#

What was Causing the Discharge Pressure to Keep Going High?

Finding the right equipment at the right time can be a challenge when you are busy optimizing your asset. Like most companies, we have our standard procurement procedures which work just fine most of the time, and fortunately our purchasing department was also quite reasonable whenever issues came up (which always seemed to be at 1am on Saturday nights, for some reason). The turnaround had gone pretty well, a little longer than scheduled, but nothing major had been found during the inspections. The plant had been all buttoned up and the project team was finished, and the production team was starting things up when the compressors tripped on high pressure.

Our Patience was Running Out Reset and same again. Reset and the same again. We traced the lines trying to figure out what was causing the discharge pressure to keep going high – everything was lined up as it should. Our patience was running out as the lead operator, and I walked the gas sales line back to the plant and I asked about the aerial coolers – no issues were found in them, and they had hydro-tested fine…as we opened the drain plug water poured out of the coolers!

There Was No Requirement for Pigging The hot, high-pressure gas from the compressors was going through the coolers to get to the correct temperature before going to the sales line – but the step of draining and drying the coolers prior to start-up had been missed (but that’s the subject of a different story), and now the combination of high-pressure gas and water had formed a huge hydrate in the dry gas sales line. Since it was a dry gas line there was no requirement for pigging, so there were flanges for launching and receiving, but the facilities were re-purposed for another location years before.

The coolers were dried, methanol and pumps were arranged, and we all tried to find suitable pigging facilities to get the hydrate moving. Nothing was Available Just as the option of opening up the pipework and taking our chances was being considered, the foreman had found the equipment online, and it was only an hour from our location! A few e-mails later we had a certified pig receiver ready to catch our hydrate. That’s when I learned that the internet can actually help me get things done in the industry – and the rest is history. Ballycatter.com is the site where you can access equipment and services from experienced vendors and service companies – save it to your favorites today because you might need it.

You may also like

The hard hat is a symbol of hard work The “hard boiled hat” was invented by Edward Bullard in 1919. A hardhat is a type of protective headgear that is worn by workers in the oil and gas industry to protect their head from falling objects, electrical hazards and other potential hazards that may occur on a drilling site. Hardhats are typically made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or other durable materials that can withstand impact and penetration. They are designed to provide a high level of protection to the head and face while allowing the worker to see and hear clearly. The typical hardhat used in oil drilling has several key components, including: • The shell: The shell is the outermost layer of the hardhat and is typically made of HDPE or other durable materials that can withstand impact and penetration. • The suspension system: The suspension system is the internal support system of the hardhat that holds it securely on the head and provides a comfortable fit. It is typically made of a combination of straps, webbing, and other materials that can be adjusted to fit the head snugly. • The headband: The headband is the internal band that sits on the forehead, helping to distribute the weight of the hardhat evenly around the head. • The ear muffs: Many hardhats have the option of adding earmuffs or earplugs to protect the worker from excessive noise. • The face shield: Some hardhats have the option of adding a face shield to protect the worker from flying debris and other hazards.
Sand in my Valve! Sand production is a common problem in the oil and gas industry and can have significant impacts on the performance and reliability of a surface controlled sub-surface safety valve (SCSSV). Sand production occurs when sand particles are produced along with the oil or gas and can cause damage to the valve and its components, leading to failure. In this essay, we will discuss the effects of sand production on a SCSSV and some ways to prevent failure. One of the main effects of sand production on a SCSSV is erosion. Sand particles can cause abrasion to the valve body and its components, leading to corrosion and eventual failure. Sand particles can also accumulate in the valve body and cause obstructions, reducing its ability to function properly. This can lead to increased pressure and stress on the valve components, further increasing the likelihood of failure.
Where to Place an Offshore Platform When a major oil and gas operator wanted a new concrete gravity based platform placed in their existing subsea field, they asked us to figure out where to put it. At first it may seem like an easy task, pick a nice flat piece of seabed and job done. It is not that simple, however, and it took a multi-disciplinary team to get the optimum solution. Like all engineering issues, it is all about weighing the trade-offs between alternatives. Factors to consider in the placement of an offshore platform include drilling and completion costs, subsea infrastructure, and environmental impact, to name a few. These factors will impact the longer term viability of an offshore asset and it’s overall operability as infrastructure is added in the field. The drilling and completion costs are the most obvious to have be directly impacted by the surface position of an offshore platform. Here the overall drill and complete cost, as well as ability to reach geologic targets is based on the surface location of the platform, i.e. the starting surface location for all wells. Typically, platform placement is as close to the “center” of the pool as possible to enable the easiest options to access all parts of the structure, however, factors such as the desire to have horizontal completions, specific azimuths through a stress field, or a secondary geologic prospect, may move the platform from the “default” bullseye position. It is important to have an asset development plan from subsurface available (as mature as possible), to plan completions and trajectories for potential platform positions.

Other related articles

The Pulling Tool that ALMOST Fit Slickline BOP (Blowout Preventer) Service Rig (Workover Rig)