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Offshore Vapor Recovery Technology
Hy-Bon Engineering is a global leader in the design and manufacture of custom vapor recovery units (VRU's) for the offshore market. Hy-Bon Engineering was a pioneer in providing vapor recovery for the offshore market, and continues a leadership role in this arena. Customers include Shell, Chevron Texaco, Kerr Magee, Hunt Petroleum, and Exxon Mobil, to name a few.
Detail project specifications, and tight weight and footprint limitations make each offshore project a unique challenge. Hy-Bon meets this challenge head on with the most experienced engineering team in this niche market in the industry. 3D modeling of the complete vapor recovery package is generally complete several weeks after receipt of order, and can be utilized by our customer to drop directly into their overall design. Exact interface points can be piped before the vapor recovery units (VRU's) even arrive on location, truncating project lead times. We also realize that the documentation is just as critical as the equipment, and detailed databooks are delivered in electronic and paper format to arrive with the equipment – not weeks afterwards!
For customers without detailed project specifications or specific design criteria, Hy-Bon can pull existing offshore vapor recovery designs form our library of projects in order to minimize design time and procurement cost. During the project, our customers receive detailed bi-weekly progress reports complete with digital pictures of the work in progress. After shipment, Hy-Bon’s trained service personnel can assist with startup and commissioning, as well as provide training courses for customer personnel.
Nearly every well operator in North America can attest to the fact that sales and distribution line pressures are going up constantly. Couple this with the fact that the flowing pressure of a well typically declines over its lifetime and it’s easy to see the need for gas compression on either individual wells or over a series of wells. If you can’t get the gas through the pipeline, you can’t get paid for it.
Field Gas Gathering Booster System
Field gas gathering is defined as collecting gas from a series of wells through a manifold system. Hy-Bon Engineering’s compressors are utilized to pull this gas through a manifold system and consolidate (normally at a higher pressure) into one homogenous gas stream. Booster compressors are utilized in applications where it is necessary to take gas from one pressure
and “boost” it to a higher pressure. This boosting requirement may be due to a higher line pressure to be overcome or a downstream process that requires higher pressure or as the first stage of a multi-stage gas compression system. Based on the gas stream, pressure and volume;
Hy-Bon packages reciprocating compressor, rotary screw compressor, rotary vane compressor and liquid ring compressor systems for field gas gathering and boosting.
Casinghead Pressure Reduction Technology
In the effort to wrench additional dollars from existing production, more and more producers are turning to the use of low horsepower compression to boost oil production from mature fields. Hy-Bon Engineering is a global leader in casinghead pressure reduction technology, with hundreds of compressor packages currently operating in casinghead pressure reduction applications successfully. Based on the gas stream, pressure and volume; Hy-Bon packages reciprocating, rotary screw, rotary vane and liquid ring compressor systems for reducing annulus pressure.
In addition to building new units for our customers, Hy-Bon also maintains over 200 units in our rental fleet specifically targeted for this application.
The concept behind casinghead pressure reduction is rather straightforward. Casinghead gas is relatively wet (.85 spec gravity / 16gpm), as it is basically flash gas from the formation. The weight of this column of wet gas sitting on the formation has an incremental effect on bottom hole pressure. This pressure is obviously dictated by oil specific gravity and the well depth. When wellhead pressure is added (ie flowline or 1st stage separator), this pressure on the formation is significantly impacted. The well pressures seen at the formation level are further complicated by fluctuating wellhead pressure from the pipeline. The concept is simple – relieving this pressure in the casinghead reduces the weight (pressure) on the formation, allowing oil or gas to more easily flow from the formation into the well bore. By reducing the pressure on the formation, the systems also dramatically reduce gas lock problems. Many cases exist of the technology of doubling or tripling production in mature fields. Each formation responds differently, but many mature basins have responded with phenomenal increases in production.
Hy-Bon’s proven designs can be ordered either trailer or skid mounted for increased versatility. Our designs focus on safety and ease
of operation and maintenance, with automated start / stop functions, easy to read gauges and indicator lights, integrated oil supply, and large scrubbers with automated liquid transfer systems. Hy-Bon offers both electric motor and engine drive models,
with a variety of options available to fit your application.
Petrochemical Processing
Hy-Bon has over fifty years of experience specializing in the capture of low pressure gas streams. Many companies build a specific type of compressor package, but our expertise is working with our customer to clearly understand the gas stream and project requirements, and then designing a system based on the best technical solution. We package rotary vane, rotary screw, liquid ring, vapor jet or reciprocating compressor styles based on the application. Petrochemical applications often require the capture of very unique gas streams, with unique specifications, especially in regards to metallurgical considerations. Hy-Bon brings extensive experience in handling complex gas streams in the petrochemical market.
A 2002 installation in China was a large vapor recovery project for the Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Company. The first vapor recovery unit (VRU) was a
G24 LeROI rotary screw compressor package moving approximately 1 MMSCFD of extremely acidic gas at 130 psi discharge pressure. The second vapor recovery unit (VRU) was a G30 LeROI rotary screw package moving approximately 2 MMSCFD of the same type of gas at 130 psi discharge pressure. Both units are pulling gas off large accumulation tanks and capturing the previously vented gas stream for further processing and sale.
On a earlier project in 1994, Hy-Bon provided three large units to Shengli Refinery of Qi-Lu Petrochemical Corporation. The refinery was experiencing environmental and health issues due to a very large number of venting sources and low elevation flares. Hy-Bon was asked to design a vapor recovery system to capture these low pressure vapors from various sources and increase the pressure in order to transport
the gas to some extremely large, high elevation flares a long distance from the plant. Hy-Bon provided two 300 horsepower TS24 LeROI rotary screw compressor packages which each moved 1.07 MMSCFD at 190 psi discharge pressure. The third package was a 200 horsepower G17 LeROI rotary screw package which moved 1.02MMSCFD at 130 psi discharge pressure.
Gas Processing
Many applications require treatment, or processing, of methane gas in order to utilize the gas for its intended use. Hy-Bon’s field proven gas compression packages have been placed in these types of services for many years. Our compressors are often utilized to feed gas to any of several different treatment facilities, namely nitrogen strippers, carbon dioxide (CO2) strippers or reinjection wells and microbial treatment equipment for landfill gas (LFG) to name a few.
Hy-Bon Engineering works closely with the manufacturer of the treatment facility to develop the proper mix of discharge pressures, temperatures, oil content, etc. to deliver the gas to the treatment facility at the prime operating conditions for these facilities. At Hy-Bon,
we don’t subscribe to the theory that any off the shelf gas compression package can fit any application. That’s why we insist on working closely with you and with the manufacturers of the treatment equipment. This ensures that your needs are met every step of the way.
Hy-Bon Designed Controls
By and large, a compressor package is only as good as its control system. Hy-Bon Engineering designs and builds the majority of our control systems. We utilize industry-standard components such as Allen-Bradley, General Electric, Siemens or Modicon programmable logic controllers and interface devices. For all electric-driven packages, Hy-Bon prepares the logic for the operation of the equipment, programs the PLC and builds the control panel to house the equipment. On the majority of our engine-driven compressor packages we utilize engine/compressor controllers from F.W. Murphy.
Hy-Bon’s control systems range from the simplest relay logic panels with lights to indicate unit status to systems that incorporate operator interfaces that can be accessed at the panel or controlled remotely via a data highway system. Automation is the key for most customers. Packages must be capable of running unattended for days or months at a time.
The low pressures we typically deal with present a unique challenge to the successful operation of this equipment. Minute fluctuations in suction pressures and temperatures can have a profound effect upon how the system operates. We are experts in dealing with these variations in operational characteristics.
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Twin A-C compressor packages
on gas
gathering service
Engine Drive Oil-Flooded Screw
Compressor Package
The 2002 China Installation
Hy-Bon rotary compressor discharging
landfill gas into a microbial treatment unit
(also manufactured by Hy-Bon). This process eliminated carcinogenic matter from the
landfill gas for further treatment.
For this application, the customer chose
to receive information via indication
lights
to show the unit status
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Electric drive A-C rotary vane
compressor package
Electric Drive Quincy
Reciprocating Compressor
This Unitwas delivered to the Shengli Refinery in 1994 for a vapor recovery application, it is capable of moving over
3 MMSCFD of gas at 200 psig utilizing LeROI rotary screw compressors. Vented and flared gas from multiple sources across the refinery was captured.
Hy-Bon Quincy compressor (background) feeding nitrogen-rich gas to a stripper unit (foreground) for processing into pipeline quality gas
Hy-Bon’s control systems can be housed in explosion-proof enclosures to meet the customer’s electrical area classifications
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