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Construction & Commissioning of

BFPLs 2200 mtpd - Worlds Largest


PurifierTM Ammonia Plant
In early 2006, Burrup Fertilisers Pty Ltd (BFPL) completed construction and started up of its 2200
MTPD Ammonia Plant the worlds largest, single train Purifier based ammonia plant. The plant is
located on the Burrup Peninsula, near Karratha, in the north west of Western Australia.
Commissioning was successfully completed in April 2006 with the inaugural shipment of liquid
ammonia departing from the Port of Dampier in June 2006. This paper presents an overview of the
project and its journey through the various stages of project development, approval, design,
engineering and construction as well as setting out some design specifications and features of the
ammonia plant.

The paper also highlights the environmental and native title management initiatives that were
implemented during the design and construction of this plant to minimize the environmental and
native title impacts on the Burrup Peninsula.

Wolfgang Jovanovic
Burrup Fertilisers Pty Ltd, WA, Australia

Avinash Malhotra
Kellogg Brown & Root LLC, USA

PROJECT OVERVIEW achievement given the scale of this private

B
development coupled with the numerous
urrup Fertilisers Pty Ltd (BFPL) has regulatory approvals required.
constructed and commissioned a 2200
metric tons per day ammonia plant in Having incorporated a company in Australia and
April 2006. It is the worlds largest single-train assembled a number of reputable consultants to
KBR Purifier based ammonia plant. BFPL is provide services to BFPL, Company
a private company incorporated in Australia in representatives first met with officials of the
July 2000 and promoted by Oswal Projects Department of Industry and Resources in
Limited, New Delhi, India. Financial closure for October 2000 to express the companys interest
the project was achieved on 18th December 2002 in using a portion of Western Australias vast
with the inaugural shipment of liquid ammonia natural gas supply to manufacture liquid
departing from the Port of Dampier in Western ammonia, and then ship it to various world
Australia in June 2006. This was a remarkable

2006 267 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL


markets for use as feed stock in the growing The plant is serviced locally from the township
fertiliser businesses on the subcontinent. of Karratha, 25 kilometers to the south-east.
Karratha has a population of approximately
BFPL received strong Governmental support 12,500 people and is geared towards servicing
and were granted Major Project Facilitation the resources industry.
Status by the Federal Government of Australia.
BFPLs ammonia plant is the very first down
The speed at which the project advanced from stream gas processing facility to operate in the
this first meeting was extraordinary, given the region and indeed has introduced Australia to
extremely detailed and complex negotiations the production of ammonia on a world scale.
associated with native title and heritage issues,
environmental and other statuary regulations,
FEED STOCK, PORT FACILITIES AND
plus the equally demanding due diligence and
SHIPPING
bank-ability processes.
Natural gas is supplied to BFPL by the
As a matter of history, when BFPL initiated participants in the Harriet Joint Venture,
discussions with government officials regarding comprising subsidiaries of operator Apache
construction of its world scale ammonia plant, Energy Limited (Apache), the Kuwait Foreign
five other major projects were in similar Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC)
discussions; however only BFPL completed its and Tap Oil Limited (Tap). Apaches parent
project with no others yet to commence. company, Apache Corporation, is one of the
worlds leading independent oil and gas
LOCATION companies. Gas is supplied by the Harriet Joint
Venture from the Varanus Island production
The new plant is located on the Burrup hub. The design composition is shown in Table
Peninsula in the Pilbara region of Western 1.
Australia. The site is in the King Bay Hearson
Cove industrial area, which is leased from the Volume Percent
Western Australian Government. It is Methane 80.49
approximately 1,550 kilometers north-east of Ethane 6.38
Propane + 4.63
the state capital, Perth.
Carbon Dioxide 5.00
Nitrogen 3.50
The Burrup Peninsula is characterized by large 100.0
areas of steep, bare rock piles, a high rocky
plateau, stony planes, mudflats, beaches and Table 1: Design composition of natural gas feed.
bays. The area is vegetated with woodland,
shrubs and grasslands and is populated by birds Water seawater for cooling purposes and
and a range of wildlife. desalinated for use in ammonia production
will be supplied by the Western Australian
As a result of the areas proximity to offshore oil Governments Water Corporation. The Water
and gas supplies and port facilities the Burrup Corporation has constructed a new desalination
Peninsula has developed as one of Australias plant adjacent to BFPLs ammonia plant.
most significant industrial sites and port areas.
Existing industries on the Burrup Peninsula Ammonia will be stored at the plant site in two
include the North West Shelf Joint Venture 40,000 tons storage tanks until ready for loading
LNG/LPG Facility, Rio Tintos iron ore and salt at the Port of Dampiers new Bulk Liquids
production and export facilities. Berth (BLB) facility. It will be transported to

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 268 2006


the Port via a 5.5 kilometer product pipeline and services were provided by KBR. Emphasis was
loaded directly onto ships using dedicated ship placed on working as a combined project team.
loading facilities established by BFPL on the
new BLB. An Engineering, Procurement and Construction
Management (EPC) contract was awarded to
Vessels capable of storing up to 40,000 tons of SNC-Lavalin (SNC) under a lump-sum-turn-
refrigerated liquid ammonia will be used to key, fixed price arrangement. This arrangement
transport the ammonia to the world markets. involved ensuring overall compliance with the
Construction Environmental Management Plan
Yara, one of the worlds largest traders and and other legislative requirements, and assisting
shipper of ammonia, will purchase 100% of in obtaining permits necessary for construction.
ammonia produced at the plant. BFPL and Yara
have agreed on the terms of an Off-take and Worley Parsons provided independent
Marketing Support Agreement. Subsequent to engineering services, audits and consultancy
establishing that agreement Yara has taken out a services.
portion of ownership in BFPL thus
strengthening the relationship between the two Construction of the new ammonia plant by
parties. BFPL acted as a catalyst for a host of other
projects to go forward in the region. The State
Government of Western Australia committed
PROJECT EXECUTION
AUS$137million for the development of multi-
Development of the project was managed by user infrastructure to support new projects on
BFPL who was supported by a number of the Burrup Peninsula. The Department of
external technical, consulting and management Industry and Resources (DoIR) played a role in
service providers. A key feature of the execution facilitating the identification and development
strategy was to ensure that a safe, efficient and of the infrastructure. The infrastructure included
reliable plant was designed and constructed on a Water Corporation seawater supply and brine
the strength of proven technology enlisting the return facility, a natural gas supply pipeline to
support of experienced contractors, suppliers the new ammonia plant, multi-user service
and vendors. corridors by Landcorp connecting the King Bay-
Hearson Cove development area to the Dampier
As the major investor, Oswal/BFPL assumed Port area, upgrades to the Dampier Port
full responsibility for the project. Authority facilities including a new bulk liquids
Comprehensive and effective management was berth and utilities such as roads and
achieved by adopting international good telecommunications. Another significant project
practices in contracting and construction was the construction of a new desalination plant
management. Contracts for license, and basic adjacent to the ammonia plant.
engineering design packages relating to the
ammonia plant were awarded to Kellogg Brown KBR on-site representatives and vendor
& Root, Inc. (KBR), now Kellogg Brown & representatives monitored the start up and
Root, LLC. Training and start-up advisory commissioning.

2006 269 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL


Native Title, Environmental & Health and
Project Milestones Safety Issues
A summary of the project milestones is shown The Burrup Peninsula and surrounding Dampier
in Table 2. Archipelago in the Western Australias Pilbara
First Meeting with October 2000 region have significant biodiversity values with
Government Officials many flora species. Many of the Peninsulas
Works Approvals Granted Q2 2002
fauna are found throughout the Pilbara region
Environmental & Heritage Q3 2002
Clearances Received and numerous archaeological surveys confirmed
Engineering Commenced Q4 2002 that Aboriginals have inhabited the Burrup
Financial Close 18 Dec. 2002 Peninsula for over 7,000 years. In view of all
Planning Approval Q1 2003 this BFPL initiated the development of the
Received. Aboriginal following three plans:
Heritage Management Plan
Approved Aboriginal Heritage Management Plan:
Construction commenced Q2 2003 During the feasibility study phase of the
on-site project BFPL engaged consultants to
Major earthworks and site Q3 2003
undertake archaeological surveys and
preparation completed.
Concrete works commenced developed an Aboriginal Heritage
Desalination plant area Q4 2003 Management Plan. BFPL, in consultation
handed over to Water with the Native Title Groups, engaged a
Corporation. Major design number of Aboriginal employees on site
review conducted during earthworks to ensure that the project
Ammonia Tanks Erection Q1 2004 protected and preserved existing Aboriginal
Commenced & Structural sites. Where disturbance could not be
Steel Erection Package avoided the disturbance was undertaken in
Awarded
accordance with conditions pursuant to the
Structural Mechanical Q2 2004
Contractor mobilised Aboriginal Heritage Act.
Electrical Installation Q3 2004
Commenced Construction Environmental Management
Roof raised into position on Q4 2004 Plan (CEMP): This CEMP was prepared to
first ammonia storage tank & outline strategies that would be initiated in
41 large vessels erected over order to reduce any adverse environmental
a six week period (heaviest impacts that might occur and to ensure that
was the ammonia synthesis environmental standards are achieved during
converter at 780 tons)
construction. The CEMP addressed a
Emergency Diesel Generator Q1 2005
commissioned number of specific environmental factors
Two boilers (150 tph and 50 Q2 2005 such as dust, noise and traffic management
tph) commissioned during construction.
Other OSBL Components Q3 2005
commissioned Health and Safety Management Plan: This
Pre-commissioning of ISBL Q4 2005 plan was prepared to provide guidance in
components commenced Health and Safety related matters to all
Mechanical Completion Q1 2006 parties associated with the project. This plan
First Ammonia Production Q2 2006 provided advice on safe work practices and
Performance Test Q2 2006
safety procedures, safety inspections and
Inaugural Shipment Q2 2006
audits, incident and accident management

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 270 2006


measures and information concerning reformer. The preheated mixed feed is then
occupational health. distributed to tubes suspended in the radiant
section. The tubes contain nickel reforming
The potential impact of the new plant in relation catalyst. The heat for the endothermic reforming
to emissions, flora and fauna, water pollution reaction is provided by combustion of fuel gas
and waste was assessed and documented in a and waste gas from Purifier. The burners are
Public Environmental Review (PER). The PER located between the rows of catalyst tubes and
was prepared by BFPLs Corporate operate with downward firing. In this manner,
Environmental Advisors, Sinclair Knight Merz the tubes are heated from both sides. Also, the
(SKM) and concluded that: heat flux is the highest at the top of the tubes,
where the process temperature is the lowest.
The impact of the plant development and That results in a relatively even load on the
operations in relation to flora and fauna, tubes.
marine environment, noise, waste, public
safety and aesthetics will be minimal. The outlet manifolds and the riser tubes are
located inside the reformer furnace, for heat
The plant will produce atmospheric conservation.
emissions but these are well within national
environmental protection measures at best The primary reformer uses the latest refractory
available techniques. and insulation technology. Ceramic fiber lining
BFPL was committed to formulating and in the radiant section provides rapid thermal
implementing a comprehensive response due to low heat storage. Super duty
environmental management plan. hard refractory is used where flames may
contact the sidewalls. This reformer design
During the PER public consultation period, allows operation of the primary reformer with
BFPL did not receive any public only two percent oxygen (on dry basis) at the
submissions objecting to the project. exit of the radiant section.

The primary reformer is designed to obtain


THE AMMONIA PLANT PROCESS maximum thermal efficiency (93 % plus) by
The ammonia process (refer figure 1) is based recovering heat from the flue gas in a
on the Purifier Process, a low energy natural convection section. The recovered heat is used
gas reforming process offered and licensed by for the following services:
KBR. The ammonia plant design is based upon
producing cold 2200 MTPD ammonia, which is Mixed-feed (gas-steam) preheating
exported to atmospheric ammonia storage at -33 Process air preheating
C.
Steam superheating
All the components of the ammonia plant are
based on well proven technology features. All Feed gas preheating
process equipment is single train. All
Combustion air preheating
compressors are centrifugal compressors and
each is driven by a steam turbine.
In the secondary reformer, the partially
The desulfurized feed is mixed with medium reformed gas from the primary reformer is
pressure steam, and the mixture is preheated in reacted with air. In a traditional ammonia plant,
the convection section of a top fired primary the air flow rate is set to provide the amount of

2006 271 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL


nitrogen required for the ammonia synthesis In preparation for drying, the methanator
reaction. In a Purifier ammonia plant, up to effluent is cooled by heat exchange with
50 percent excess air is used. The oxygen in the methanator feed and cooling water. The
air burns some of the process gas, to provide methanator effluent, then combines with recycle
heat for the reforming reaction. The gas then synthesis loop purge gas and are further cooled
flows downward through a bed of nickel with ammonia refrigerant to about 4C. The
reforming catalyst, where the temperature chilled gas from the condensate separator drum
decreases due to the endothermic reforming goes to the syngas dryers. Two dryers are
reaction. provided. They contain mol sieve desiccant and
operate on a 24-hour cycle. Exiting these driers
The excess air in the Purifier process provides the total of water, CO2 and NH3 content is
heat for more reaction in the secondary reduced to less than 1.0 ppmv. The regeneration
reformer. This reduces the size of the primary of the molecular sieve dryers is done with the
reformer by about one third, and lowers the waste gas from the Purifier.
process outlet temperature (~725 C)
substantially, as compared to a traditional The cryogenic Purifier does the final
ammonia plant. The lower operating purification of the raw synthesis gas. It consists
temperature results in a longer tube and catalyst of three pieces of equipment, a feed/effluent
life. The shift of reforming duty from the exchanger, a low speed expander and a
primary to the secondary reformer is rectifying column with an integral overhead
advantageous, because the heat in the secondary condenser. The dried feed to the Purifier with
reformer is recovered 100 percent in the H/N ratio of about 2.0 is first cooled in the top
process, with no stack loss. part of the feed/effluent exchanger by exchange
with the purified gas and waste gas. It then
The secondary reformer has a dual-layer flows through a turbo-expander where feed is
refractory lining. An outside water jacket expanded and energy is recovered to develop
protects the shell against hot spots in the event the net refrigeration required for the cryogenic
of a refractory failure The effluent from the unit. The expander effluent is further cooled and
secondary reforming containing about 2.0% (dry partially condensed in the bottom of the
basis) methane is cooled by generating and exchanger and then enters the rectifier column.
superheating high pressure steam prior to shift All of the methane, about 60% of the argon and
conversion. all the excess nitrogen coming to the Purifier are
removed as rectifier bottoms. Liquid from the
Shift conversion uses the traditional two-stage bottom of the rectifier is partially evaporated at
high and low temperature reactors. Carbon reduced pressure in the shell side of the rectifier
dioxide is removed by a two stage proven overhead condenser to provide reflux for the
processes licensed from by BASF. Process column.
condensate is recovered, stripped with medium
pressure steam in the Condensate Stripper, and It is further reheated by exchange with Purifier
recycled as process steam to the reforming feed gas and then leaves as a waste gas to
section. The synthesis gas from the CO2 regenerate the molecular sieve dryers. The
absorber overhead is heated in a feed/effluent waste gas is then used as fuel in the process
exchanger and then passed over methanation heater. The synthesis gas containing about 0.25
catalyst to convert residual carbon oxides to percent argon and an H/N ratio of three is
methane. reheated by exchange with Purifier feed and
then goes to the suction of the synthesis gas
compressor.

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 272 2006


The purified gas is compressed to about 150 CNOOC ammonia plants use KBRs proprietary
bars while combining with unreacted recycle high efficiency reformer furnace design with
gas. Compressor discharge is heated by reforming at a pressure of 40 bars, about 10 bars
feed/effluent exchange, and enters the horizontal higher than previously used. This raises the
converter. In the converter ammonia conversion pressure in the Purifier column, which makes
is raised from about two percent to nineteen the separation easier. Thus the higher than
percent while passing over three beds of normal methane slip from the reforming section
magnetite catalyst. Converter effluent is cooled was easily accommodated. The horizontal
by generating high pressure steam, by ammonia converter and unitized chiller reduce
feed/effluent exchange, with cooling water, and the synthesis loop pressure drop by about 3 bars
finally in KBRs proprietary Unitized Chiller. when compared to previous Purifier loops.
A conventional refrigeration system provides These factors help reduce energy consumption
the necessary chilling. A small purge stream is of the ammonia plant.
recycled to upstream of the dryers in order to
recover the hydrogen and nitrogen. Cold
PLANT PERFORMANCE
ammonia product is exported from the synthesis
loop to storage. The ammonia plant was started up in March
2006. Gas feed was on March 12 and first
PROCESS DESIGN FEATURES ammonia produced on April 11. The
performance test for the ammonia plant was
There were several unique features in the BFPL conducted in June of 2006 and all performance
design, as discussed below. guarantees were met. Ammonia plant has been
operating at more than 100% of the design
Integral gear process air compressor driven capacity.
by a steam turbine first large capacity
Purifier ammonia plant, which has not The ammonia plant energy consumption and
used gas turbine quality achieved during the performance test is
Mild operating conditions for primary shown in Table 3. The values represent energy
reforming in terms of Gcal per metric ton of cold ammonia
About 42 percent excess air to the secondary product on a lower heating value basis.
reformer
Non metallic mixing chamber no metallic Measured Expected
mixer/burner in the secondary reformer Natural Gas Gcal/mt
BASFs aMDEA two stage process for Feed 5.76 6.05
carbon dioxide removal Fuel 1.59 1.43
Export steam -0.61 -0.66
KBRs cryogenic Purifier to remove inerts
Electricity import 0.04 0.04
from the raw synthesis gas Total Gcal/mt 6.78 6.86
Three beds with two exchangers horizontal Ammonia Quality
magnetite converter Water, wt% 0.04 0.1
Unitized ammonia chiller Oil. ppmw Not Detected 5 max

The ammonia plant for BFPL is the second Table 3: A comparison of ammonia plant energy
KBR plant to combine features of both Kellogg consumption as measured during performance test
and Braun technologies. The first plant was the and as expected from the process flow diagrams
CNOOC(1) ammonia plant, which was
commissioned in September 2003. Compared to The measured values were calculated from the
previous Purifier plant designs, the BFPL & performance test. The expected values are

2006 273 AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL


from the design issue of the process flow
diagrams.

SUMMARY
The new ammonia plant is a major
accomplishment for BFPL. A private
company has successfully introduced world
scale ammonia technology to Australia and
done so in an extraordinarily short space of
time given the extremely detailed and
complex negotiation associated with a plant
of its size and nature. BFPL has succeeded
where many other, larger publicly listed
organizations have not. The plants
successful completion represents the first
downstream gas processing facility in
Western Australia. Indeed the Major
Project Facilitation Status afforded to the
project by the Federal Government of
Australia coupled with the level of Western
Australian Government investment in
infrastructure demonstrates the strong
support that BFPL received from both
Governments.

The ammonia plant also represents a significant


accomplishment for KBR in the provision of its
leading edge technology. It is the second KBR
Purifier based ammonia plant to come-on
stream which includes features from both
Kellogg and Braun Technologies the result
being a new KBR Purifier Process that is now
a proven technology for one of the largest
capacity single stream ammonia plant. The
combination of features from the two former
companies has further reduced the energy
consumption of the Purifier Process.
(1)
Yang Yexin & Gosnell, J. H. CNOOC
Chemicals Ltd. New Fertilizer Plant, AIChE
Safety in Ammonia Plants & Related Facilities
Symposium 2004, Denver, Colorado, USA,
September 2004.

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 274 2006


COOLING

2006
EXCESS AIR
HTS
AIR COMPRESSOR
HEAT
RECOVER TO PROCESS
Y STEAM

NG FEED
SECONDARY CONDENSATE
REFORMER LTS STRIPPER

SULFUR
REMOVAL HEAT PRIMARY
RECOVERY HEAT MP STEAM
REFORMER
RECOVERY

PROCESS HEAT
STEAM RECOVERY
TO BFW
SYSTEM

METHANATOR

SYNTHESIS GAS
COMPRESSOR REFRIGERATION
COMPRESSOR

275
CO2
CO2 DRYER
STRIPPER HEAT
WASTE GAS
RECOVERY
TO FUEL

UNITIZED CHILLER
CONDENSER AMMONIA
PRODUCT

CO2
ABSORBER

HORIZONTAL MAGNETITE
CONVERTER
EXPANDER

FEED/EFFLUENT
EXCHANGER RECTIFIER
COLUMN
TM
KBR PurifierTM Ammonia Process
Figure 1

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL


Figure 2 Overview of BFPL Complex

Figure 3 Ammonia Plant

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 276 2006

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