KBC launches latest modeling, flow assurance platform for upstream operations

KBC, a Yokogawa company, has released Maximus® 7.6, the latest version of its modeling and flow assurance platform for upstream oil and gas operations. The software is designed to close the gap between early-stage production planning and day-to-day asset management, giving engineers tools to better predict, monitor, and optimize system performance. 

The platform integrates thermodynamic and hydraulic modeling with live field data, allowing operators to simulate the entire production chain from reservoir through processing facilities. This approach supports real-time validation of design assumptions, early detection of operational risks, and optimization of production strategies.

Unplanned downtime remains a major challenge for offshore facilities, with studies showing average losses of 27 days per year, costing tens of millions of dollars per site. Maximus 7.6 introduces enhancements such as predictive flow tuning, improved well performance validation, and expanded physical property data to address issues including solids formation, corrosion, and flow instability.

New features include:

• Well performance validation: Compares design conditions with actual operating data.
• Flow tuning: Automatically adjusts parameters to improve the accuracy of flow rate and pressure predictions.
• VLP import: Allows integration of well performance curves from external models.
• Extended applications: Enhanced modeling for carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and natural gas transport.
• Subsea jet pump simulation: Supports design and optimization of jet pump systems used to boost low-pressure wells.

Available both on-premise and via the Acuity™ Industrial Cloud Suite, Maximus 7.6 reflects the broader trend of linking advanced simulation with operational data to improve decision-making and reliability in upstream projects.