Gas Booster Station 171

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In light of the rapid developments witnessed by the oil and gas sector worldwide, KOC spared no effort in rehabilitating its infrastructure and expanding it to various technologies in this field, through a series of projects aimed at increasing production and achieving its strategy to move forward with steady steps Towards leadership in this sector, which we always emphasize that it represents the nerve of the Kuwaiti economy and its main pillar.
As we are used in February, which witnessed many national celebrations both within the company and in various state institutions, KOC celebrated that month the launch of a new national project, which is added to its list of achievements in fulfilling the strategies of KPC.
The company recently inaugurated the Gas Booster Station 171 in West Kuwait region under the patronage and presence of the Minister of Oil and the Minister of Electricity and Water Bakhit Shabib Al Rashidi, in the presence of KPC CEO Nizar Al-Adsani and KOC CEO Jamal AbdulAziz Jaafar.
Exploration & Gas Directorate celebrated This achievement, which comes within the strategies of both KPC and KOC in the establishment of several projects aimed at increasing the production of free and associated gas.

First of its kind
The newly established plant is located in the heart of West Kuwait, which produces associated oil and gas from the fields through three Gathering Centers 17, 27 and 28, in addition to the Early Production Facility EPF-18. It will achieve a series of objectives, first to have a central gas treatment facility for gas and condensate from the GCs in WK as in other areas.
The plant works on pressure, drying and processing of gas in the region, but the most distinguished characteristic compared to other stations is that it is the first of its kind in Kuwait, which is especially designed to deal with acid gas. As is customary, gas produced in WK is high in H2S, which is more than 4 percent, making operations in the area a challenge that requires the highest degree of safety when designing all of its facilities.

Production Capacity
Since the start of the project and its implementation on the ground, Exploration & Gas Directorate has been keen to design the plant in accordance with its future aspirations, which enhance the value of gas production and take great interest in plans to increase production.
The plant has the operational capacity to absorb the associated gas currently produced in West Kuwait, which is 240 million standard cubic feet per day. Most of the gas is exported Ahmadi Refinery, while the remainder is processed in the gas desalination unit.
The plant has a high capacity of 68,000 barrels per day of LNG, thanks to its state-of-the-art cooling units.
The plant has the potential to keep abreast of the developments, goals and strategies of KOC, represented by the Directorate, which aims to increase the added value of gas by accommodating the plant to the future increase in production capacity to 350 million standard cubic feet per day.

Best Technology
The design of the new station has many capabilities that distinguish it from other stations, as it has the best of advanced technology in control systems to achieve the highest performance, and to have the additional capacity in all units to increase their operational flexibility and reliability, which will reduce the forced stops and maintains the continuity of production and export of gas from WK by availability of up to 99.6 percent, which contributes to the company's strategy and in line with its environmental standards to reach the rates of gas flaring below 1%.
The technology used in this project has not stopped at this point, but has included many other facilities and capabilities, including:
• Establishment of a new pipelines network to transfer Gas from all GCs to BS171. 
• New Gas & Condensate Transit Lines (24” Gas & 14” Condensate) from WK to Acid Gas Removal Unit at Ahmadi Refinery (AGRP-MAA), where the old lines will be used to export the products of the gas desalination plant to the LPG at Mina Ahmadi while returning condensate to WK.
• New Tank Vapor compressors at GCs 17 & 27.
• Intermediate Slug Catcher to separate liquids from gas in the Burgan area before reaching AGRP-MAA.
• New steam compressors in tanks at GCs 17 & 27.

National Staff
Since the first day of the project, the Directorate has been keen to overcome all the challenges and difficulties that may stand in the way of achieving this pilot project and to reach it as a model for implementation and production in the oil sector.
Among these challenges was the management of the plant after receiving it from the contractor, which led it to follow a specific training plan based on two training courses for its staff of qualified Kuwaiti staff at the highest level.
The first track is to obtain intensive training by the contractor on various technical and engineering aspects, in addition to how to deal with the various operations of the station, while the second track was the preparation of a training plan at the company’s level to deal with the various operations that are managed by the station, as well as receiving various practical and technical training during the current management of the station.
As a result of its acquisition last October BS-171 has become one of the company's stations, which are managed by trained Kuwaiti national staff and ready to deal with various situations and operations that are carried out without the need of the contractor or the use him in its management.

55 Million Safe Man Hours
The project is a remarkable start to the new year, as it was able to emphasize the keenness of KOC and its Senior Management to continue the successes in the interest of the sector. The achievements of the project focused not only on the production side and the Kuwaitization process, but also on the company's commitment to the safety of its employees and contractors working in its facilities as a result of following all HSE procedures, resulting in more than 55 million Safe Man Hours.

Al-Rashidi: we seek 100% Kuwaitization
In a statement on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water Bakhit Al-Rashidi said that the station will add about 250 million cubic feet of gas per day, and about 68,000 barrels of condensate, pointing out that the importance of this project is Kuwait's need for gas and condensates, as well as the strengthening of domestic gas and oil production.
He explained that Kuwait currently produces about 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day, and aims to produce 4 billion feet daily, while the daily production of oil is currently about 2.7 million barrels, while the capacity of more than three million barrels, noting that the country seeks to be able to produce 4 million barrels of Oil per day by 2020, and about 4.75 million barrels in 2040.
He pointed out that achieving these goals requires "tremendous efforts", especially since the era of production of cheap oil is over and now we live in the heavy and deep oil, which is expensive in production compared to oil near the surface of the earth.
On the national workforce and its participation in oil projects, Al-Rashidi said that the proportion of national manpower in the total oil sector projects is 90 percent and we are working to reach 100 percent. He pointed out that the employment in the project of the new gas station is 100% Kuwaiti.

Jaafar: It will help turn Kuwait into a gas and oil powerhouse
In his speech at the ceremony, the company's CEO Jamal AbdulAziz Jaafar hailed the new station as a milestone that would help turn Kuwait into a gas and oil powerhouse, saying the company is working diligently to produce record volumes of gas and oil through a number of monumental projects.
On the technologically equipped station west of the country, Jaafar revealed that the versatile apparatus has the capacity needed to handle booming gas output.
Meanwhile, KOC's CEO for Exploration and Gas Menahi Al-Enezi said that gas production in West Kuwait is worth a record 250 million cubic feet per day, the bulk of which is churned out at Ahmadi refinery.
He pointed out that the new gas station is a notable addition to the list of achievements the company has amassed, citing a global energy transition to clean and less costly sources such as natural gas.
Al-Enezi stressed that KOC would use any means necessary to ensure top-notch gas production.