After acquiring a gas processing facility in Texas, an operator wanted to increase NGL throughput from 4,500 bbl/d to 10,000 bbl/d because of higher production from the Eagle Ford Shale. Other priorities were decreasing facility downtime resulting from frequent pump maintenance and accommodating rapid changes in supply.
Because the facility was originally designed using plunger pumps (a type of positive displacement pump), it was unable to handle wide swings in throughput. In addition, there were environmental concerns related to leakage from plunger pumps, and maintaining or repairing the mechanically complex pumps resulted in 3 to 5 hours of downtime each week, leading to significant lost or deferred revenue.
SLB recommended a Reda HPS pump optimized with a variable speed drive (VSD). With the ability to handle 12,000 bbl/d at 1,200-psi discharge pressure, the multistage centrifugal pump was well suited for the application. The VSD enables accommodating rapid changes in throughput with ease.
The new pump was built to design and shipped in 12 weeks, a rapid response given the high demand for equipment in the Eagle Ford. Average pump maintenance time dropped by 95% to just 8 to 16 hours per year. In addition to increasing throughput, the operator saved USD 60,000 annually on parts and labor.
SLB also configured the surface equipment to enable efficient addition of a second pump to accommodate future increases in pumping capacity without significant changes to surface infrastructure.
