5 minute read
Just plug & play
IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2020, BOGE COMPRESSORS NETHERLANDS WAS AWARDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EASILY TRANSPORTABLE PLUG & PLAY NITROGEN INSTALLATION FOR ONE OF THE PETROGAS OFFSHORE PLATFORMS. This installation ensures that the Petrogas platform Helder is always supplied with sufficient nitrogen and that a potential explosion hazard is prevented.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOGE.
Ronald Engberts, Managing Director of Boge compressors Netherlands, elaborates, “Petrogas E&P is an internationally operating organisation for the exploration and production of oil & gas. The organisation is driven by a technical and operational policy and strives to manage its activities in a safe and environmentallyfriendly manner. The Dutch branch of Petrogas has eight oil and gas platforms and we were asked to design a plug & play nitrogen installation for one of those platforms.”
Replace natural gas Oil is produced on the platform where the installation is placed. The produced oil is treated in separators before the oil is pumped ashore. Water is separated from the oil in the separators. Mr Engberts continues, “In the past,” natural gas was used as blanketing gas in the water treatment plant. Blanketing gas is used to prevent oxygen from air entering the water treatment plant and possibly causing an explosion. When the pressure in the water treatment installation increases, methane is emitted to the atmosphere. This emission of methane to the atmosphere is no longer permitted by Dutch government and it has therefore been decided to replace natural gas with nitrogen. The required nitrogen on the Helder platform is now produced by our installation.”
Complete unit The desired nitrogen for Petrogas is made by a special Boge N48-M membrane generator. This is a complete generator to which a regular oil-lubricated compressor can be directly connected, without conditioning. An S 150-3 screw compressor was chosen for this project. All necessary filters are incorporated in the generator unit. The generator is also equipped with its own control unit and various sensors to ensure that the customer is always supplied with high quality nitrogen. Mr Engberts explains, “A major advantage of this installation is that a large amount of nitrogen can be continuously produced on site (350Nm3/h at 95% purity) with a low dew point.”
Easy transport by lifting frame In addition to the desired nitrogen installation, an important topic for this project was the ability to easily transport the installation to the offshore platform. A special hoisting frame was designed for this task. “The components for the generator were supplied by Boge Germany and assembled at our facility. The hoisting frame was, however, constructed by one of our local partners.” With this frame, the transport by land and sea, as well as the installation on board, could be carried out smoothly and safely, meeting the customer’s request for a smart plug & play solution.
Push the button “Petrogas was looking for a compressor that could be easily installed. For them, it should be just a matter of discharging and installing, connecting wires and tubes and pushing the button. And that was exactly >>
Ronald Engberts, Managing Director of Boge compressors Netherlands.
Boge was founded in Bielefeld by the Boge family 113 years ago.
The Boge S 150-3 screw compressor, left, and Boge membrane generator N48-M, right.
Aerial view of Boge’s headquarters in Bielefeld, Germany.
what we provided. But this was not all. Once operating, our products are both cost and energy efficiently, requiring little maintenance. With our compressors, we look further than the moment of installation. The total cost of ownership is important. When offering a compressor, we do not simply provide our customers with an offer. Instead of this, we give them a long-term plan that precisely indicates all benefits, as well as all costs. A customer thus knows exactly what he can expect from us and from our equipment during its entire technical life. This is important, not in the least as today’s market demands high quality, reduced maintenance and high energy efficiency.”
A long history Boge has a long history that dates back 113 years, when the company was founded by the German Boge family in Bielefeld. Today, the company is still owned by the Boge family and managed by the founder’s great-grandchildren. “Boge is present in 120 countries worldwide in various market segments, ranging from dentists to the petrochemical industry”, Mr Engberts states. Apart from being Managing Director for the Dutch Boge branch, Mr Engberts also acts as worldwide Maritime and Offshore advisor for Boge. “Boge compressors Netherlands has plenty of experience in the offshore and maritime industry and we are therefore often asked for advice in those fields by our sister companies.”
A better solution Mr Engberts has now been working at Boge for about seven years and what he has witnessed from this period is the growing interest in sustainability and quality in the market. “Over the years, I have noticed that price is not the only thing that counts for compressors”, he says. “Our customers also seek energy efficient solutions and high quality, which will result in a longer technical lifespan of equipment, which contributes not only to cost savings, but also to more sustainability. With our German background and extensive track record, we can certainly contribute to this market demand. Next to this, our customers are furthermore attracted by our way of working. When one of our customers asks for something, we always look for a better solution. In the Petrogas case for example, the scope of the project was clear to us, but we translated this into our experience and know-how. In other words, for us it is not just a matter of ‘your wish is our command’ as whenever possible, we always try to come up with an even better solution.”
i. nl.boge.com/nl
