For almost 20 years the oil industry has been using computers for the design of hydraulic lines in umbilicals. The need for accurate calculations is heightened by the fact that the umbilical is one of the most expensive individual components in subsea installation. If it is wrongly dimensioned, it will result in major time and cost overruns.

By using a simulation tool we can test a system virtually before putting it into production. Various alternative solutions can be tested, and the results will form the basis for choosing the components and dimensions to be used.

In this article we set out how a model for simulating this kind of system can easily be set up and designed using SimulationX® software. This article looks at a system for the completion and work over of subsea wells. The principle is identical for traditional subsea production.