In natural gas gathering applications, minimizing suction pressure across compressor fleets is essential for maintaining high production levels, particularly in fluctuating and declining fields. Many operators face challenges in achieving optimal suction pressures and compressor utilization across their entire fleet, often comprising hundreds of units with varying capacities and requirements.
One of Australia's leading natural gas producers (The Producer), sought to enhance fleet-wide compressor performance to maximize gas recovery, extend field life, and boost utilization across over 100 compressors. Faced with declining fields and inconsistent compressor performance, The Producer needed a robust, data-driven solution to identify opportunities for efficiency and optimize each unit for evolving field conditions.
By implementing optimization and failure prevention solutions by Detechtion, The Producer gained access to advanced tools including Digital Twin analytics for identifying performance issues or opportunities, modelling capabilities for what-if analysis, and fleet wide reporting to identify the most impactful opportunities within a compressor fleet. These tools enabled a holistic view of the compressor fleet and allowed The Producer to:
Over a four-year period, The Producer experienced a 7.5% improvement in fleet utilization, contributing to increased production and reduced downtime. Key performance indicators included:
By leveraging Enalysis to deliver its optimization and failure prevention solutions, The Producer successfully enhanced compressor fleet management, boosting utilization, and enabling sustainable production in challenging field conditions. This case study underscores the value of data-driven fleet optimization for natural gas producers aiming to maximize recovery and extend field life.