. Another option was to build to develop a loop line, and allowed the government of Indonesia to
a loop line for each section along Kaji-KM.3 pipeline to increase have a net share increment of about $126 million within the same
the pipeline capacity from 35 MBO/d up to 48 MBO/d. This option period of time (Fig. 3).
would cost approximately $12 million and take about 1.5 years to
complete. The disadvantage of these options, beside the high cost In September 2000, we shut down one of our three booster pump
of initial investment, was that they would take several years to stations and increased the amount of the drag reducer injected at
complete. Hence, we could not accelerate our production until the Kaji station instead to maintain the flow rate through Kaji-KM.3
whole project was completed and as a consequence, we would lose pipeline at 50 MBO/d. With one of our booster pump station shut
the opportunity to benefit from the Domestic Market Obligation down, we could save operating costs of approximately $0.7 million
(“DMO”) free period incentive, which is an incentive given for per year. And with one of our booster stations shut down while
new oil and valid only for 60 months or 5 years from the field maintaining the flow rate from Kaji station at 50 MBO/d, the result
initial production. We would also lose the opportunity to benefit was that the drag reducer performance or the flow increase
from the crude price increment, which reached its highest point achieved with drag reducer injection was more than 90% from the
last year. baseline rate, with operating costs only US$ 0.65 / barrel increment.

An option to use a drag reducer to optimize the pipeline capacity As the KS field peak production forecast was stretched to 75-80
was suggested in August 1999. The field trial was conducted in MBO/d, we needed to optimize the crude oil transportation system
September 1999, with the objective of increasing the Kaji- once again. A new export terminal, located at Tengguleng, and a
Pengabuan pipeline capacity up to 20% from its baseline. The field new 8-in. pipeline from Kaji station to the terminal were built and
trial was successful. The flow increase achieved was 32.15% with began operation in early 2001. This new pipeline and terminal
24.5 ppm of drag reducer injection. handled up to 30 MBO/d of KS field productions.

Following the success of the field trial, we started injecting the drag With additional crude expected from new discovery fields near the
reducer commercially, on October 27, 1999. We injected the drag KS field, the Kaji station crude transportation system will be
reducer initially only at Kaji station and Pengabuan booster. By the expected to handle up to 90 MBO/d of crude production. As such,
end of the year, the flow rate from Kaji had reached 30,500 BOPD it will be necessary to maximize the throughput of all the outlet and
with total drag reducer injection rate around 30 GPD. In January pipeline systems.
2000 the third booster, the Tempirai booster, was completed and
started its operation. In the same month, we installed the drag The maximum performance of the drag reducer turned out to be
reducer injection facilities at Serdang booster to increase the flow more than 70% of drag reduction (Fig. 2) or 100% of flow rate
rate through Kaji-KM.3 pipeline up to 40 MBO/d to meet the increment. Allowing the maximum flow rate deliverable through
Kaji-KM.3 pipeline up to 52,000 BOPD with two booster stations
running, and up to 57 MBO/d with three booster stations running.
4 SPE 80505

Conclusions References
The drag reducer application on Kaji-KM.3 pipeline is successful 1. C.B Lester (1985), “Basics of Drag Reduction”, Oil & Gas Journal,
and working well. With drag reducer injection, we optimized our February, p. 51-56
pipeline capacity and increased throughput up to 90% from its 2. C.B Lester (1985), “How Active, Passive Drag Effect DRA Injections”,
baseline, allowing us to deliver more crude oil from Kaji station Oil & Gas Journal, March, p. 107-110
3. F.A Seyer and A.B Metzner (1969), “Turbulence Phenomena in Drag
and accelerate the Kaji-Semoga field production. EXSPAN was Reducing System”, AIChE Journal, May, p. 426-434
able to accelerate its revenue through the DMO free period 4. John Wiley & Sons Inc. (1986), “Drag Reduction”, In: Encyclopedia of
incentive and crude price increment, with net share increment of Polymer Science and Engineering, volume 5, Second Edition, p. 129-
about $22 million within 1.5 years and the government of 151
Indonesia was allowed to have a net share increment of about $126 5. R. Denys (1995), “Pipeline Technology”, Proc. Of the 2nd International
million within the same period of time. Pipeline Conference (Ostend, Belgium), September 11-14, p. 143-149
6. PT Exspan Nusantara, Reservoir Engineering Department (2000), Kaji
Additional advantages of the drag reducer application on Kaji- Semoga Reservoir Simulation Study, Final Report, Jakarta.
KM.3 pipeline are savings on energy and operating costs from 7. PT Exspan Nusantara (2000), Kaji Semoga Field Plan of Development
(revised), Jakarta.
shutting down one the three booster pump stations whilst 8. PT Exspan Nusantara (1999-2001), Daily Pumping Report from Kaji
maintaining the throughput at 50 MBO/d. We saved approximately Station to KM.3 via Booster, Jakarta.
$0.7 million per year. The average operating costs for the drag
reducer injection itself is only US$ 0.65 / barrel increment with
minimum initial investment spent, because all injection facilities are
provided by the drag reducer manufacturer free of charge.

Nomenclature
DR = drag reduction, %
d = pipe ID, inch
FI = flow incremental, %
∆Po = frictional pressure drop of untreated fluid, psi
∆Pp = frictional pressure drop of treated fluid, psi
Q = flow rate, gpm
Re = Reynold’s number, dimensionless
Vc = fluid viscosity, cSt

Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank Mr. Gatot Sugiarso, the Engineering Manager of
PT Exspan Nusantara, for valuable discussions and comments to
improve this paper and also for his trust and constant support to me,
and also thanks to the Management of PT Exspan Nusantara for
their support in making of this paper, and last but not least, I’d like
to thank Mr. Richard Michael Tapper for his assistance in
improving the language and grammar used in this paper.
SPE 80505 5

Appendix – Figures and Table

Tengguleng RIMAU
BLOCK-PSC
T.Laban Kerang

Tabuan
KM102
Kaji Langkap

KM77
Semoga

Tempino-Plaju P/L Palembang

KAJI FST
KM3
Tempirai Serdang
booster 8" Pipeline (Kaji-Km.3) booster

Pengabuan
booster

Jene-Km.3 P/L LEGEND :

• Singapore
Pekanbaru
PTEN OI L FI ELD
• PTEN OI L LI NE
Palembang

Fig. 1 – Pipeline map of south Sumatera area

Drag Reducer Performance

( % Drag Reduction vs ppm injection )
Kaji - KM.3 Pipeline Application
90%

80%

70%
% Drag Reduction

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%
Drag Reduction
10% Act. DR
0%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
ppm injection

Fig. 2 – Drag reducer performance (on drag reduction)

6 SPE 80505

Kaji-Semoga production increment with drag reducer injection within 1.5 years ( DR vs loopline system )

KS prod Kaji-KM.3 Kaji-KM.77 Kaji-KM.3 KS prod KS prod increment Drag Reducer add'l
Month with DR with DR KM.102 w/o DR w/o DR with DR inj rate unit cost inj cost P/L fee Total cost Remarks
bopd bopd bopd bopd bopd bopd bbls/mth gpd $/gal $/month $0.14/bbl $/month
Oct-99 37,366 26,500 10,866 26,000 36,866 500 15,500 9.6 40 11,904 2,170 14,074 <-- 2 booster
Nov-99 39,973 28,000 11,973 26,000 37,973 2,000 60,000 22 40 26,400 8,400 34,800
Dec-99 41,178 30,500 10,678 26,000 36,678 4,500 139,500 30 40 37,200 19,530 56,730
Jan-00 43,596 32,000 11,596 28,000 39,596 4,000 124,000 60 40 74,400 17,360 91,760
Feb-00 48,358 37,000 11,358 32,000 43,358 5,000 145,000 75 39 84,825 20,300 105,125 <-- 3 booster
Mar-00 51,506 41,000 10,506 32,000 42,506 9,000 279,000 90 39 108,810 39,060 147,870 TMP start-up
Apr-00 52,761 42,000 10,761 32,000 42,761 10,000 300,000 120 39 140,400 42,000 182,400
May-00 53,925 42,000 11,925 32,000 43,925 10,000 310,000 120 39 145,080 43,400 188,480
Jun-00 55,085 46,000 9,085 32,000 41,085 14,000 420,000 200 33 198,000 58,800 256,800
Jul-00 53,528 46,000 7,528 32,000 39,528 14,000 434,000 200 33 204,600 60,760 265,360
Aug-00 56,213 47,000 9,213 32,000 41,213 15,000 465,000 220 33 225,060 65,100 290,160
Sep-00 60,434 50,000 10,434 32,000 42,434 18,000 540,000 280 33 277,200 75,600 352,800 <-- TMP shut down
Oct-00 59,562 50,000 9,562 32,000 41,562 18,000 558,000 330 32.5 332,475 78,120 410,595 DR inj. increase
Nov-00 59,567 50,000 9,567 32,000 41,567 18,000 540,000 330 32.5 321,750 75,600 397,350
Dec-00 59,428 50,000 9,428 32,000 41,428 18,000 558,000 330 32.5 332,475 78,120 410,595
Jan-01 60,170 50,000 10,170 32,000 42,170 18,000 558,000 425 32.5 428,188 78,120 506,308
Feb-01 60,780 50,000 10,780 32,000 42,780 18,000 504,000 390 32.5 354,900 70,560 425,460
Mar-01 61,960 45,000 16,960 32,000 48,960 13,000 403,000 280 32.5 282,100 56,420 338,520 <-- TNG start-up
TOTAL 209,000 6,353,000 3,585,767 889,420 4,475,187

Table 1 – Kaji Semoga (KS) field production incremental with drag reducer (compare to loopline development case)
SPE 80505 7

PSC Economic Model

Oil : 85/15 PSC (20% FTP)
Total Production
6,353 mbbl
Crude Price
24 $/bbl
Gross Revenue
152,472 m$

20% FTP Remaining

30,494 m$ 121,978 m$
Opr. Cost
4,475 m$
Remaining shareable
117,503 m$

Pertamina Shares at 73.21%

108,355 m$ Exspan
Equity 31,474
FTP 8,168
Memo: DMO at 6.696% 0
Export Price 24 of Prod. 0.0 m$ Total 39,642 m$
DMO @ 15% export price
Discount $/B 0 Tax @ 44.00%
17,443 m$

Production 2000-2001 ( Rimau Area / Kaji Semoga ), MBO

Fiscal Split
with drag reducer (in MBO) 29,070 Cost Gov.Take Exspan Net
without drag reducer (in MBO) 22,717 4475 125,797 22,200 m$
85.0% 15.0%
Incremental yearly prod. (in MBO) 6,353

Pipeline tariff 0.14 $/bbl

Incremental yearly tariff, m$ 889.4
Drag reducer cost, m$/year 3,585.8

Total opr. cost, $m 4,475.2

Fig. 3 – EXSPAN and GoI net share incremental calculation for KS field production acceleration with drag reducer.