Cost Savings Archives

Are close-coupled installations the secret ingredient for painless measuring and improved TCO?

Examples of close-coupled installations in front of a petrochemical plant.

Am I building the plant my client wants? What needs to be done to make it so? As a plant builder, you have probably asked yourself those questions too many times. Even more, you sure know the answers. They imply technical assurance under the project’s budget and schedule constraints.

Throughout my career as an instrumentation hardware specialist, I have observed a significant trend among EPC engineers, particularly in the chemical industry. When choosing accessories for a measurement system, they tend to prioritize investment savings over the total cost of ownership (TOC). Even when those savings don’t guarantee smooth upkeep for the facility.

By local, for local: the vendor ecosystem of the future

Onshore/offshore vendor ecosystem of the future - By local for local.

A remarkable thing happens when a good and industry-compliant design becomes tangible. Operators feel safe and comfortable with it right away. The reliance level is so high that the risks—surrounding the area—come to be afterthoughts. That is until an urgent and dangerous situation arises. In a trice, teams and crews are back to reality. A state of constant awareness takes over.

What to do under those trying circumstances?

binzagr by local for local joint venture offshore oil and gas onshore safety supplier vendor ecosystem

How to isolate a process line from process instrument with a DBB valve

Different methods to isolate process line from process instrument.

Block and Bleed and Double Block & Bleed isolation systems are used in process instrumentation to isolate your instrument from the main process line. The isolation valve(s) stop the flow from the upstream, while the bleed valve removes any pressure or residual product that remains in the downstream section or in the section between the two valves.

Use of block and bleed valves is mandatory in many industrial processes for isolating the measuring instrument from the process line. This allows maintenance work to be performed on the instrumentation without the need to shut down the entire operation. There are two approaches to the installation of a block and bleed or a double block and bleed setup.

Block & Bleed isolation system Block and Bleed Close-coupled installation conventional installation conventional system dbb DBB valve Double Block & Bleed injection installation costs isolate process instrument isolate process line miantenance Monoflanges process temperature Process-to-instrument system roddable design Sampling Slimline Monoflanges VariAS-Blocks

Reliable and accurate sampling system for natural gas applications

NG plant with measuring lines shows reliable and accurate sampling system for LNG applications.

My previous article in this series explained what are the main issues in obtaining a representative sample in NG applications.

This case study demonstrates a reliable sampling solution currently used by plant operators. It helps plant operators to obtain representative samples.

API 14.1 conventional DBB valve configuration Custom designed DBB gas sampling valves DBB sampling valve DBB valve double block and bleed sampling valve Double isolation Dual flow sample probes flushing GPA 2166 isolation valve Natural gas industry pressure differential probe length representa sample probe Sampling conditions Sampling frequency sampling location sampling standards Single flow sample probes

What are the main issues in obtaining a representative sample in NG applications?

NG plant with measuring lines shows issues in obtaining representative sample.

In this article, I present the major issues associated with obtaining a representative sample in NG applications. The article explains what is representative sampling, and why sampling is important in the natural gas industry. I discuss factors that determine what should be a suitable sampling frequency in a process, and which sampling standards can be followed to ensure representative sampling.

Several major issues in obtaining a representative sample, and common design flaws that lead to poor sampling are presented and discussed. In addition, I present how a suitable probe length can be determined and how the probe should be installed. The different types of commonly used sampling probes are also compared and discussed.

API 14.1 conventional DBB valve configuration Custom designed DBB gas sampling valves DBB valve Double isolation Dual flow sample probes flushing GPA 2166 isolation valve Natural gas industry NG NG application pressure differential probe length representative sample representative sample in NG applications sample probe Sampling conditions Sampling frequency sampling location sampling standards Single flow sample probes

Case Study: High temperature DBB valves for steam injection – A common enhanced oil recovery method

Infographic of solar steam process (steam injection) as an enhanced oil recovery application.

Case study about high temperature Double Block & Bleed valves for steam injection. We have successfully installed the DBB valves at the Amal oilfield in Oman which uses “green” steam, generated at the Miraah solar thermal facility.

Amal oilfield Case Study dbb valves double block and bleed valves Enhanced Oil Recovery enhanced oil recovery method EOR High temperature DBB valves Instrument Monoflange Miraah solar thermal facility OS&Y / Needle / Needle pressure transmitter / pressure gauge Process Monoflange PT/PG steam steam enhanced oil recovery application steam generation steam injection

5 important facts for a safe and transparent (remote) third-party inspection

Safe and transparent through your third-party inspection (remote inspection).

We are all facing many restrictions due to the pandemic. Therefore, we need to find ways to still provide the best possible support to our customers. One digital service that our customers can use is our third party inspections – better said remote inspections.
Our customers can use the remote visual inspection to check the valve quality before shipping.

Fugitive emission test high-pressure seat test Liquid penetrant examination test low-pressure seat test non-destructive examination tests Positive material identification test Pressure test remote inspection Shell test third-party inspection

Plant standards in the oil and gas industry

Factory standards in the oil and gas industry and comparison with tapas.

I have now been in the field for more than 25 years and support my customers exclusively in Germany. I have noticed that the measurement technology in the plants is carried out very differently. Just as there are endless variants of Tapas, there are also many different types of measurement technology. As a passionate Tapas connoisseur and with over 30 years of professional experience, I know both areas very well.

factory standards measurement operator Pressure measurement process engineering Refinery standardisation standardization of pressure measurement

Close-coupled installation vs. conventional installation

Close-coupled installation versus conventional installation.

In times of budget cuts and lack of skilled workers, it is all the more important to use the right product solutions in your plant. In my current article I would like to explain the advantages of a close-coupled installation in the area of one of our products, “monoflanges”. That can have a very positive effect on your maintenance and operating work.

Close Coupled Installation conventional installation instrument manifold Instrument Monoflanges interface of Instrument Monoflanges pressure measuring system pressure transmitter Process Monoflanges VariAS-Blocks

Chemical injection quill for oil & gas application

Chemical injection quill for oil and gas application.

To support users in their proper planning and technical evaluation, I would like to share some information about one less-familiar product in the industry, the chemical injection quill.

API 6A API PSL 3G PR2 applications ASME PTC 19.3 TW-2010 check valve chemical feed line chemical injection quill Corrosion Inhibitor dbb DBB valve FEA Finite Element Analysis H2S Scavenger hydrate inhibitors Hydrate solidifies injecting additives injection quill Integral Check Valve Isolation mechanical device Methanol Monoflanges oil and gas process media process pipeline Process to instrument valves regulations sampling quill Standards VariAS-Blocks