MSi professionals participate at several levels of engagament in any given project, including:

Fluids Analysis
Often, the single most critical item in a project design is in understanding the fluid properties. While various "off-the-shelf" design concepts may expedite project execution, it is the fluids themselves that may dictate the success of any given concept.

By getting involved with the PVT reports, performing paraffin measurements, and generally being experts in fluid phase equilibria, MSi has distinguished itself as the flow assurance leader when it comes to fluid properties.

Conceptual Design
For many deepwater and ultra-deepwater projects, the key phase to the overall system design is selecting a concept that is feasible from a flow assurance standpoint. By assimilating the reservoir engineers, subsea and pipeline engineers, and topsides engineers early in the project life cycle, the optimal design can be selected.

MSi has considerable experience is being able to recommend solutions that work for deepwater projects, marginal fields, or tieback to existing infrastructure.

Front-End Engineering Design (FEED)
Once a suitable project concept has been selected, a more detailed thermal and hydraulic analysis can identify potential operating challenges that the asset may face. Being able to identify those critical issues and how best to address them is the key to MSi's success.

From wax deposition to hydrate formation to asphaltene deposition, MSi has been providing answers before the thought of producing in 10,000 feet of water was even considered.

Field Validation
By evaluating the actual system performance versus the design predictions, MSi has been able to evaluate results to improve their service in the design stage, and also to advise our clients how their systems are actually operating. This is particularly useful when new assets are brought into a current development, as predictions of the new system behavior are required. The best way to do this effectively is to evaluate the current field data.

Operating Guidelines - Operator Advisor™
After the project has been designed and comes on-stream, MSi continues to play a significant role in the success of a given project. By developing software tools such as "Operator Advisor™", MSi assimilates all of the key parameters assessed in the flow assurance work and provides them to the operator at the touch of a button. When an unplanned shutdown occurs and the clock is ticking to hydrate formation, having an Operator Advisor™ may prevent a flow assurance disaster.

Independent Third-Party Design Validation/Quality Control
By performing flow assurance analyses for over 500 pipeline projects, the majority of which are multiphase systems, MSi has a world-renowned reputation for providing "best-in-class" service. Part of this reputation allows MSi to perform third-party validation of proposed system designs or to provide quality control expertise to ensure that flow assurance calculations have been performed accurately from a technical standpoint.

Detailed Process/Plant & Topsides Modeling and Simulation
Aside from being a leader in the design of multiphase, subsea pipelines, MSi has also provided support for modeling topsides processing equipment. Evaluating the dynamic response of the processing equipment is critical, as it may shut down the overall facility if operated incorrectly. In addition, process swings in the topsides equipment can have a drastic impact on the response to the subsea system.