A new partition model for the optimization of subsea cluster manifolds based on the new definition of layout cost
The engineering practicability for the partition optimization of subsea cluster manifolds should be improved to provide a broader insight to subsea engineering designers, considering three connection types of jumpers between subsea wells and cluster manifolds. With the jumpers, pipeline end terminations and infield flowlines, this study describes an optimization method by a new definition of the layout cost of a piecewise function. That is different from the layout cost of the square of Euclidean Distance when the connection types are assumed to be straight flowlines without considerations of the connection facilities. A new practical optimization model of the partition of cluster manifolds at the lowest cost is presented and its core algorithm is developed with a program by MATLAB. Meanwhile, the demonstration of the convergence of the proposed algorithm is conducted. The validity of the model is evaluated by the simulation with a random two dimensional distribution of 20 subsea wells. With the rapid convergence of the algorithm, 20 subsea wells can be partitioned into corresponding two to seven cluster manifolds and three connection types of jumpers in engineering can be obtained exactly by comparisons. In addition, spared well slots on cluster manifolds can be left for the future tiebacks of subsea wells by changing the types of cluster manifolds.