Case Study: Process Ecology reduces capital costs by 60% and prevents downtime with Aspen Technology's Aspen HYSYS

Process Ecology Reduces Capital Costs and Prevents Downtime by Using the Aspen HYSYS Family

Process Ecology, a Calgary-based oil and gas consultancy, faced the challenge of correctly sizing slug catchers to manage condensed heavy fractions (slugs) in natural gas pipelines while minimizing CAPEX and avoiding production downtime. To address this, the company used Aspen HYSYS and Aspen HYSYS Upstream from Aspen Technology to model slug formation and pipeline flow behavior.

Using Aspen Technology’s Aspen HYSYS family (pipe segment slug analysis, Aspen Hydraulics and dynamic mode), Process Ecology simulated terrain-, hydrodynamic- and pig-induced slugging to predict slug volumes and durations. The results enabled a reduction in slug catcher design from a conservative 3,000 bbl to 1,000 bbl—cutting capital costs by about 60%—while providing better insight into pipe flow, preventing downtime and revealing process sensitivities.

Process Ecology

James Holoboff

Director