OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONMETALLIC COMPOSITES AND GLASS REINFORCED COATINGS IN GAS PROCESSING PLANTS

摘要

Oil, gas and petrochemical industries have critical process equipment that experienced deterioration to varying degrees due to several factors. The options widely utilized to address these concerns include conventional repair, replacement or upgrade. However, these options are often expensive and require long shutdown time for repair. Non-metallic composite materials can be utilized as one of the most cost effective option to restore the integrity of these equipment within a short duration. This option not only helps to maximize the non-metallic enrichment within the operating plants, but also promote opportunities for creating additional petrochemical industries.This paper focuses on our experience in Uthmaniyah Gas Plant where non-metallic composite materials have been used to restore the integrity of certain critical components. The components discussed in this paper will include cooling water system (CWS) and critical hydrocarbon pipelines. The CWS is critical for almost all process industries. The corrosivity of water and deterioration of materials in CWS is often complex due to variation in the water chemistry and other environmental factors. The core elements of a cooling water system, namely cooling tower and associated heat exchanger that experienced deterioration were upgraded with non-metallic composites to avoid recurrence and achieve longer life cycle.Moreover, each operating plant has numerous pipelines for transporting feedstock and end-products. Each pipeline has transition points (above/below ground) and their external protections in asphalted/concreted areas have remained a challenging task. Industries experienced significant external corrosion due to shielding and abrasion at these transition points. Non-metallic composites installed as field trails in this application functioned effectively and enhanced the external protection.This paper outlines the practical experiences in material degradation aspect on the referenced systems, from the prospective of a gas processing plant, and how non-metallic composite materials can play a vital role in corrosion protection and life extension of core components.This paper outlines the practical experiences in material degradation aspect on the referenced systems, from the prospective of a gas processing plant, and how non-metallic composite materials can play a vital role in corrosion protection and life extension of core components.