Gas Processing

Vista performed the detailed engineering design and procurement of a gas processing facility handling 25 MMSCFD (708 103 Std. m3/day) of natural gas, to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO₂) content to a pipeline specification level.

The gas plant features:

• Inlet separation
• Amine plant (MDEA based)
• Storage tankage for water and amine
• Electrical power generation
• Modifications to instrument air and heat medium system
• Project also included the tie-in of several wells feeding the gas plant. Wellsite facilities included choke-heaters, string heat facilities (heater coil and string heat pump) dehydrator, and flare facilities.

Vista completed the detailed engineering design and procurement of a grassroots gas processing facility handling 20 MMSCFD (566 103 Std. m3/day) of sweet natural gas. The project was completed on a very fast track schedule (kick-off to commissioning took just over 4 months).

The project also included the tie-in of several wells feeding the gas plant. Wellsite facilities included choke-heaters, string heat facilities (heater coil and string heat pump) dehydrator, and flare facilities.

The gas plant features:

• Inlet separation, gas dehydration/chilling, and de-ethanization of recovered liquids
• Propane refrigeration system
• Residue gas compression
• C3+ liquids storage and pipeline pumping
• SCADA communication with gas wells supplying the facility
• Produced water separation and storage facilities
• Utility systems: instrument air, fuel gas, and flare
• Control room and electrical distribution

Vista performed the detailed engineering design and procurement of a gas processing facility addition handling 28 MMSCFD (793 103 Std. m3/day) of sweet HP natural gas, to improve recovery of liquids from a gas cycling scheme.

The gas plant features:

• Gas dehydration/chilling for recovery of liquids
• Propane refrigeration system
• Recycle gas compression modifications
• Upgrade of existing salt bath heater
• Control system upgrade to PC based MMI
• Control room and electrical distribution modifications

Vista has engineered large-scale gas handling systems integrated into one of the province’s largest SAGD developments for a foremost Alberta producer. This project involves a major facility processing 30 MMSCFD of gas each day, requiring an array of gas-handling equipment including:

• Vapour recovery unit (VRU) compressors
• Liquid ring compressors
• H2S scavenger units
• Tie-ins and interconnecting piping

The gas-handling equipment at this facility is integrated into the once-through steam generator (OTSG) process.

Vista designed and installed gas sweetening packages to treat all produced gas for use as fuel for the OTSGs.

As the lead EP contractor for this multiphase project, Vista was able to apply key lessons throughout multiple expansion phases, increasing modularization and templated designs. These advantages saved field installation time, reduced total installed costs, and provided sparing, operational and maintenance efficiencies.

Key success factors include the following:

• Partnership model approach to a long-term relationship with the producer
• Integrated project team able to jointly develop best practices
• Key learnings and efficiencies applied throughout multiple expansion phases
• While Vista’s prime focus with the client was engineering SAGD facilities, the team leveraged Vista’s extensive gas plant experience to ensure smooth project execution
• Dedicated team capable of ramping up to 400+ people as required

Vista has been working with this client for nearly 15 years, engineering small projects for several major gas facilities.

Work started as a study to help address catastrophic corrosion issues associated with a change in amine (which was solved by changing the amine to Sulfinol) and has led to a long series of gas plant modifications and revamps.

Typical work included:

• Engineering plant modifications associated with amine upgrade including new vessels, exchangers, tower internals, pump modifications, and associated piping/instrumentation and EIC work;
• Replacing sweetening solvent with Sulfinol;
• Engineering a sulphur degassing facility;
• Installing a sales gas compressor;
• Engineering a variety of piping changes, equipment replacement/repairs required for shutdowns;
• Engineering a 1000 HP multistage centrifugal amine charge pump installation with electric driver;
• Engineering the removal of a failing sulphur pit roof and replacement with new concrete panels without downtime
• Engineering associated with installing several lube oil coalescers, piping changes, PSV evaluation/replacement, revamp of fire & gas detection systems.

Key success factors contributing to this long-term partnership:

• Projects have been managed by a Vista Project Manager who is also an owner of Vista;
• Key people who engineered projects remained with the same jobs over the years;
• Rather than a traditional discipline-based specialisation, engineers from the Vista “Small Projects Team” multi-tasked to achieve quick turn-around on engineering;
• Working directly/closely with plant operations & maintenance teams and quickly accommodating their needs resulted in minimising downtime/lost production;
• Vista’s diverse experience and repository of past similar engineering solutions allowed selection of tried and tested solutions that worked every time

Vista was engaged by a client who had purchased an existing battery and associated wells and pipelines in northwestern Alberta. The existing sour gas pipelines ran to a processing facility owned and operated by a third party. Vista’s client wished to reduce its operating costs and optimize its asset utilization by re-routing its produced sour gas to a facility that it owns and operates for processing.

Vista conducted the detailed engineering and procurement for the project for the installation of all necessary infrastructure and facilities associated with the new pipelines. Vista’s experience with pipeline projects allowed this project to be expedited in order to proceed with installation in muskeg prior to the end of the winter construction season.