Heavy Crude Dehydration Retrofit
Project Name
Metapetroleum Field Retrofit
Location
Metapetroleum Llanos Basin Field, Colombia, South America
Type
Dual Frequency® Technology
Size
18,000 BOPD
Environment
Onshore
Year Awarded
2006
Project Value
Undisclosed
Scope (Brief)
Retrofit four (4) of six Dual Polarity® Heater Treaters to Dual Frequency® Dehydration technology
Status
Equipment delivery and start-up 2007
Project Description
Advanced technology and processing equipment is critical to effectively process the heavy crude from the Metapetroleum Field, CPF-1, in the Llanos Basin, southeast of Bogota, Colombia. A recent expansion of the facility by Metapetroleum was undertaken to aggressively increase the capacity to over 30,000 BPD.
Metapetroleum chose to retrofit four existing NATCO Dual Polarity® Heater Treaters to NATCO Dual Frequency® dehydration technology because of the heavy 12.5API crude. Dual Frequency is our most advanced electrostatic technology, ideally suited to process difficult and heavy crudes. The vessels are operating so well that Metapetroleum is actually achieving 33% over design capacity.
The retrofit to Dual Frequency allowed Metapetroleum to significantly increase capacity in their existing vessels, while simultaneously improving performance, saving significant capital cost overall. Metapetroleum has continued to expand the facility with additional projects for Dual Frequency technology, subsequent to this project.
Scope of Supply
NATCO supplied Dual Frequency retrofit internals, transformers, and LRC controllers for four 10’ x 45’ existing vessels. CPF-1 will be in operation by December 2009 using NATCO’s technology. The retrofit included NATCO proprietary components such as our composite grid technology.
The project was managed between NATCO Houston and NATCO Venezuela operating centers, with fabrication in New Iberia, LA.
Milestones
- Project awarded- July 2006
- Equipment delivered-January 2007
- Equipment start-up-December 2007
Achievements
- Reduced the need to purchase additional vessels to increase the processing capacity of the field
- Increase the capacity of each existing dehydration vessel from 3,000 BOPD to 6,000 BOPD (>100%)
- Dual Frequency technology enables a large expansion with less capital equipment purchase and substantial cost savings
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