Case Study - Pressure Protection with a Sustainable Edge: Solar powered HIPPS for protecting vital oil gathering infrastructure

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Customer’s Question

Over the years, aging infrastructure and the natural decline of the site’s reservoirs have compromised both production capacity and environmental protection. To address these challenges, the end user has installed Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) in satellite wells to enhance oil recovery and improve the profitability of its extraction operations.

However, a recent HAZOP study revealed that the ESPs installed on numerous of these wells can produce pressures exceeding design limits, posing a risk of damage to downstream assets and potentially causing operational disruptions, financial losses, environmental harm, and license revocations.

As part of a large-scale upgrade of infield oil gathering infrastructure, the client required a robust and reliable packaged solution to protect its downstream trunklines and degassing stations from potential well overpressure.

Benefits Delivered

1. Protecting the client's infield oil gathering assets from millions in financial losses due to overpressure by implementing a fully autonomous and rapid-action HIPPS system.
2. In line with our client’s sustainability goals and their aim to achieve net-zero emissions, our energy-efficient skids are portable, reusable, and solar-powered, ensuring operability even in the remotest areas with limited infrastructure and space constraints.
3. Efficient project execution without cost overruns or delays, saving the client 25% to 30% in costs.
4. Facilitated the tailor-made Zone 1 certified enclosure to meet the client’s demand for housing flammable hydrogen gas produced during battery charging.
5. Assisted in conducting finite element analysis on the actuator to address clients’ compliance concerns regarding the actuator’s safe range of allowable stresses.

Scope of work

INTECH’s scope of work included:

Provision of over 15 Zone 2-certified HIPPS systems: Design, engineering, testing, and supply of over 15 single-base-mounted High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) skids, each equipped with a solar-powered package to deliver the desired SIL protection through continuous fail-safe operation.

• Design considerations: Zone 2-certified skids, designed for a 25-year lifecycle with a minimum process design temperature of -40°C.
• Logic Solver: A highly responsive, SIL-certified Honeywell Safety Manager with Universal Safety I/O, providing maximum architectural flexibility and minimizing the cost of ownership when safety is required at distributed locations.
• RTU: Emerson ControlWave Micro-based RTU to collate signals from a chemical injection skid and a HIPPS skid, transmitting real-time data to the central Emerson DeltaV system at the Degassing Station.
• Power: Equipped with batteries sized to provide a minimum of 7 days of power without solar charging, it is designed to deliver functionality in remote areas with limited infrastructure.
• Actuator: Electro-hydraulic actuator from the Rotork Fluid System ensuring fail-safe operation.
• ESD Valve: 16” fail-safe type emergency shutdown valve with partial stroke testing facility.
• Instrumentation: Honeywell SmartLine pressure transmitters with a digital Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) interface allowing seamless communication with process and safety control systems.

End-to-end project management: Comprehensive EPC services tailored to align with customer goals, adaptable to evolving requirements, and following industry best practices for seamless project execution within the defined timeline.

Planning Stage

In the early stages of the project, INTECH conducted a comprehensive assessment and verification of the defined space constraints, environmental considerations, and the required SIL of components based on the pre-calculated risk reduction factor. This enabled INTECH’s team to better plan the selection of best-in-class components that can be mounted on a robust structure and seamlessly integrate with the client’s existing operating infrastructure.

Project Execution Stage

Challenge

Unavailability of required Zone 1 Group IIC T3 certified battery enclosure: The potential release of hydrogen during battery charging necessitates the use of a Zone 1 certified battery enclosure to mitigate the risk of ignition in potentially explosive environments. However, no adequate battery enclosure meeting the defined criteria existed in the market.

Solution

Custom-built battery enclosure to meet client’s needs: Recognizing the criticality of the component to the overall success of the project, INTECH collaborated with a third-party manufacturer that specialize in building custom enclosures. The team was actively involved from the initial design phase, which included creating 3D models, to ultimately manufacturing the enclosure according to the client’s design specifications. INTECH then successfully certified the custom enclosure for ATEX Zone 1 hazardous areas.

Challenge

Client concern regarding the accumulator’s compliance with ASME Standards: During the design evaluation and approval phase, the client raised a concern about the ASME compliance of Rotork’s accumulator, as specified in the design requirements.

Solution

Facilitation of Finite Element Analysis: As a committed EPC service provider, INTECH proactively led coordinated efforts with both the client and the technology partner to effectively address and resolve the client’s concerns. INTECH assisted Rotork in conducting a detailed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to validate that the accumulator complies with the safe ranges of allowable stresses, thus minimizing risks associated with pressure containment failures.

Challenge

Client’s ad-hoc requests: Post-design approvals, the client requested the incorporation of additional requirements to ensure the suitability of certain electro-mechanical components during site commissioning for better operability at the work site, which had not been clearly stated during the design phase.

Solution

INTECH’s commitment to client-focused solutions: INTECH engaged with the client to assess the impact on technical, financial, and project timelines. The team then revised the engineering drawings and material requirements to meet additional client needs based on newly identified site conditions. The changes were properly documented and communicated to all relevant stakeholders. INTECH’s responsiveness and willingness to adapt to clients’ changing demands highlight the organization’s commitment to project success and delivering an exceptional client experience.

INTECH’s continued support

Leveraging its in-house manufacturing and network of fabrication partners, INTECH successfully delivered over 15 turnkey HIPPS skids that are built to provide superior downstream asset protection in the harsh conditions of the desert. Throughout the project, INTECH tackled each obstacle head-on that fulfilled the client’s needs while adhering to budgetary and timeline constraints.