GE Oil & Gas has completed a fast-track refurbishment project to eliminate corrosion, or pitting, of compressor blades on 14 gas turbines at Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago’s production facility in Point Fortin.
The project will prevent blade degradation and help to maintain high productivity of the 14 units.
The project includes the supply and installation of new filter house technology and new ventilation systems with separate inlets, to improve filtration and safeguard the blades against corrosion. The GE innovative high efficiency filter house is specifically designed to eliminate gas turbine shut downs for off line axial compressor water washes. It is also possible to change the filter on line without any additional stop, thus saving an estimated 4 days of production per year.
Equipment for the first six units was shipped in May and June of 2011, and the installation was completed in July of 2011. Equipment for the additional eight units was shipped in August with installation starting in early October and now completed.
“ Because of the need to solve the pitting issues due to salt crystal presence or other contaminating agents while optimizing availability we asked GE to provide us with a retrofit solutions that could meet our requirements and be deployed easily ” said Jeff Bailie, Director Projects/TAR/CSA of Atlantic .
The refurbishment project was performed during the planned plant maintenance carried out through modular replacement under the terms of a Contractual Service Agreement (CSA) already in place between GE and Atlantic. That agreement was signed in 2005 and covers 27 GE gas turbines and 47 GE centrifugal compressors at the Point Fortin facility. The CSA is supported by a field service and maintenance center that GE has established adjacent to the Atlantic complex.
“ The Point Fortin service facility supports our strategy to provide our global technology and service capabilities and expertise on a local level ” said Andrew Way, Vice President of Global Services of GE Oil & Gas . “ We are committed to helping our customers meet the growing demand for LNG by getting the maximum productivity from their existing assets .”
Atlantic’s shareholder is comprised of ownership by affiliates of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, BP, British Gas, Repsol and GDF Suez. Total capacity of the Point Fortin plant places Trinidad and Tobago among the top seven LNG producers in the world.
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LNG World News Staff, December 8, 2011; Image: Bechtel