Grasys innovative gas separation technologies are used at Prirazlomnaya platform

According to the correspondent of ITAR-TASS, the testing of the gas fire-fighting system was successfully completed at the offshore ice-resistant drilling platform Prirazlomnaya. The platform is being actively prepared for commencement of the operations offshore the Pechora Sea in Arctic.

The acceptance committee comprising the representatives of Gazprom neft shelf, Gazprom bezopasnost, Gazprom nadzor, Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, finalized the acceptance of part of the first stage systems. The platform is scheduled to be on stream and produce the first oil in the Prirazlomnaya field already this year.

Photo taken from the site http://www.sevmash.ru/

The platform main features are resistance to high ice loads and continuous self-contained operation on a year-round basis where necessary. Under these conditions, process safety technologies are of the utmost importance.  

One of such technologies is the innovative membrane gas separation process used at the Prirazlomnaya platform in the nitrogen production plant supplied by RPC Grasys. The inert gaseous nitrogen produced by the membrane plant is used to support the platform flow processes and allows preventing fires and eliminating explosions.

The use of the membrane technology in offshore exploration projects is more than justified since it ideally suits the operating conditions due to:

• high reliability and fail safety;
• moderate footprint and weight, on-skid version and prefabrication on demand;
• minimum operating expenses, environmental friendliness;
• energy efficiency;
• opportunity for full automation without permanent control by the operating personnel.

RPC Grasys has know-hows in the field of membrane separation of hydrocarbon gases used on a commercial scale for conditioning of natural and associated petroleum gases. The membrane nitrogen plants of RPC Grasys are successfully operated in the Russia-based offshore projects: LSP-1 in the Korchaginskoe field and Varandey fixed offshore ice-resistant offloading terminal.

Efficient operation of the RPC Grasys membrane gas separation plants under heavy vibration and arctic temperatures was proven during their use at stand-alone fixed oil facilities.