Opening remarks

The current challenging scenario in offshore production involves deeper and harsher regions, volatile oil prices and strict environmental regulations, decreasing operational margins. In order to challenge conservatism in multiphase production technology and flow assurance, more accurate models and numerical tools are required along with new and more detailed experiments. Furthermore, as petroleum fields’ age, the water fraction in the well flow increases. Improved understanding of oil-water behaviour flowing through pumps and control equipment is required, and a better characterization of complex crude oil chemistry, with new methods like ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry, will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms related to flow assurance that may have a significant future relevance in prediction, monitoring and mitigation of operational problems.