Agiba Gas Generation Plant in Raml Field

Agiba has succeeded in completing a 2.4 MW gas power generation plant project in the Raml field. The project was undertaken with the aim of simultaneously boosting cost-effectiveness of power generation and efficiency of power generation.

Prior to the project’s implementation, Agiba had more than 30 scattered production wells in the Raml field, some operating via electric submersible pumps (ESP), others using sucker rod pumps driven by elect motors. Each motor was powered by a standalone diesel generator operating in harsh environmental conditions.

The company was suffering in terms of wasted potential production, in addition to bearing high operating costs resultant from high diesel fuel prices, maintenance and repair costs, top and major overhaul costs and the costs of maintaining the large labor force mandated by the installations. The company’s resources were further drained by the downtime and unreliability of diesel engines, the logistics required to operate them, and the long travelling distance and repair time. These costs were compounded by the fact that the burning of flare gas produced high emissions.

In order to sidestep these complications, Agiba took the decision to replace the diesel power generators, which amounted to more than 30 units, with a central gas power generation plant and a new electrical grid covering all wells in the field.

The plant offers the company the ability to utilize extant associated gas as fuel at no extra charge, and increases prime movers availability and reliability, simultaneously cutting down on emissions. Agiba tendered the project and the contract was subsequently awarded to the Alexandria Petroleum Maintenance Company (Petromaint).

The plant project succeeded in reducing costs for Agiba, and in providing more reliable power generation with fewer emissions. Oil production was also increased, producing an overall successful project for the company.

The project faced several technical challenges. The associated gas has a low methane number, which necessitated a special gas engine. The fuel gas also had to be treated upstream of the gas generators using a gas treatment unit. This was in addition to time constraints, as the project was given to Petromaint in Jun 2010 with a targeted completion time of only 6 months.

Petroleum services company Professional Engineering Services (Proserve) was charged with providing two gas treatment units, three containerized gas power generation units, preventive spare parts for two years, installation and commissioning, as well as on the job training for the project. Proserve is the official dealer for Spanish company Guascor Power in the Middle-East.

The gas treatment plant consisted of 2 units, each housing one water chiller and one gas-water cooler. Both chillers were installed with the capacity to individually handle the total gas demands of the gas generator sets (850 m³/hr). Only one of the units is to be in service at any given time with the other remaining in standby, in order to ensure that the gas treatment plant stays operational at all times. Both units are equipped with local and remote monitoring and power saving, in addition to microprocessor controllers.
The purpose of the gas treatment unit was to cool down gas incoming from the wells, which could reach a temperature of 50°C, in order to remove all water contents and condensates which could harm the gas engine.

The gas generator sets used in the project, produced by Guascor, are fueled by low methane gas (Nº 46,1). They have a maximum mechanical power capacity of 725 kWb (1), and are water-cooled by two external circuits. The sets are capable of operating 24 hours per day, producing no emissions. Powering the gas generator sets are turbocharged and after-cooled SFGLD480 engines.

The Guascor SFGLD480 engines have a cycle type of Otto 4 Strokes and an aspiration type of Ta. The engines work at a speed of 1500 rpm (50Hz) with a cylinder number of 16 in. ‘V’, a bore of 152 mm and 165 mm. They have a capacity 47,90 liters and a compress ratio of 9,3:1. They consume lube oil at a rate of <0,30 G/Kwh.

The alternators used in the module are manufactured Leroy Somer, operating at a voltage of 400V rated with an apparent power of 875 KVA. Isolation for the alternators is Class H, and heating is Class F. The alternators have a protection level of IP23, and their excitation is electronically controlled. Accuracy of voltage is +/- 1.5%, with voltage adjustment of +/- 5%.

The control panel of the Guascor module allows for complete control, both manual and assisted, of the module’s operations. The control panel displays all basic variables for both the engine and the accessories, and displays all alarms and a record of all previous alarms on the operator’s TFT touch control screen. In addition, it provides comprehensive protection for the engine and the alternator, with built-in shutdown functions for emergencies, and offers PLC control over power generated by the set based on specified power settings.

The module’s power panel consists of one Masterpact Merlin Gerin NW circuit breaker, three class 5P10 current transformers for protection, three class 0.5 current transformers for measurement, one copper bus bar, and a thermostatically controlled heat extractor.

The weather and sound proof container utilized in the project holds an axial ventilation fan for air circulation, sound baffles made of perforated steel panels and filled with sound attenuating materials, as well as sound baffles on the inside of the container structure to absorb engine noise.

The project has allowed Agiba to substantially decrease operational costs in the Raml field. Agiba had a total of 25 running diesel generator sets in the field, averaging 60kW of power consumption per set, with a total fuel consumption of 12,600 liters per day. With 350 working days a year, 42,032,000 liters of diesel fuel were consumed annually, costing the company a total of 15,435,000 L.E. at 3.5 L.E. per liter. The gas generating plant of course does not require fuel, as it is fueled by associated gas.

Furthermore, maintenance costs were at 4,600,000 per year for the diesel units. Maintenance for the two gas generator units amounts to 700,500 L.E., saving the company 3,900,000 L.E. in maintenance costs.

The project proved to be a highly beneficial venture for Agiba and its operations in the Raml field. Costs were curtailed significantly, with roughly 15,000,000 in fuel costs alone neutralized, in addition to drastic reductions in repair and maintenance costs. The labor force required for maintenance of the units was also reduced, further driving down costs.  Both the reliability and the availability of power generation were improved in the field as well, and burning of flared gas was reduced by more than 60%; emissions resulting from power generation were also cut down by more than 50%. Last but not least, oil production was boosted.

Project Components:

  • Gas treatment plant
    O 2 X 850 M3/Hr Chiller type
  • Power generation
    O 3 X 500 kWeGuascorContainerized Gas Gen sets
    O 2 X 400 kWeWaukesha containerized gas gen sets
    O 1 X 1200 kWeCat Diesel Power generator “ S.B.”
  • Switch Gear
    oLow Voltage 0.4 kV “
  • 6 Incomers “5 X 1600 A & 1 X 2000 A”
  • Bus Coupler –4000 A
  • 7 Outgoing “2 X 3200 A & 3 X 125 A & 2 X 400 A ”
  • Medium Voltage 11 kv
  • Incomers 2 X 630 A
  • 1 Bus coupler 630 A
  • Outgoings 4 X 630 A
  • Transformers
  • Step up transformers 2 X 2 MVA –0.4/11 kV
  • Overhead
  • Medium Voltage with approx length of 25 Km

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