Solution Spotlight: AAAAH! WHAT A FIT!

This FPU compressor skid feels just right…

The latest Sundyne Pinnacle Compressor Skid has been shipped for installation in a state-of-the-art Floating Production Unit (FPU), built by Korean-headquartered Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. for Total S.A. of France. Destined for the Moho-Bilondo oil and gas fields off the Congolese coast in Africa, this compressor package marks a milestone for Sundyne and further acceptance of the API-617 standard for low-flow, high-speed, integrally geared compressors.

Sundyne first learned of the US$410 million FPU project back in 2002. According to David Looi, the company’s regional sales manager for Asia, the specification originally called for two screw type compressors. That changed after several telephone calls and a formal presentation to both Hyundai and Total.

Jacques-André Mayeur, Sundyne’s area sales manager for France, made the formal sales presentation to Total offi- cials. Key to the decision to switch to the integrally geared compressor was its compact size, reduced maintenance requirements and lower operational cost. “In fact,” Mayeur says, “Total engineers were so impressed with the Pinnacle compressor they ordered another skid unit for a project under construction by Foster-Wheeler.”

Specs
Supporting two oil and gas fields and 12 wells, the oil-free, pulsation-free 4-stage LF-2440 Pinnacle will be used to increase process efficiency and help lower greenhouse gas emissions through low-pressure gas recovery. “Specifically,” Greg Pickerel, Sundyne project manager explains, “the unit will be taking gas off the third stage separator of the process and increasing the pressure to match the feed into the HP (high pressure) compressor, thus recovering process gas.”

The 1350 KW motor and skid are mounted on a unique three-point AVM (Anti-Vibration Mount) for additional stability and increased reliability. The skid design also incorporates a 316L SS, API-614 lube oil seal system to support the compressor in the harsh salt water environment.

Potential
Sundyne notes that its products have long been associated with reliable leak-free pumps and compressors that not only ensure human safety but continue to drive ecologically sound business. As the Moho-Bilondo oil and gas field and many other environmentally sensitive off-shore applications around the world are developed, the future potential for specifying and placing these types of products looks significant. MT

Sundyne Corporation
Arvada, CO