Houston, TX |
In this case study, Detechtion Technologies used operating data from Enalysis to assist the client continuously optimize their compressor fleet at scale.
The Mission:
Continuous optimization of the client’s compressor fleet for maximum throughput and equipment utilization.
Background:
Maximizing the throughput of a compressor simply means maximizing the capacity of the compressor. In a competitive natural gas gathering application, maintaining the lowest suction pressure can provide a significant production advantage to any gas producer.
Detechtion Technologies’ Plant Capacity Curves provide an easy way to identify:
- Expected compressor station suction pressures
- Excess capacity for incremental production
- Required number of operating units
The Plant Capacity Curve in the downloadable case study shows an example where the client requires the ability to flow 815e3m3/d at a suction pressure no less than 730kPag. The curve shows that only two units are required when configured correctly.
As fields fluctuate and, over time, decline, compressor optimization must be done on a regular basis in order to continue increasing overall fleet utilization and maximizing throughput.
The Solution:
Compressor performance is tracked within Detechtion Technologies’ Enalysis system every time a compressor’s operating data is entered to generate an Enalysis performance report. Clients, therefore, can track and report compressor fleet performance and various other parameters via Fleet Management Reports and Tools within Enalysis.
The Performance Graph in Enalysis graphs the average performance (compressor flow divided by the total potential flow) of the compressor in a certain region over a period of time. This graph is, therefore, a direct indication of the utilization of the compressor, as determined by the greater of the power utilization and the cylinder capacity utilization and allows the client to identify the regions where production is not optimized.
The Impact:
The graph shown in the downloadable case study represents the performance for the entire compressor fleet of a long term Detechtion client from the start over a period of 4 years. The graph shows a continuous improvement in compressor fleet performance over the last four years and a total, fleet-wide performance improvement of more than 7.5%.
What is the value of 7.5% increase in total fleet performance?
In the case of this client, with a compressor fleet of well over 100 operating units and more than 150,000KW, 7.5% could represent 11,250KW of power used more effectively. Alternatively, with a reported daily throughput of more than 30,000e3m3/d, 7.5% could represent 2,250e3m3/d of increased potential production.
