OFFSHORE AIR AND GAS COMPRESSOR
The most common types of compressors are reciprocating and centrifugal. These prominent compressor designs and technologies have grown in popularity in the offshore crude oil and natural gas sectors due to their ease of installation and small footprint, but more significantly, their ability to compress and transport natural gas effectively.
What is a compressor?
First and foremost, a compressor is a mechanism or mechanical device that compresses gas by reducing its volume. In the oil and gas business, gas compressors are utilized in drilling and transferring gas and liquid.
An offshore gas compressor transports gas or liquid below sea level and on drilling platforms. It must be strong enough to endure the sea's pressure and the frequent shifting of the tides.
How Do Offshore Gas Compressors Work?
Offshore gas compressors mechanically boost pressure on a gas to reduce its volume until it reaches the required delivery point, at which time it is moved through the given piping. The gas can then be transferred to specific stages in the extraction process, such as preprocessing or storage. While the gas is retained at these stages, the compressor must maintain precise and constant pressure to keep the gas at the same volume.
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Gas compressors can also transport liquids. For example, when extracting oil, high-pressure gas is used to convey (or rather push) liquid through low-capacity compartments (stages) like pipes. The increased pressure on the liquid allows vast amounts of it to be quickly moved from its source (drilling/extraction point), to the gathering and production location (rig), and finally to the consumer or point of purchase.
What Offshore Functions Can Compressors Perform?
In a nutshell, offshore oil and natural gas operations use specialized compressors to transport liquid and gas from the extraction point to the rig and further down the supply chain, such as the tanker.
Typical offshore operations using compressors:
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Typical offshore operations using compressors:
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Gas Lift - elevates the liquid from the extraction point to the rig by injecting highly compressed air into it, lowering its density and causing it to rise to the well's surface.
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Gas collection - By reducing pressure in gas collection lines that radiate from the main well like tree branches, compressors carry gas to various destinations such as a processing plant or a marine terminal.
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Gas Processing - Compressors transfer gas through multiple stages to remove impurities, pollutants, and higher molecular mass hydrocarbons.
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Gas transport and distribution - Compressors move gas or liquid to the various critical points of the gas distribution system.
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Maintaining gas pressure - compressors are used to keep gas at a consistent volume or pressure for predictable transportation speed.
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Compressors are used to lower the volume of gas for storage in tankers.
Compressor Designs for Offshore Operations
The most common types of compressors are reciprocating and centrifugal. These prominent compressor designs and technologies have grown in popularity in the offshore crude oil and natural gas sectors due to their ease of installation and small footprint, but more significantly, their ability to compress and transport natural gas effectively.
Reciprocating compressors:
In the natural gas industry, the reciprocating compressor's design is extremely important for efficiency. The crankshaft's action pushes gas through a suction manifold into the compression cylinder, thereby boosting pressure and aiding travel.
Centrifugal compressors
The impeller (spinning disk) of a centrifugal compressor is used to accelerate the flow of gas to the opposite duct section, where it is transformed to pressure energy.
Centrifugal compressors are extremely efficient at transporting gas to the numerous critical locations of the gas distribution system, as well as compressing gas for storage.
Examples of Offshore Gas Compressors in the Oil and Gas Sector
FLARE GAS RECOVERY COMPRESSORS
​The use of flare gas is gaining traction in the offshore oil and gas business. It's all owing to the usage of gas compressors with a drive engine to recover flare gas, which can then be used as a lucrative energy resource. Using this technology, flare gas can now be collected rather than burned off. Flare gas recovery compressors, as they are now called, are simple to install, run, and maintain. They are constructed with corrosion-resistant materials and coating processes to withstand the highly corrosive elements found in flare gas. Flare gas recovery compressors, which are placed beneath sea/ocean level, are also designed to withstand tide fluctuation, which would otherwise have hampered the compressor's performance and longevity. Learn more about flare gas recovery.​
COMPRESSORS FOR OFFSHORE GAS DRILLING FACILITIES
​Compact gas compressors are commonly utilized to deliver gas from the extraction site to the rig. These offshore gas compressors, which use stabilizing technology to alleviate the continual changes of the tides, are also compact and simple to install.​
SUMMARY
WET GAS COMPRESSORS
Wet gas compressors, which can compress and pre-process any combination of liquid and gas on the subsea level, are making inroads in the offshore oil and gas sector where production optimization and cost minimization are essential goals. They provide an efficient and space-saving solution. These compressors, which are made of materials that decrease contaminant adherence and are designed for easy disassembly and cleaning, can have a long lifespan.
GAS COMPRESSORS
​Have been widely used in the offshore oil and gas industry. The type of gas compression technology used depends on the application and the size of the oil/natural gas field. All offshore gas compressor systems have one thing in common: they provide an effective and reliable method of transporting oil or gas. They provide a compact and simple compression format that, when used appropriately, is both reliable and cost-effective.