Condition monitoring keeps pipeline running

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 17, 2007

Contract involves the condition monitoring of over 1500 pieces of equipment, including the pumps themselves, fire pumps, emergency generators and equipment at the Ceyhan oil terminal.

AV Technology is currently working on a prestigious contract providing ongoing condition monitoring services for equipment along the Turkish section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline.

By providing a direct supply line from Azerbaijan, through Georgia, to Turkey's Mediterranean coast, this world-renowned and ambitious US $4 billion project makes a vast reserve of energy available to world markets from the land-locked Caspian Sea, whilst avoiding the already congested shipping lanes in the Bosphorus straits of Istanbul.

The 1776km pipeline, completed in 2006, is owned by a consortium of energy companies led by BP and operated in Turkey by Botas International.

The Turkish sector traverses 1076km of some of the most remote and challenging terrain in Turkey, reaching a height of over 2800m and crossing almost 1000 roads, railways and watercourses before arriving at the marine export terminal at Ceyhan.

Underground for most of its length, the pipeline is now transporting up to one million barrels of crude oil per day (around 1% of the world's global oil demand) from a cluster of discoveries in the Caspian Sea, known collectively as the Azeri, Chirag, Gunashli (ACG) field.

(AVT are already involved with the ACG field, having installed a natural frequency and seismic monitoring system on the Chirag-1 platform.) AVT's Senior Engineer Paul Fisher, who has over 15 years of experience in condition monitoring, is currently based at the Ceyhan terminal, subcontracted on a permanent basis to the corrosion division of Botas.

Fisher's time is split between working at the terminal and out in the field.

There are four pumping stations and two pressure reduction stations spread along the Turkish sector and AVT's contract involves the condition monitoring of over 1500 pieces of equipment, including the pumps themselves, fire pumps, emergency generators and equipment at the Ceyhan oil terminal.

Vibration monitoring forms the main part of the work, with further monitoring of lubrication oil together with pressure and temperature checks as appropriate.

However, a pair of experienced eyes and ears are always looking and listening for any other untoward operational conditions which may cause problems.

Working on such projects requires a special blend of expertise, dedication and patience and as Fisher explains: "The key to successful condition monitoring is being able to collect meaningful high quality information on a repetitive basis and then to present this clearly and concisely for others to make informed decisions with high levels of confidence".

"The initial six months work has involved setting up the framework of the condition monitoring systems at all the locations along the pipeline and establishing the reporting regime".

"The pumping station compounds are located in remote areas and the logistics of visiting them on a regular basis present a number of challenges, especially when temperatures can vary from -30 to +50C throughout the year".

"In addition most of the employees at the pumping stations are Turkish so at times communication can be somewhat difficult".

"One of the prerequisites of the contract is to train local engineers to be able to take routine measurements within the structured condition monitoring framework".

Botas International is very pleased with the results of the condition monitoring work so far and as a senior spokesperson for the company concludes: "AVT successfully implemented the condition monitoring programme within the agreed timescales and within just a few months have delivered real value, including the identification of machinery problems before these caused us production problems".

"We were particularly impressed with the standard of their HSE project plan and have in fact used this as a model with other contractors".

Botas International is now planning to purchase two more IS (intrinsically safe) data collectors and upgrade the current stand-alone software system to a five-user network.

The company has also instructed AVT to undertake structural vibration studies at the pumping stations.