Simplifying The Delivery Of Oil & Gas Projects

Jon Lawson

Ramiz Selimbasic explains a service concept that makes it much easier for users to deliver oil and gas-related projects

It is no secret that oil- and gas-related projects can be highly complex – and require lots of time and money as a result. And this is where the opportunity presents itself to draw on the help and experience of external partners, allowing companies to adopt a more flexible approach to deploying their own human resources.

Complete Piping Solution (CPS) is a programme for outsourcing the design and production of angled pipe/flange joints. The first step with this kind of modular concept is an in-depth consultation process. The customer defines its requirements. The CPS experts at Parker check whether things are feasible and help further improve the customer’s design plans.

Parker on-site containers are available to help with implementation on site. These contain installation equipment for fitting the main screw and non-welded flange systems available on the market, such as EO-2, high-performance flanges, or Parflange F37 in sizes based on external pipe diameters of 6 to 60mm.

Any dimensions beyond these are produced at the CPS centres around the world. At these centres, the Parflange system is used. It continuously flares and flanges the tube during its coldforming process. Since its introduction it has proved highly effective with regard to mechanical strength and long working life. Furthermore, the non-welded method is 9 to 12 times faster than comparable welding. On top of this, cleaning the tube before and after the manufacturing process is not necessary. The Parflange process is always environmentally friendly since no dangerous gases occur, like they do with welding and brazing and heating up before the manufacturing process is also not necessary.

It was from this technology that the Parflange F37 system was developed, enabling tubing systems of various sizes to be connected to each other. It uses the orbital tube forming technology for tubes from 16 to 273mm (1/2 to 10in) outside diameter and is intended for wall thicknesses up to 9mm and pressure ratings up to 420 bar. For connections in which no pre-formed tube can be assembled, the F37 Retaining Ring system is available. Here the flange is held on the tube by a retaining ring that, together with a high-tech seal carrier, ensures leak-free connections.

The system offers advantages compared with classical welding; the preparation time per tube-end is shorter and the costs for checking after welding are simply not required. Also, the tube connections show constantly high quality and accuracy. Installation times are shorter and the project time is shorter as well.

The cleanliness of the tubing system is also an important aspect, where Parker offers an effective solution: the hot oil flushing units clean the system before they are connected to the main user. The system flushing increases the safety of the complete hydraulic system and contributes to a reduction in maintenance costs and downtime.

The flushing units can clean tubelines with turbulent flow and outside diameter of up to 273mm. The wash medium is mineral hydraulic oil and the adjustable flow capacity of 3,000 l/min can be increased with additional units if required. It can also be used for pressure testing for final approval.

With a total of 12 filters on the pressure and return line, the provided oil is clean from the start – which makes cleaning very effective. All of this is monitored by Parker’s ICount system.

The flushing units are certified to Lloyds 20ft DNV 2.7-1 for offshore application and tested for pressures up to 630 bar. The cleanliness of the flushed tube systems is documented when the work has been completed. When required, Parker can also make an on-site service technician available.

Once a project is completed, thoughts will eventually turn to preventive maintenance. Here, the Parker Tracking System Pro (PTS Pro) has proved to be very helpful. The tubing and flange systems are provided with a barcode. The information stored on the barcode – such as tube dimensions, material variants and manufacturing dates – is made visible via a scanner and the exact replacement of the components required can be initiated within minutes. Even if such an emergency does not occur, the PTS Pro serves as a primary planned inspection management tool.

The concept described is modular in nature – from the consultancy stage through to any documentation and follow-up – enabling users to put together a service package tailored to their own requirements.

Ramiz Selimbasic is with Parker Hannifin. www.parker.com

 

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