Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Al Hajji, M.

Saudi Aramco, Dharan, Saudi Arabia

Mohammad Hajji is an Engineering Consultant with Saudi Aramco with more than 27 yr of experience in gas processing, with expertise in gas sweetening and sulfur recovery. He works to provide technical support to operating facilities and introduce new technologies. He graduated from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) with a BS degree in chemical engineering.

HC condensate sphere inlet pipe failure investigation

KELM Engineering LLC: Rinawi, A.
Saudi Aramco: Al Bukhari, A.  |  Al Hajji, M.  |  Al Boobaid, M.

During a normal turnaround and inspection (T&I) of a hydrocarbon sphere, a fatigue failure in the 24-in. inlet pipe riser was discovered. As per the original 2003 design, the sphere serves as a surge tank during pipeline scraping, as well as a backup for a stabilizer during T&I. Each stabilizer has a capacity of 78,000 bpd. However, due to asymmetry in the piping configuration, the sphere typically receives higher flow of 90,000 bpd, with rates sometimes reaching 110,000 bpd as a result of scraping or other activities happening concurrently. The sphere was upgraded to work continuously in 2012 to handle the anticipated additional condensate by adding an overhead gas compressor and a dedicated condensate shipper pump.

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