Hydraulic Consulting

Noble Offshore’s capabilities cover the full spectrum of hydraulic consultancy. From design and operational integrity to improved financial performance, our consulting team can address critical system issues in response to changing regulatory and economic conditions.Noble Offshore’s expert analysis enables your organisation to make better technical and commercial decisions regarding the design and operation of your pipeline, our consultants can apply their industry-recognised expertise directly to your project and have designed and analysed tanker loading and unloading facilities around the globe. Our experience ranges from LNG and crude oils, to refined products and beyond

Our Tools

The Hydraulic Consulting team uses both in-house and third party software tools to accurately model hydraulic transients by characteristics. Models developed using our SynerGEE® Gas, Stoner Pipeline Simulator (SPS) software and LIQT tool accurately simulate the pipes, pumps, compressors, valves and physical profile of your pipeline network. Unlike other hydraulic consulting applications, these tools enable us to model in plant (processing, refineries), loading and unloading (LNG) and transmission pipeline transients. Our applications have received industry recognition for accuracy and diversity throughout the past 10 years.

The Specialised Application of Experience

A model intended for long-range strategic planning can be very different than a model for liquid surge or water-hammer analysis. Our consultants understand the differences and will model your facilities with the right tools and appropriate level of detail for the specific analysis. Once the model is constructed and calibrated, we will run case studies to give you the full range of answers you need. If you have the same simulation tools, we can deliver the models with the final report so you can run the inevitable “followup” cases in-house.

System Capacity Studies

Can your pipeline deliver the required throughput? Should you loop your pipeline or install more pump/compressor horsepower. Do drag-reducing agents make sense for your liquid systems? Does it make operational and economic sense to cycle stations during times of peak energy costs? Our staff can quickly answer these questions.

Non-Newtonian and Heavy Crude Hydraulics

The petroleum industry is increasingly handling heavier crude oils that exhibit non-Newtonian behavior. Transporting these crude oils and other similar fluids create challenging problems – especially during critical start up and shut down operations when the thermal environment compounds the analysis. We have the expertise, tools and experience to analyse the hydraulics of these fluids.

Surge Analysis

The most frequent causes of severe transients or surges in a pipeline system are unanticipated events or abrupt changes in operations such as valve closures and power failures. In reviewing the design of new or modified facilities, our consultants test these causes through simulation. Their impact is then quantified against MAOP and/or MASP limits, slack-line flow and other hydraulic constraints. Recommendations can then be made in concert with your design, operations and business team for feasible solutions.

Operations Analysis / Expert Witness

Noble Offshore can review current or planned procedures and practices and make recommendations to enhance the safety of pipeline operations. We can help minimize the risk of abnormal or upset conditions, or increase operating efficiency and minimise operating costs. Our consultants can recreate real pipeline events for subsequent analysis, perhaps leading to expert witness testimony. We also have extensive Forensic analysis skills for failure investigation and can provide expert witness testimony to regulatory bodies or in the legal setting.