Dehydration & Fluids Handling Safety Improvements


Client:

Columbia Gas Transmission

Location:

Artemas Compressor Station
Artemas, PA (suburb of Cumberland, MD)

Augusta Project Number:

193072- Artemas

Project Value:

$2 M

Contract Amount:

$200 K

Status:

In service January 2004

Description:

Artemas Compressor Station is a storage facility that has been plagued with fluids collection and disposal issues. Occasional liquid slugs have upset the operation. The project goal was to provide a design that would allow this station to operate with fluids handling being a normal and daily part of their operation. This project provided for the engineering of instrumentation and equipment to eliminate the impact of this transient state on operations.

The project provided for high liquid level alarms on gas separators and dehydration equipment, re-boiler piping changes, automated contactor by-pass piping, pressure transmitters on the two re-boiler tanks, repair and automation of dump systems and an upgrade of the Bristol station master processor. In addition a 36” ANSI 1500 HARP separator was installed on the 2700 psi storage field.

Artemas operates well within the hydrate formation pressure/ temperature range and hydrate formation had been an ongoing problem in the existing high pressure Peco filter separator. Several options were evaluated as part of this project. These items included:

  • The addition of a field heater at the station inlet to raise the gas temperature above the hydrate formation temperature.
  • Relocation of the Peco filter separator downstream of the existing field heaters.
  • Addition of heat input into the “harp” slug catcher.
  • Addition of methanol injection points at the inlet to the Peco filter separator and the “harp” slug catcher.

This project elected to install the heat input at the “harp” slug catcher and to install the methanol injection taps at the inlet to both the slug catcher and filter separator.

The detailed design package provided specifications and drawings to purchase and install the required equipment, piping and instrumentation necessary to accomplish the revampments.