The pumps are for condensate transfer duties and include the latest API 682 4th edition Plan 53B seal support systems along with Amarinth mobile top-up units.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil-operated Majnoon oil field is a super-giant oil field located 60km from Basra in southern Iraq and is one of the richest oil fields in the world. The field is 52km-long, 15km-wide, includes 13 different oil and gas reservoirs, and has an estimated 38 billion barrels of oil in place.

Specified for ATEX Zone 1 use, the pumps are required on an aggressive 30-week delivery. On completion, they will be inspected and witness tested by Bureau Veritas, and supplied with a full legalised Iraq documentation package.

This is Amarinth’s first order from Azku Global Services and comes off the back of numerous projects that the UK pump company has successfully delivered into Iraq.

“We are delighted to receive this first order Azku Global Services which further strengthens our reputation in Iraq for successfully delivering robust and reliable pumping solutions on short lead times for its expanding oil and gas infrastructure,” said Oliver Brigginshaw, managing director of Amarinth. “Our ability to meet these aggressive delivery deadlines is assisted by the in-depth knowledge we developed across our organisation of the documentation and legislative processes required to supply pumps to Iraq.”

The 3.5m long flare drain pumps are for the Rumaila oil field, a super-giant oil field located 50km to the west of the city of Basra, southern Iraq.

Amarinth has previously successfully delivered ten API 610 OH1 condensate transfer pumps for the Rumaila field.

Space constraints in the tanks called for a particularly small support plate of just 30 inches in length and so Amarinth has designed a bespoke support plate for the VS4 pumps with a special arrangement that still enables Plan 53B seal support systems to be mounted at the side of the pumps.

The motors, seal support systems, and instrumentation will be IECEx certified and as with the previous order, the pumps will be inspected and witness tested by Bureau Veritas and supplied with a full legalised Iraq documentation package. The pumps are also required on an aggressive 25-week delivery from drawing approval.

Oliver Brigginshaw, managing director of Amarinth, said: “We are delighted with this latest order of bespoke API 610 VS4 vertical pumps from IGCC which underlines our on-going support and investment in Iraq. With the orders from IGCC, and the other contracts we have fulfilled in Iraq, we have developed an in-depth knowledge of the requirements of the Rumaila Operating Organization enabling us to design bespoke pumping solutions on short lead times that successfully meet their needs.”

The Yellowtail development project comprises of six drill centres and up to 26 production and 25 injection wells. Located some 200km offshore Guyana, the deepwater wells will be tied back to the One Guyana FPSO vessel for processing.

VWS Westgarth approached Amarinth for the two titanium API 610 OH2 chemically enhanced backwash pumps following the successful delivery of similar pumps to the company by Amarinth for two FPSO vessels operating off Brazil.

To handle the highly corrosive fluid, all wetted parts of the pumps will be manufactured in titanium, including the casings, impellers and shafts. The UK has one of only a few foundries in the world with the capability to cast the large titanium components necessary for the pumps.

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The API 610 OH2 pumps will be ATEX Zone 2 certified for hazardous areas with IECEx certified motors. With very limited space within the FPSO vessel, the design includes a bespoke baseplate that incorporates a local control station within its footprint. The pumps will be supplied on a tight 38-week lead time, which is necessary to fit the FPSO build which is being undertaken in China and combines the new build, multi-purpose hull with several standardised topsides modules.

Oliver Brigginshaw, managing director of Amarinth, said: “We are delighted that VWS Westgarth has placed a further order with Amarinth for these titanium API 610 OH2 pumps. This builds on our successful delivery of a previous order to VWS Westgarth and further underlines our capabilities in supplying API 610 pumps, manufactured in exotic alloys, which will operate reliably in the extremely arduous conditions experienced on FPSO vessels.”

The One Guyana FPSO will perform produced water treatment functions as well as oil separation and gas injection. It will have an optimum production capacity of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and a storage capacity of two million barrels of crude oil, gas treatment capacity of 450 million ft³ a day, and water injection capacity of 300,000 bpd.

When a well in an oilfield is first opened, generally there is plenty of existing pressure and volume for oil, gas and water to reach the surface. Over time, however, that initial boost reduces and artificial lift methods must be applied to literally push those resources to the surface. The most often used artificial lift methods include progressing cavity pumps (PCP), rod lift, plunger lift, gas lift, hydraulic lift, and electric submersible pumps (ESP). Each has particular strengths for specific applications.

Conventional pumping methods

Netzsch Pumps USA, in partnership with DXP, began a discussion with a Midwest oil producer that employed the gas lift method. The producer had just constructed a multi-pad well site having designed in the gas lift artificial lift method.

In this system, high pressure gas is injected into the well bore, which forces the fluids to the surface. Each well then feeds the gas and fluids to a dedicated two phase, horizontal separator, which divides a major portion of the gas from the well fluids. The gas is then directed back into the compressor to be re-injected into the well bore.

The liquids and residual gas (not separated in the initial phase) are sent to a vertical, two phase separator for additional processing. The residual gas rises to the top of the separator and is fed back to the compressor. The fluids consisting of oil, water and some solids are then forced into the pumping system to be transported through pipelines to a central processing facility (CPF) where the oil is now separated from the water. The CPF is approximately 15 miles from the well site.

Unreliability of conventional technology

To date, the most common method to move the fluids to the CPF has been the use of centrifugal pumps. However, in this case several issues are encountered when using centrifugal technology:

• Inability to handle the varying suction and discharge pressures and maintain consistent flow rates.
• Inability to handle the viscosity fluctuations and maintain consistent flow rates.
• Inability to handle solids that may be present in the fluids without extreme wear.

Centrifugal pumps are unable to maintain constant flows when suction pressures vary. This is also the case when discharge pressures fluctuate. In order to provide consistent flow rates, control valves and other instrumentation must be used to insure the centrifugal pump is operating at its best efficiency point (BEP). If not, the flows drop off substantially reducing production.

Viscosity fluctuations are challenging for centrifugal pumps because flow output is affected. For instance, as viscosity increases the flow rate of a centrifugal pump will begin to rapidly decrease, and production rates are reduced.

The high speed impeller rotation of centrifugal pumps cannot handle solids or abrasives without accelerated wear. Because of the high speeds (3,600 RPM) solids and abrasives can cause rapid wear of the impellers, resulting in reduced production and high maintenance costs.

Nemo PC pumps address issues

Netzsch Nemo PC pumps can manage fluctuations in suction and discharge pressures while maintaining a consistent flow rate. Variations in viscosity of the pumped fluid do not affect the flow rates, allowing production to continue at the highest levels required.

Pump speeds are controlled by VFDs to meet production flow rates. PC pumps can meet the pressure demands over the wide speed range.

Netzsch Nemo PC pumps can handle solids and abrasives that could be present in the fluid with very little wear. This is because there is low internal leakage (slip) inside the pumping elements which is the result of the properly sized compression fit between the rotor and stator.

To meet the application conditions provided by the producer (7,500 bpd/51 m³/h per pump, up to 250 psi/1.7 bar suction pressures, differential pressure of 500 psi/3.4 bar) Netzsch engineers selected the Nemo pump model NM076SY. Since a total capacity of up to 30,000 bpd/204 m³/h was required from the three wells, Netzsch recommended the use of four pumps.

The Netzsch Nemo pump was supplied with SAE 316SS materials and a Nemolast S459/S91 stator.

One of the things that sets Netzsch apart from other progressing cavity pump manufacturers is the ability to offer many different universe joint options to meet demanding pumping applications. In this case, Netzsch engineers recommended the Z type joint. The Z double seal pivot joint is used when flows and pressures are high and when torque and axial loads are at their highest. This joint is oil-filled and hermetically sealed with two independent seals that are resistant and compatible to both the lubricant and the pumped fluid. It is designed for continuous, heavy duty operation under the highest loads.

The joint also has a special design with a balanced seal. The balanced seal is referred to as an equalizer. The equalizer is a sliding piston that sits in the tube coupling rod and applies pressure on the lubrication oil at the same rate the seal is pressurized from the outside. This balanced seal design is able the handle suction pressures up to 1,000 psi/69 bar.

Netzsch, in partnership with DXP, supplied a complete, heavy duty I-beam skid, consisting of the pump, motor, gearbox, pressure gauges and sensors, and valves. All four pumps were installed and anchored in for smooth operation.

Engineers from DXP and Netzsch were present to ensure a smooth start-up and they have been in daily operation since.

Netzsch says that the producer has been very satisfied with the performance of the Netzsch pumps and the service and support of the Netzsch/DXP partnership. More units have been purchased and Netzsch pumps are being planned on future well sites to transport the produced water/oil mixture to central processing facilities.

The Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative was launched in early 2022 by the CEOs of the OGCI member companies to rethink how the oil and gas industry approaches methane emissions and its harmful effects on the environment.

Established in 2014, the OGCI is a CEO-led group that aims to accelerate the industry’s response to climate change and help drive the energy transition through significant reductions in greenhouse gases.

“Joining the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative underscores our commitment to helping customers with their energy transition and decarbonization goals,” said Rebecca Steinmann, director, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Control at John Crane. “We are proud to join our oil and gas industry customers and peers to tackle methane emissions reduction targets, and excited to introduce new solutions to avoid methane emissions and supplement monitoring and measurement technologies.”

“We are proud to welcome John Crane to the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative,” said OGCI chair Bob Dudley. “Recognizing that eliminating methane emissions from the oil and gas industry represents one of the best short-term ways of addressing climate change, and I encourage others to join this ambitious effort to eliminate the oil and gas industry’s methane footprint by 2030.”

In an exclusive contract, GDEP will supply pumps across four USWS fleets. The pumps for USWS’ new fleets can be run at 3,000 horsepower, which maximizes efficiency by increasing the flow rate across a smaller number of units compared to conventional 2,500 horsepower fleets.

“By partnering closely with USWS and understanding their operational goals, GDEP developed a 3,000 horsepower pump uniquely designed for their Nyx Clean Fleet,” said Tony McLain, vice president of sales, GDEP. “We will be placing two 3,000 horsepower pumps on one trailer, to make a total of 6,000 horsepower per trailer. Each 6,000 horsepower Nyx trailer will take the place of 2.5 conventional diesel units. This is a strategic step forward as we help our customers reduce their environmental footprint and improve operational efficiencies.”

Kyle O’Neill, USWS president and CEO, said: “We are excited to partner with GDEP to deliver the highest quality pressure pumping equipment available in our industry today. By using these custom engineered pumps, we expect to improve the reliability and lifespan of our pumps while providing high efficiency for our customers and reducing total maintenance costs.”