Replacement Pays Off at Top Oil Producer’s California Station

In a project that puts CCI back on the map on the West Coast, CCI recently installed a flow regulator valve at one of America’s leading oil and gas producers’ station located in Avon, California. CCI’s installation successfully replaced a Fisher valve whose excessive vibration had plagued the plant for nearly two decades.

The Fisher valve’s vibration, which was so severe that employees could literally see the valve shaking, presented significant problems because it damaged the plant’s piping components and created considerable safety concerns. Additionally, the vibration generated intense noise that was a nuisance to the facility’s employees, as well as those in surrounding areas, and forced personnel to constantly wear protection in an effort to safeguard their hearing.

Fisher made several attempts to remedy the situation, including two valve replacements, but these efforts did not solve the valve problems. Interestingly, one attempt to correct the valve led the customer straight to CCI: An independent valve service company hired to address the vibration issues recommended CCI based on its knowledge of CCI’s high-caliber, dependable solutions.

CCI’s solution at the California station was to attack the problem at its source with DRAG® velocity control technology. CCI’s solution provided the necessary number of stages to eliminate the damaging effects of fluid velocity such as the intense vibration experienced at the customer’s facility. CCI also custom designed its valve trim to handle the valve’s full range of operations, which includes working with a wide variety of fluid viscosities.
After several years of dealing with the problematic Fisher valve, those at the oil pumping station were enthusiastic about the successful solution provided by CCI. Expressing appreciation for the valve’s performance, the customer’s manager of pipeline operations remarked, “Reports are that [the CCI valve] has eliminated most or all of the noise and vibration at [the station] for the first time in 15 to 20 years.”

Although CCI’s DRAG® valve was the more expensive solution for the customer, the high quality and dependability that CCI provides will improve the facility’s operation and result in substantial long-term cost savings across the board. First, the station should experience significantly lower maintenance costs as it no longer needs to continually repair the problematic valve. In addition, solving the plant’s vibration problems will preserve its downstream equipment and allow the company to sidestep potentially expensive maintenance and replacements. Finally, while the unpredictable performance of the old valve often resulted in plant downtime and lost productivity, CCI’s solution should reverse this trend and drive the customer’s profits upward. All in all, this valve replacement’s quality and long-term reliability prove the value of CCI’s solutions for pipeline applications.

Published in Solutions Winter 2003