Kedung Keris Full Well Stream Pipeline Fiber Optic Leak Detection System

Abstract

Kedung Keris (KK) is a sour oil field based in Cepu Block, Indonesia. KK field was originally planned to have a processing facility with separate pipelines to deliver crude & produced water, while the gas was planned to be flared. To reduce cost, this concept was changed to a wellpad with full well stream pipeline with new technology of Fiber Optic Leak Detection Sensing System (LDSS) as a key enabler. The fiber optic LDSS functions by leveraging fiber optic cable attached to the pipeline to detect leak as well as intrusion to the pipeline's Right-of-Way through real-time analysis of physical characteristics of a leak and intrusion, such as changes in temperature, pressure, ground strain and acoustics. The implementation of LDSS, together with other safeguards built into the pipeline design, operations and maintenance, allowed the KK Project to eliminate the separation facility at KK wellpad and an additional water pipeline. It also reduces the flaring by billions of standard cubic feet of gas cumulative until end of PSC life as originally all gas planned to be flared. The change of KK Project concept altogether yielded tens of millions of US dollar gross cost savings (~30% of CAPEX + OPEX reduction) following the KK startup in late 2019. The installed LDSS proven to detect leak for up to few meters location accuracy and has intrusion detection capability. KK Project has pioneered the implementation of fiber optic leak detection system for Indonesia oil and gas companies. This work provided further insight to the utilization of such technology in full well stream pipeline where traditional leak detection system implementation will not be acceptable. Consecutively, full well stream pipeline deployment can lead to future CAPEX + OPEX efficiency in facility project design and operation, as well as flaring reduction opportunity.