Reciprocating Gas Engine-driven Compressor-based Booster Compressor Station for Flash Gas and Deethanization Gas: Project Design and Implementation

Reciprocating gas engine-driven compressors are widely used for natural gas transportation (in minor gas pipelines) and primary processing in мgas fields. Such compressor units may have a power rating ranging from 50 kW to 6 MW per unit and one to four compression stages (typically).

The transported gas is commonly used as fuel for the reciprocating engine. The air cooler of combination design may be driven either by electric fan motor or by engine crankshaft.

Project Overview

The proposed booster compressor station is designed to compress flash gas and deethanization gas.

The project objective is to prevent flaring of overhead gases leaving deethanization column by returning them into the process cycle. For this purpose the gas pressure has to be increased up to 8.0-8.5 bar.

The proposed compressor station will be based on three Caterpillar 3516 engine-driven WH62 compressor units each having a power rating of 850 kW (provided using the transported gas as fuel).

Gas compression will be performed in one stage from 2.5 MPa to 8.5 MPa with the design capacity of 400,000 Nm³/h.

The proposed facility is located in the Arctic region with permafrost conditions which necessitated employing special foundation design solutions (equipment will be rested on pile grillages).

Compressor units will be housed in a common machine hall measuring 36 m x 12 m. Electrical equipment, amenity rooms, control room and instrument air station will be arranged in an annex (two-storied, 12 m x 12 m) attached to the main building. Combined air coolers (for gas and engine cooling liquid) will be installed outside the compressor station building.

The following utility systems will be provided in the main building and the annex:

• Heating and ventilation
• Power supply and electric lighting
• Automatic fire extinguishing (local dry-powder extinguishing units)
• Instrument air