The KOC Gas Operations Team (S&EK) recently participated at the TEF Forum that was held at the Radisson Hotel, where they won an engineering award for the project they carried out which handles LP gas in the Magwa operational field to achieve zero flaring during BS-140 shutdowns. The event was held under the patronage of KNPC CEO Mohammad Al-Mutairi. Abdullah Al-Khaledi, Team Leader Gas Operations (S&EK), received the award on behalf of KOC, which was presented to him by KNPC CEO Mohammad Al-Mutairi during the TEF forum.
In a speech he made during the event, Team Leader Gas Operations (S&EK) Abdullah Al-Khaledi explained the importance of the in-house project that was carried out through MOC (Management of Change). The project, he said, resulted in a major impact on the LP gas network-operating envelope to reduce LP gas backpressure in the Gathering Centers. It also provides operating flexibility to transfer LP gas from Magwa to South Kuwait area through a 30” LP gas loop line header. Earlier, during any emergency or planned shutdown of the BS-140 facility, large flaring would affect the Magwa area, causing damage to the environment. This also affected the Magwa Gathering Center LP separator backpressure. After implementing the in-house modification project, this resulted in zero flaring even after the BS-140 total shutdown. This took place recently in November of 2016.
Al-Khaledi then expressed his appreciation to all Team members who were involved in the project, from conceptual studies to the commissioning of the project. This included representatives from Gas Operations (S&EK), OTS (Gas), Gas Maintenance (S&EK) and I&C (S&EK). He also thanked Mohammad Al-Zoubi, Manager Gas Operation’s Group, for his extensive support.
The Gas Operations Team Leader reiterated that the Gas Operations Group is developing various conceptual proposals to operate the LP and HP gas networks with new operating envelopes and is redefining the operating pressures to provide Gathering Centers with effective operating margins.
Summary of Achievement:
• Magwa area LP gas is unable to reach South Kuwait compression facilities in order to compress and export to KNPC-MAA. In order to ensure effective gas optimization, KOC successfully implemented a new modification from MF S2 to the old slug catcher by providing a 30” LP gas line from the S2 manifold to the old gravity connection and converted the old gravity to LP gas service. Also, an existing 30” loop line was converted to LP gas service from the old slug catcher to BS-150 suction by providing a 12” crossover between the loop line and the LP gas network S2-S4 and S5-S6 manifold networks.
• The entire old and redundant 30” gravity HP 066 pipeline was utilized for 1.8 km, which translates to very high cost savings. Due to the provision of an alternate pipeline facility, all Magwa Gathering Center LP gas system backpressure was reduced and LP gas in the order of 80-100 MMSCFD was transferred from Magwa to South Kuwait. In turn, gas flaring was reduced and potential hydrocarbon recovery met KOC benchmarks for the year.
• Approximate savings stand at $1.2 million after implementing the in-house project.
Definition of the Issue/Concern:
• In Burgan Field, a total of three Booster Station facilities were available to handle LP gas and HP gas, which are producing from Gathering Centers and transported to Gas Booster Station facilities.
• Due to the recent increase in the LP gas production profile and lowering the HP gas well operating pressures, suddenly the Magwa area LP gas production profile was more than the gas handling capacity at the BS-140 facilities.
• Even though LP gas network is interconnected between Magwa and South Kuwait, there are bottlenecks in the LP gas network piping.
• Due to the limitation of the LP gas transportation, backpressure was common on the LP gas system network, and the BS-140 facility was forced to run at full operating capacity without any standby availability.
• This also impacted BS-140 TR-I & II for the annual major survey and shifted the original schedules from the planned schedules due to forced LP gas flaring in Magwa, and it was very evident during the breakdown of one operating compressor train in BS-140 for a few hours, resulting in large flaring in Magwa.
• In South Kuwait, additional operating capacity is available, but due to piping network limitations, it is unable to reach to BS-150 and BS-160.
Options Considered for Resolving the Issue/Concern:
• A conceptual analysis was carried out by using the Pipe Phase simulation to study the possible options to transfer LP gas from Magwa to South Kuwait.
• Provision of local compression facilities to convert from LP Gas to HP Gas (Long Lead issues).
• Reducing the high GOR wells production and production cutback. (Highly impossible).
Steps of Implementation:
• Conceptual proposal scheme, stakeholder’s request and loss of gas estimation memo from GO-SEK, GM (SEK), I&C (SEK),OTS (Gas).
• Approved Management of change, P&ID modifications .
• ISO metrics and bill of materials documents.
Conclusion of the achievement, including a summary on its impact to one or more of the Company’s Strategic Objectives:The following are major achievements for the above modification by utilizing the in-house resources.
• Effective cost savings by utilizing the old redundant piping after verification and approval of I&C (resulted huge cost savings)
1. 2 KM 30”pipe costs around
2. Utilized 30x32” Pigluancher along with associated accessories)
3. Utilization of 30” Loop Line from old slug catcher to BS-150 Q manifold
• Effective hydrocarbon recovery and available opportunity utilization by exporting to KNPC-MAA at increased flow (approximately 80-100 MMSCFD).
• Flaring reduction in Magwa and LP separator downstream system network pressure dropped and provided a very good operating envelope for Gathering Centers (6-8 PSIG drop in the network)
• During the BS-140 total shutdown period, KOC was able to sustain zero flaring in Magwa due to the enhanced modification and successfully transferred the gas to South Kuwait.