Coordination and optimization in oil and gas production complexes

In continuous production networks such as oil fields, global optimization requires to optimize not only production mechanisms, but also scheduling mechanisms for continuous flows of products through the different units that belong to the production complex. Two functions must be performed in order to efficiently operate a production network: coordination to ensure coherence and consistency of states, controls and decisions; and selection of the best configuration and set-points to run the process according to optimization criteria. The hybrid nature of this problem stems from the continuous processes involved and the use of discrete decision mechanisms to supervise the global behavior of the production process. To increase reactivity and reduce complexity in the global control scheme, each component of the system is described as a holon and the complex forms a holarchy. Each holon interacts with the other holons to contribute to the system's optimization. Interaction is based on negotiation processes performed by agents that represent each holon. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.