[ Duplex ]
[ Duplex ]
“ Traditional oil and gas mid-pressure applications have benefited from closures using standard materials and shorter lead times . Arduous applications such as deepwater FPSOs require more complex material specifications and specialised closure designs made to specification . Manufacture involves forging materials such as duplex stainless steel or using corrosion resistant weld overlay processes , with extensive testing requirements necessary to ensure reliability throughout the full product life cycle . Early engagement with specialist companies like ours is therefore essential to ensure that Quick Opening Closures for FPSOs are correctly specified , installed and maintained .”
Super duplex selected GD Engineering has many years of experience in the design and development of Quick Opening Closures based on its Bandlock™2 design . The company has recently supplied QOC on 12 ” Guard Cartridge filters for an FPSO in South American waters . The filtration / closure combination is for a sulphate recovery system , with the filter designed to remove debris down to 10 microns . The closure allows safe and efficient access to the filter vessel within 60 seconds , using only one operator
High pressure , Bandlock™2 Quick Opening Closures from GD Engineering are helping FPSOs to maintain the required levels of operational safety and reliability . Photo © Celeros Flow Technology .
and without the need for any special tools . Both the closure and the vessels were supplied in super duplex stainless steel with complete documentation and QA packages to meet operator and regulatory requirements . Bandlock™2 Quick Opening Closures from GD Engineering also feature on an FPSO located in the world ’ s largest global deepwater oil field . The operation includes FPSO interconnection to 13 wells , with the vessel and field projected to produce above two million barrels of oil per day . GD Engineering supplied 25 specially designed Quick Opening Closures for the
The superior corrosion resistance and strength of duplex compared to other alloys means less material is required to achieve the same level of strength and safety , offering significant weight and space savings .
“ Deepwater FPSOs require more complex material specifications and specialised closure designs .”
project ’ s pig launcher and receivers , including a specially designed 10k rated closure which withstands in excess of 600 bar pressure , yet operates at the same speed , efficiency and safety levels as their standard designs . To further ensure the safety of operators , the Bandlock™2 closures were supplied with mechanical key interlocks which are integrated into the valve operation sequence . This minimises safety risks and reduces human error using the key transfer principle to guarantee that operators follow the correct steps through the valve operations to the final opening
48 Stainless Steel World June 2024 www . stainless-steel-world . net