MS5002D driving a BCL centrifugal compressor during full load test at the Nuovo Pignone shop.

IN AMENAS GAS PROCESSING PLANT UPDATE

GE Oil & Gas Will Supply Equipment; Startup Slated for 2005
By Roberto Chellini
GE Oil & Gas will supply compression and power generation equipment worth $70 million to the new In Amenas gas processing plant, which is due to start operation at the end of 2005. The In Amenas plant will process the wet gas extracted from 16 wells drilled in four different reservoirs in the Illizi Basin located in the south east of Algeria, near the Libyan border. In Amenas is the largest wet gas joint development project in Algeria managed jointly by the Algerian national energy company, Sonatrach and BP. BP is the largest foreign investor in Algeria. A gathering system connects the 16 production wells to the four manifold sites located over each field through 26 mi. (42 km) of 10 in. (254 mm) flowlines. Then 19.3 mi. (31 km) of 18 in. (460 mm) trunklines connect the four manifolds to the In Amenas central production facility site. After processing the products, 318 Tcf per year (9 x 109 m3/year) of dry gas and 50,000 bbl per day of condensate and LPG, are conveyed to the existing pipeline system through three new pipelines: a 66.5 mi. (107 km) long 36 in. (910 mm) line for natural gas, a
MARCH 2004

66.5 mi. (107 km) long 12 in. (300 mm) line for LPG and a 70.8 mi. (114 km) long 12 in. (300 mm) line for condensate. While Sonatrach/BP will directly set up the gas gathering site, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Central Production Facilities has been awarded to JK, the joint venture between JCG Corporation (Nikki K.K.) of Japan and KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root) of the U.S. The full EPC contract comprises the construction of the whole In Amenas facility: the three processing trains rated 350 MMscfd (9.9 x 106 m3/d), offsites, utilities and buildings (approximately 100 buildings), industrial base and permanent operating personnel base. The temporary camp will be provided by the owner. Power generation for the whole site will be provided by a power plant featuring three turbogenerator trains based on GE MS5001 PA manufacture in Florence by GE Nuovo Pignone. These heavy-duty turbines, fitted with LHE combustors for low emissions, are rated 26.3 MW each and have a 28.5% efficiency at ISO conditions. Each turbine is mounted on
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a common base with its BHS reduction gear and a Brush 4pole, 50 Hz, 30,000 kVA synchronous generator. Each turbogenerator is provided with its own Mark VI control system which interfaces with the central DCS of the station. The power generation plant is designed for island operation and will deliver approximately 50 MW with two units in service and the third in stand-by. Gas turbine intakes are provided with self-cleaning, pulse jet type filters to protect the blading from sand ingestion. Gas processing and condensate recovery is achieved in three parallel and identical

cryogenic gas processing trains utilizing GE Rotoflow turboexpanders. Each gas processing train is designed with one Frame 50 expander-compressor. Rich feed natural gas with molecular weight of 19.5 enters the expander at 943 psi (65 bar) and 54F (12C). The expander rotates at 18,000 rpm and extracts 6500 kW energy out and delivers the cooled down process gas at 261 psi (18 bar) and -51F (46C) with 89% efficiency. Based upon the expander discharge pressure and temperature, approximately 11% of heavier hydrocarbons
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A BCL607 centrifugal compressor similar to the In Amenas units.

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 Map of Algeria showing the In Amenas location.

mass flow flashes into liquid. In other words, with throughput of 529,000 lb./hr (240,000 kg/hr), there will be more than 57,320 lb./hr (26,000 kg/hr) hydrocarbon condensate flowing out of the expander to be knocked out in the cold knock out drum. The lean gas with molecular weight of 17.8, after exchanging cold with the expander inlet process, enters the compressor end of the expander-compressor to be compressed from 232 psi (16 bar) and 129F (54C) to 348 psi (24 bar) and 198F (92C) with efficiency of 81% absorbing the expander energy. After separation of condensates and LPG, the dry gas is conveyed to the residual gas compressor station located on one side of the three process plants. Three turbocompressor trains, one for each process line, will be installed to compress the dry gas from 348 psi (24 bar) to 1233 psi (85 bar).

These units, designed and manufactured by GE Nuovo Pignone in Florence, feature a two-shaft heavy-duty gas turbine type MS 5002D, rated 32.6 MW with an efficiency of 30.3% at ISO conditions, driving through a gear box a Pignone BCL606 barrel type centrifugal compressor. Site conditions, 1312 ft. (400 m) above sea level and 113F (45C) ambient temperature, will reduce considerably the usable output of the turbines. Special HRSG are placed on these mechanical drive turbine exhaust lines to heat up diathermic oil. The hot oil is stored in a hot oil tank and then used in the wet gas separation process. The BCL606 compressor is a well proven, standard machine. Pignone has already manufactured over 80 units in this size. The In Amenas compressors feature a barrel casing with 20 in. (510 mm) inlet flange and

Each of the three turbocompressor trains at In Amenas will be powered by a two-shaft heavy-duty gas turbine type MS 5002D, shown above, to compress the dry gas from 348 psi (24 bar) to 1233 psi (85 bar). 18 in. (460 mm) outlet flange. The rotor mounts six 22.228 in. (565 mm) diameter shrouded impellers, the first two of which are of the 3D design and runs on tilting pads bearings at 9500 rpm to handle approximately 595,248 lb./hr (270,000 kg/hr) of gas absorbing about 20 MW. Dry gas seals from John Crane are used to seal the gas inside the barrel casing. Dry flexible couplings connect the gas turbine power shaft to the gearbox and this to the compressor rotor. All compressors will undergo a thermodynamic test (Type 2) after assembly and then the complete train (using job gas turbine, gearbox, compressor, lube oil system, gas coolers, control panel, etc.) will be submitted to a full load string test at the GE Nuovo Pignone shop prior to shipment. Also one complete generator package will be tested at full load string test with job equipment. At site, all machinery, protected by a sound attenuating lagging that reduces noise emissions under 85 dB(A) at 1 m, will be installed under a shelter that avoids direct sun exposure. The contract includes assistance for machine installation, site supervision and a two year guarantee after commissioning.
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Layout of the In Amenas plant.

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