By Paul Davis, Wanner International
Wanner International is celebrating the third anniversary of installing fifteen Hydra-Cell polymer injection API674 pumps to an oil and gas company in India—saving over 23,000 tons of polymer as well as maintenance costs of over $250,000 across their oil fields. The only maintenance required was the recommended oil changes.
The pumps were installed in ten days in June 2019 after a successful pilot. The multinational company is using them for alkali surfactant polymer (ASP) injection for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
PUMPS HARD AT WORK
Each day, nearly 300,000 gallons of ASP slug is injected through fourteen injector wells via two injection manifolds installed within the oil field. This equates to over 21,000 gallons of ASP per day, per well. Each injection manifold has seven injection lines, with each line using an individual reciprocating pump for injection.
The ASP slug is prepared by mixing 2.5 weight percent soda ash, 0.25 percent surfactant, and 1,500 parts per million polymer in water, and is stirred using an inline mixer before injection.
EFFICIENCY THAT ADDS UP
Because of Hydra-Cell’s very low-shear pumping action, polymer consumption is reduced by up to 15percent. Hydra-Cell’s unique valve design enables the low-shear pumping action, minimizing the polymer shear, and optimizing the polymer usage. With no dynamic seals, its seal-less design ensures the polymer is 100 percent contained, with no leakage there is no waste and keeps it free from oxygen to stop degradation.
These pumps are known to run for over fifteen years in other applications. They are very simple to service, with no special tools required for “in-field” inspection of diaphragms and to check valve assemblies. Hydra-Cells can run dry indefinitely and are self-priming. They are highly efficient, with more than 90 percent energy delivery from pump shaft to hydraulic power, achieving significant energy savings.
NEW PARTNERS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES
This was Wanner’s first project in India using our Hydra-Cell polymer injection API674 pumps, so we’re delighted it’s proved to be so successful for our customer’s enhanced oil recovery application.
Saving over 23,000 tons of polymer and over a quarter-million dollars in maintenance across the field is good news for the environment and for this oil and gas company. Combining this with energy saving and low maintenance is helping to reduce operating costs and delivering huge efficiencies for our customer.
Polymer injection plays an important role in EOR, which is usually the tertiary stage of an oil field after primary production and waterflooding.
Paul Davis is Wanner International’s managing director. Wanner International prides itself in supporting customers, personally. With many years of pump and application experience, there is extensive knowledge available in the Wanner technical pump engineers and support network here to help customers at the end of the phone, no matter where they are in the world. For more information, visit www.hydra-cell.co.uk/oilandgas.
MODERN PUMPING TODAY, June 2022
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