A custom-engineered heating solution for a natural gas facility
When a natural gas facility manger noticed decreased flow rates, Indeeco custom engineered a heating solution to increase throughput and revenue.
In the oil and gas industry, reaching and maintaining the desired temperature is essential for processing and refining. If temperatures aren’t reached and maintained, a facility risks slowed down processes, decreased throughput and ultimately lost revenue.
Natural gas facility recognizes flow rate problem
At a midstream gas processing facility, a freezing valve was the cause of reduced production: When the pressure dropped from 900 PSIG to 140 PSIG, the gas saw a sudden drop in temperature of about 50ᵒF. Water vapor in the gas steam combined with hydrocarbons to form hydrates that froze as the temperature dropped below the dew point.
If the problem wasn’t addressed, the facility would have faced a reduction in productivity or even a complete shutdown—and every moment of downtime means potential loss of revenue. The facility manager knew that heating the gas is a method for controlling gas hydrates, but needed guidance on the specific heating system to best solve their build-up problem.
Delivering a customized heating solution
After the natural gas facility manager spoke with Indeeco and detailed the issue they were seeing, the design process for the heating solution began. Indeeco Application Engineers have consultation ingrained into their process, so the facility manager had plenty of opportunities to review designs for viability, price and characteristics such as skid-mounting, seismic ratings, PMI or outdoor ratings. Complex heating solutions often have numerous revisions to ensure a best-fit design for the facility.
Before shipping the heater, Indeeco’s heating experts subjected the product to a Factory Acceptance Test and Indeeco’s stringent QA procedures. Once the product was approved, Indeeco shipped the custom-engineered heating solution to the natural gas facility (with field-commissioning available if the facility manager needed it).
To solve the natural gas facility’s flow rate problem, Indeeco provided an electric heating skid containing a circulation heater and an SCR control panel pre-wired to the heater. The circulation heater contained INCOLOY 800 sheathed elements with a modest corrosion allowance. The control panel was a Model 870-series remote SCR panel, allowing a high degree of precision for heating. This solution will raise the temperature of the natural gas, flowing at 223,700 pounds per hour, from 38°F to 60°F. And because the product was custom-engineered specifically for this application, the facility manager can be certain it will solve the excess moisture causing the sludge and improve efficiency at the natural gas facility.
A heating solutions partner for the oil and gas industry
For flow-rate problems, viscosity issues or other difficulties in the oil and gas industry, an expert heating provider is essential. Indeeco offers the following product solutions and assurances:
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Control Panels
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Flange & Screw Plug Heaters
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Circulation Heaters
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Tank Heaters
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Unit Heaters
- Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Area Duct Heaters
- Impedance Heating for pipeline heating needs
- 48-hour quote response goal
- 5-10 day approval drawings, ARO
- Quick ship programs for Flange and Screw Plug Immersion Heaters
Indeeco Application Engineers are ready to use their comprehensive knowledge to design problem-solving heating solutions. Our heating experts provide the customized solutions and fast responses that the oil and gas industry needs. Start a conversation about improving your facility’s heating systems today.