Exotic-material tube fittings will help extend life-cycle for encana's buzzard project

Citation

(2004), "Exotic-material tube fittings will help extend life-cycle for encana's buzzard project", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 51 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2004.12851cad.003

Exotic-material tube fittings will help extend life-cycle for encana's buzzard project

Exotic-material tube fittings will help extend life-cycle for encana's buzzard project

Keywords: Tubing, Instruments, Materials

Parker Instrumentation wins a frame agreement for tube fittings. Parker Instrumentation has been selected by EnCana (UK) Limited to supply exotic-material tube fittings for its recently approved Buzzard Project in the central North Sea. Parker's ability to supply exotic-material variants to cope with the reservoir's “sour gas” – which contains hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide – was a factor in the selection process leading to the signature of the frame agreement.

The tube fittings are twin-ferrule compression types from Parker's A-LOK family. For all critical equipment areas, the fittings will be fabricated from C276, a steel alloy with nickel, molybdenum and chromium. C276 is generally considered to be one of the most versatile corrosion-resistant alloys available for dealing with aggressive oil, gas and chemical media. The use of this advanced material will help to optimise life expectancy for the instrumentation systems on the three-platform complex that will make up the Buzzard facility – supporting the project's environmental goals and minimising maintenance.

“C276-based fittings will help to deliver a trouble-free life for the instrumentation systems on this massive field, which has a potential of hundreds of millions of barrels,” says Keith Wood, Parker Instrumentation's UK Project Manager. “Manufacturing complex instrumentation components from nickel-based alloys can be problematic, but Parker's European centre has been manufacturing components from these materials for some 20 years, and has developed extensive know-how and specialised machining techniques to handle the volumes required by this very large project.”

Another factor in maximising the corrosion resistance offered by the C276-based fittings is the provision of ferrules treated using Parker's SuparCase process. SuparCase hardens the back ferrule – the part of the fitting responsible for ensuring a strong grip on the tube – without adversely impacting susceptibility to corrosion. The process additionally extends the lifetime of the fitting, allowing joints to be remade for maintenance purposes, helping to minimise the total life cycle costs.