The Karamay oil field in western China produces about 12 million tonnes of crude oil, 2.9 billion cubic metres of natural gas and more than 300 other crude oil and petrochemical products. Karamay is a city in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in the far north-western part of China near the border to Kazakhstan. The actual installation site of the seepex pumps are however 200 km to the east of Karamay, in Lu Lian in the middle of the desert.
The starting situation
The Karamay oil field produces a multi-phase mixture (a mixture of oil, water and a gas content of up to 30 %). Previously, the oil was extracted and separated by an oil-gas separator and into two storage silos. After separation from gas, the oil was then taken by means of tanker truck to a collection point 10 km away.
The aim was to remove the need for the truck transport operations which were made difficult by the conditions in this barren region. Other objectives included removing the requirement for personnel to man the site.
The solution
seepex supplied two pumps of the BN range. One of the two pumps is constantly in operation 22 to 24 hours a day while the other one serves as a standby pump. The pumps convey the multi-phase mixture over a distance of 10 km and with a difference in altitude of about 30 m directly to the collection point. The oil-gas separator is not now needed.
In addition to that, seepex delivered a seepex control that monitors the inlet pressure and switches the pumps off in the case of overload.
The temperature of the conveyed liquid is about 30 °C. The conveying capacity is approximately 14 m3/h at an inlet pressure of 4 to 6 bar and a feed pressure of 24 to 26 bar.
Since the pumps are outside and the temperature in winter can drop down to -45 °C, the customer installs a heating jacket around the pumps during the winter months to ensure that the pumps work without any problems.
Information can be transmitted by data telecommunication. This enables the pressure, temperature, conveying capacity, etc. to be monitored in Karamay.
The benefit
seepex progressive cavity pumps are able to convey wateroil- gas mixtures, the complicated process of gas-liquid separation is not necessary.
The standby pump ensures continued conveying during service and repair work. Control systems allow remote monitoring and auto change over of the pumps, removing the need for personnel at the site.
