Siemens Water Technologies has developed a new, compact walnut shell filter for offshore oil and gas applications. The proprietary filter design requires no moving equipment to perform backwashes, and greatly reduces the volume of backwash water produced. This simplifies the design of the filters, reduces the weight and footprint, and lowers the cost of multiple filter systems, according to Siemens.
Walnut shell filtration was developed as a more suitable method of filtering free oil and suspended solids in applications where sand filters have traditionally been used. Today, walnut shell filtration is used to treat oil field produced water, refinery wastewater, and other types of wastewater.
The pulsed-bed walnut shell filter uses a deep bed of 100% black walnut shells, which have surface characteristics for coalescing and filtration, plus resilience to attrition. The filter’s deep nutshell bed (66 in.) offers superior effluent quality, longer filtration runs, and greater throughput efficiency, according to Siemens.
The filter uses raw process water and gas or air for backwashing, eliminating the need for moving mechanical equipment or external scouring equipment. The filter operates at up to twice the flux rate of conventional filters in the same application, and can remove more than three times the amount of solids before needing to be cleaned.
During the filtration cycle, dirty process water passes through the filter from top to bottom. As the water passes through the walnut shell media, free oil and suspended solids are removed. After 24 hours of filtration, the dirty process water is redirected and pulsed into the bottom of the vessel to fluidize the media bed. In addition, air or process gas is added in a proprietary manner to create an airlift pump. The pump lifts the contaminated media to the top of the vessel where the turbulence of the backwash water and gas separates oil and suspended solids from the walnut shells. The use of air or gas greatly reduces the amount of backwash water required. The mixture of air or gas and backwash water is separated in an external vessel. One separator vessel can be used for multiple walnut shell filters. Upon completion of the backwash cycle, the flow of dirty process water is again returned to the top of the vessel.
Sea Tel Cobham releases new antenna system
Sea Tel Cobham has released a new antenna system called DTV04 HD.
The DTV04 HD is a three-axis marine stabilized antenna system that is compatible with DIRECTV’s Ka-Band
satellites. It can deliver three Ku-Band satellites (101W, 110W, and 119W) and 2 Ka-Band satellites (99W and 103W) simultaneously with one antenna system.
The new system is built on Sea Tel’s stabilized 04 series pedestal and features an auto skew function, which enables the system to move seamlessly from region to region and track constantly with no manual intervention.
Seal Tel says the system eliminates the need to for an additional Ka-Band antenna giving the user the ability to watch any authorized DIRECTV channel at any time on any satellite receiver, eliminating the need for a master receiver. This is the first and only system in the marine market that has this capability, the company adds.
MacGREGOR launches new fiber rope deepwater lifting system
MacGREGOR has developed an ultra deepwater lifting system using fiber rope technology.
The new lifting system uses a side-mounted frame fixed onto a vessel. This allows the crane to lower a load to a depth of 1,000 m (3,281 ft), after which the load is transferred to a straight fiber rope; the crane hook is returned to the surface, reattached to the upper end of the fiber rope, and then a new length of up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft) is deployed. This hook-moving sequence can be repeated until the desired depth is reached. As landing heave compensation is enabled through a winch operation using traditional steel cable, spooling, and bending the critical fiber rope is avoided.
The new lifting solution is available as 150-metric-ton (165-ton) capacity or 250-metric-ton (276-ton) capacity systems and can be supplied ready for various lengths of fiber rope.
High Pressure Equipment Co. develops new valve for 20,000 psi
High Pressure Equipment Co. has developed a new line of block and bleed needle valves delivering operation to 20,000 psi. These new needle valves are offered in both single and double block and bleed configurations. Both valve styles have Type 300 stainless steel tee handles with a non-rotating stem design as well as with optional wetted parts and optional O-rings available.
HiP’s (MVBB series) single block and bleed needle valves provide a small valve body/package and Teflon packing to 400° F (204° C) with tube sizes of 1/4-in., 3/8-in., 9/16-in. medium pressure and 1/4-in., 3/8-in., and 1/2-in. FNPT. The MVBB series is designed for calibration operations by providing controlled flow to high pressure hydraulic and pneumatic systems through both shut-off regulation and diversion.
HiP’s (DBB series) double block and bleed needle valves are manufactured from cold worked stainless steel and 17-4-H1075 with 1/4-in. to 1-in. medium pressure, coned, and threaded connections and Teflon packing from 0° F (-17.8° C) to 400° F (204° C). The DBB series is suited for pressure monitoring and testing, chemical injection, and drain line isolation applications.
Swagelok introduces medium-pressure ball valve
Swagelok says its FKB series medium-pressure ball valve provides a leak-tight seal for applications up to 15,000 psig (1,034 bar). The trunnion-style ball valve features Swagelok’s patent-pending direct load design, which delivers a seal across a full range of pressures. Innovative stem and end connection seals prevent shell leakage and provide robust cycle life even in severe conditions, according to Swagelok. The introduction of this ball valve expands the company’s line of medium-pressure products, including gaugeable tube and adapter fittings and seamless tubing.
Swagelok valves deliver reliable and repeatable operation to meet the performance requirements of common offshore applications, such as topside wellhead control panels, chemical injection panels, well workover panels, and control systems, Swagelok says. A bottom-loaded stem design eliminates system blowout for enhanced operator safety.
The valve features low-torque actuation, eliminating the need for assist methods and accessories in manual actuation. If pneumatic actuation is required, the valves are available with ISO-5211 compliant actuators. A positionable handle provides flexibility in panel layout by reducing clearance issues with other components.
Multi-Chem program pinpoints operating costs
Multi-Chem, a global provider of oilfield production chemicals, has launched a new chemical cost performance program called SafeSpend, which gives operators the option to work with Multi-Chem to review and personalize their account for maximum cost effectiveness.
SafeSpend is designed to help operators maintain more predictable operating costs by approaching chemicals in terms of the cost per barrel of production instead of the cost per gallon of chemical and by adapting chemical programs to changes in production needs.
Castrol installs DCV test rigs at UK technology center
Castrol Offshore has installed two high pressure directional control valve (DCV) test rigs at the Castrol Global Technology Centre in the UK.
The hydraulic valves are typically used to control the main production gate valves on subsea trees. The DCV test rigs perform a variety of valve function checks together with statistical process control and fluid condition monitoring. Both rigs – one for oil-based fluids and one for water-based fluids – are fully automated and have four valve stations per rig.
Once a valve test has been completed, additional checks can be made using the analytical facilities available at the technology center. These include detailed fluid elemental analysis, changes in physical characteristics, and valve component measurements.
Fluid qualification tests can now be completed on valves from the major subsea OEM’s including Aker Solutions, Cameron, Vetco Gray, and Rotator (used by FMC and Dril-Quip). Previously, subsea valve testing of hydraulic fluid would have been conducted principally in-house by the OEMs, the company says.
Alloy Screen Works introduces new sand screen
Alloy Screen Works has introduced the ASW/CT Premium Screen, developed specifically for thru-tubing completion applications.
The product’s new ASW/CT design involves the use of diffusion-bonded sintered-laminate woven wire mesh combined with an outer perforated protective shroud over a perforated base tube.
Alloy Screen Works has developed a process to weld the media “flush-on” directly to the inner perforated tube of the screen assembly. This integrated process enhances the screen’s strength and reduces the overall OD when coupled to the close tolerance outer shroud, the company says.
