As some operators in the unconventional sector look to optimise output from aging infrastructure, it is unlikely that current surface facilities will provide the solutions that are desperately sought after.
As the Australian government seeks to ensure adequate supply for the Australian market, the pressure on CSG suppliers to maintain a strong supply is both external and internal.
Gathering adequate amounts of gas from the wells and moving it quickly and unimpeded through the gathering line to the field compressors without water is at the crux of the supply issue.
As is well known, the only options to increase gas supply is either optimise existing well infrastructure or increase the number of wells including new surface infrastructure.
Optimising wellhead flows, keeping the gathering line flowing, free from obstruction and keeping field compressors online and functioning at capacity are common solutions to optimise existing assets and avoid the cost of replacement.
Large engineering houses can provide many gas fields with generic replacement surface facilities and field compressors providing the solutions they require.
However, smaller operators working with aging infrastructure and less common stimulation processes are fighting an uphill battle to maintain consistent and strong supply as they deal with issues including gas flow as low as 40kPa, water condensate, sand, coal fines and other carryovers that haven’t been effectively knocked out in the wellhead separation process.
As well as the risk of damaging already aging field compressors, carryover has the ability to settle and harden within the gathering network, risking damage to other parts of the infrastructure and further slowing gas transmission.
For these operators with more unique problems, cookie-cutter equipment and SLUG catcher solutions fail to address these niche issues.
Furthermore, seeking the least expensive solution or attempting to utilise off-the-shelf solutions for unique situations most often leaves operators in a worse situation than before.
In these cases, companies would be well advised to seek personalised solutions. Some of those may include modifying the wellhead facility design, bespoke separators, brownfield upgrades and optimisation of field compressor stations, process engineering reviews and pressure piping and vessel design.
The latter could include tailored fuel gas vessels, SLUG catchers, cyclone separators and coalescing filters designed to overcome the unique situation on the relevant gas field while protecting existing functioning assets.
At Practical Engineering Australia, their specialty is optimising gas supply from fields operating at low flow rates with high carryover to high pressure networks. Driven by the ethos of combining creative thinking with engineering excellence, their energy and resources team can provide bespoke optimisation solutions for your surface facilities.
No matter what your problem is, the Practical Engineering team can determine the most appropriate solution to optimise your supply, flow rates and the functionality of your existing infrastructure.
With an emphasis on innovation and agility, the team at Practical Engineering is ready to find the most practical solution to your most challenging issues. Give them a call at 07 3875 2133 or visit www.praceng.com.au.