Product category:
Seals
News Release from: Precision Polymer Engineering | Subject: Fluoroelastomer seals
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 01 November 2001
Seals preserve production sample
integrity
One of the world's leading suppliers of sample pressure vessels is using fluoroelastomer seals from Precision Polymer Engineering to preserve the integrity of pressurised oil and gas samples
Accurate oil and gas sampling is essential Whether it's assessing the potential of a new field or the quality of existing daily production, the sample may be the only reliable record a company has
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 17 Apr 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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One of the world's leading suppliers of sample pressure vessels is using fluoroelastomer seals from Blackburn-based, Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) to preserve the integrity of pressurised oil and gas samples.
Sampling pressure vessels are utilised during the exploration and production phase of field development.
During the exploration phase the sampling vessels are used to transport and store down hole samples at pressures up to 10,000 psi, from the drilling rig to laboratory for analysis.
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During the production phase, sample vessels are used to collect sample from various process locations including export production pipelines at pressures up to 1,800 psi.
These operations are performed manually for one-off sample requirements.
Alternatively, the vessels can be used within an automated process where sample is extracted from the pipe line at regular intervals for periods up to one month, providing a complete 'picture' of oil and gas quality over an extended period.
The sampling vessel is divided into two halves: sample and pre-charge.
Samples are drawn into the vessel displacing the piston and pre-charge medium (e.g Argon, Helium, and Water/glycol).
A PPE O-ring seal is used to ensure the sample does not leak into the pre-charge medium.
Another PPE O-ring on the sample vessel end-caps prevents the sample leaking into the atmosphere.
In both cases the O-rings preserve the integrity of the sample from collection to analysis.
Typically the samples are stored from a few days up to many years in the case of exploration samples.
This places special demands on the seals.
In addition to the physical rigours of maintaining its seal under prolonged pressures, the O-rings can be subjected to temperatures up to 150oC.
PPE selected fluoroelastomer as the best material for the O-ring.
Its resistance to both hydrocarbon chemicals and corrosive gases, as well cleaning agents such as methanol and xylene made it the ideal choice.
Thorough cleaning of the sampling vessels is essential, eliminating any risk of contamination from previous samplings.
The PPE fluoroelastomer O-rings have been in service for many years providing excellent service.
PPE is now looking at new elastomer materials that will broaden the scope for sampling, such as low temperature sampling of liquid natural gas at the refinery stage, enabling producers to assess the quality, and market value, of their gas products.
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