Nalco Water recently launched its Inlet Integrity Programme to help gas processors proactively manage performance.
The solution combines innovative products with localised service and reporting to help companies identify and address challenges before they cause significant impact.
Nalco Water recently employed the program at a gas processing facility near Midland, Texas, where low-pressure compressors were failing at an average rate of one per day.
The facility suffered from high fouling rates due to contaminants such as iron sulphide, salts and other general foulants in the gas stream, leading to daily shutdowns for maintenance.
The frequent cleanings resulted in significant costs, substantial personnel time and flaring due to backed-up gas.
“With the right balance of chemical innovation and technical expertise, Nalco Water can deploy proactive solutions that help operators maintain reliable, efficient performance,” said Lottie Elwood, senior vice-president and general manager, Global chemical at Nalco Water.
“By approaching this facility’s challenges in holistic manner, we were able to determine the problem quickly and pinpoint a solution to address it.”
As a first step, Nalco Water focused on identifying the problem. The facility processes 275 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas per day. It routes about 75 MMSCF of this gas through seven compressors immediately downstream from the plant’s inlet separator.
Fouling in the compressors’ valves was identified as the source of the failures. To identify the composition of the fouling deposits, samples were sent to the Nalco Water Analytical Lab and shown to primarily consist of salt.
Nalco Water solution helps gas plant avoid compressor failures
