EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
PERFORMANCE BOOST : How the Design and Supply of Filtration Technology Protects and Improves Production Processes
Any disruption to business-as-usual processes and operating performance can create major financial headaches for oil and gas producers .
That ’ s acutely true right now in the battle to stay on top of costs given the economic impact of Covid-19 .
Delivering investment and maintenance projects on time and to budget is key to ensuring essential cost control and a sustainable operating model .
One of the most critical processes in oil and gas production is water filtration and treatment .
It is pivotal in protecting both equipment and rock formations while recovering reserves , complying with environmental legislation , and ensuring high uptime of water injection systems .
UK manufacturer Amazon Filters , one of the leading suppliers of pleated and depth filters and bespoke pressure vessels , works with a growing list of oil and gas producers and service providers to help them find optimal filtration solutions .
Flexibility in supply is paramount
A focus on cost reduction must be tempered with the need for equipment to perform efficiently and cost effectively over a 20-year operating life .
Locally manufactured pressure vessels can be the most appropriate way to minimise capital cost , reduce the carbon footprint of freight and ensure a high percentage of local content to support local economies .
While local expertise in vessel fabrication is widely available , expertise in housing design , filter choice , sizing and installation may be limited . Inappropriately designed filter housings can lead to very high year-on-year operating costs that can quickly dwarf any saving made on capital expense .
Amazon Filters ’ Project Specialist Padrig O ’ Hara said : “ Our dedicated , experienced proposal team works with clients to specify the most appropriate housing and filter design .
The complete assembly can then either be manufactured in the UK or the designs can be shared with a third party to manufacture locally .
A common approach to mitigate risk with filtration performance has been to manufacture the pressure vessel locally and manufacture the filter internals in the UK . “ We have taken exactly this approach on a wide variety of filter installations and applications .
We apply our expertise in filter selection and sizing to optimise cartridge lifetime and filtrate quality and guarantee performance on installation .
The perceived additional complications with
36 design support documentation and approvals can sometimes put clients off taking this flexible approach but we have the project management expertise to guide customers through this process .
We provide partial or complete documentation packs in accordance with the appropriate codes depending on the scope for supply to satisfy project specifications .”
The cost of poor design
With the operational and financial pressures facing the oil and gas industry in recent years , Amazon Filters has seen an increase in examples of poorly designed filter housings coming into service .
Padrig said : “ We are often approached by operators to try to resolve problems in cases where the original vendors lack the expertise