Controllability and High Pressure Requirements Met for White Tiger Oil Field

Sembawang Engineering in Singapore has ordered several DRAG® advanced-technology control valves for Vietsovpetro’s offshore White Tiger Oil Field in Viet Nam to handle extremely high flow ranges and high differential pressures with exacting controllability and low noise levels.

These 4-in. (100-mm) and 10-in. (250-mm) valves for sea-water injection dump and pressure-control applications handle flows as high as 2750 gpm (625 m3/hr) at inlet pressures up to 3860 psig (254 BarG) and, under some operating conditions, a zero outlet pressure. Under certain other operating conditions, flow can go as low as 45 gpm (10 m3/hr). These extreme operating requirements – exacting controllability over large flow ranges and extremely high differential pressures – indicated the need for DRAG® severe service, multi-stage control-valve technology to assure low-noise operation.

In addition, the valve trim, consisting of stacks of tortuous-path disks, is “characterized” to meet the customer’s minimum and maximum flow and travel requirements. That is, groups of disks of varying design produce relatively high plug lift at low flows to eliminate the possibility of high-velocity flow through the plug/seat area that could lead to damaging trim erosion.

The DRAG® multi-stage, pressure-reduction technology is being requested again after successful use with valves used for the same application on the previous phase.

Published in SOLUTIONS Summer 2001