Iran Companies Show Off in Khuzestan
By Mahnaz Mohammadi
On December 6, the southwestern city of Ahvaz – better known as the capital of Iran’s petroleum industry – started hosting a specialized exhibition of petroleum industry equipment. During the four-day event, Iranian manufacturers put on display their latest achievements and products.
The event, which was the sixth annual exhibition held in Khuzestan province, was sponsored by National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC). It was timed to coincide with the second exhibition of National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC).
Shortage of Space
A total of 291 private companies had voiced their readiness to put their achievements on display in this exhibition, but due to shortage of space, only 200 were accommodated.
Statistically, the province of Khuzestan was represented by 73 companies (34% of booths), Tehran by 116 companies (54%), Isfahan and Markazi provinces respectively by 6 and 5 companies (or 3% each). In general, ten provinces were represented in the exhibition which saw the number of Iranian manufacturers rise by 16% compared to a year ago.
12 Contracts Signed
Throughout the exhibition, 12 contracts were signed between NISOC and domestic manufacturers of equipment for the petroleum industry. These contracts are valued at more than IRR 30 billion. The contracts require the supply of spare parts for turbines and compressors, oil sampling cylinders and drilling equipment. All these items used to be bought from foreign companies.
Panel Discussions
Two seminars and two panel discussions were held on the sidelines of the exhibition. These seminars aimed at introducing the potentialities of MAPNA group in manufacturing rotary machinery particularly turbines and the capabilities of Wira Tehran Engineering Services Company with regards to API 678 standards.
NIDC’s Directorate of Research and Technology also held a panel discussion to discuss the role of knowledge-based companies in manufacturing drilling equipment. Another panel discussion was held by Khuzestan Petroleum University of Technology to discuss challenges to the indigenization of petroleum industry equipment.
New Equipment Unveiled
Managing director of NIOC Rokneddin Javadi unveiled three basic equipment of drilling industry (mud pump, coiled tubing and offshore logging skid) and five items widely used in NISOC projects (rotor compressor, honey comb seal, dry gas seal, wellhead rotating blowout preventer and compressor’s stuffing box).
Rotor Compressor
Rotor compressor has been manufactured for the first time in Iran by Turbine Machine Middle East Company through reverse engineering. This compressor is a product of Germany and is installed in gas injection facilities.
The compressor conducts gas compression operations in eight phases. The fluid fed into this compressor is sour gas with high degree of corrosion. The components of this compressor are made of alloys designed specifically to withstand 186 BAR pressure under 120 degrees Celsius. This compressor is instrumental in gas injection into oil reservoirs.
Honeycomb Seal
Honeycomb seals are used in preventing gas leak throughout stages of transition from one compressor to another. The technology for these seals was indigenized after two years of efforts by Iranian manufacturers.
Honeycomb seals are used to optimize the turbine clearance between the rotating and stationary parts of aircraft engines.
Honeycomb Seals in turbines are part of the manufacturer’s design strategy to achieve and control proper levels of compression throughout the engines or turbines. Honeycomb is a critical part of these important components that are required in new engines and subsequently are inspected with Standard Practices and replaced per manufacturer’s specifications if required due to damage or wear. Honeycomb availability is especially important in this repair.
Dry Gas Seals
Dry gas seals are non-contacting, dry-running mechanical face seals consisting of a mating (rotating) ring and a primary (stationary) ring. When operating, lifting geometry in the rotating ring generate a fluid-dynamic force causing the stationary ring to separate and create a gap between the two rings. Dry gas seals are mechanical seals but use other chemicals and functions so that they do not contaminate a process. These seals are typically used in a tough working environment such as oil exploration, extraction and refining, petrochemical industries, gas transmission and chemical processing.
In Iran, Faraz Energy Asia Company has manufactured dry gas seals for Karoun Oil and Gas Production Company. Currently, 110 drug gas seals are installed in companies run by Karoun Oil and Gas Production Company.
The dry gas seal have a lift geometry, which provides for lifting force and maintains separation of seal faces during operation. Machines in lift profiles on one side of the seal face direct gas inward toward an extremely flat portion of the face. The gas that is flowing across the face generates a pressure that maintains a minute gap between the faces, optimizing fluid film stiffness and providing the highest possible degree of protection against face contact. The seal's film stiffness compensates for varying operations by adjusting gap and pressure to maintain stability.
Rotating Blowout Preventer
Blow-Out Preventers (BOPs) are vital to the safety of the crew of any drilling operation. As oil exploration becomes more extreme, BOPs and associated components play an increasingly important safety role in the overall operation.
Not only do BOPs help prevent disasters that can be potentially harmful to the environment, they are also used to prevent tubing, tools and drilling fluid from being blown out of the well bore if maintenance or repair work is being carried out.
Iranian engineers have designed rotary blowout preventers.
Stuffing Box
A stuffing box is an assembly which is used to house a gland seal. It is used to prevent leakage of fluid, such as water or steam, between sliding or turning parts of machine elements.
In a steam engine, where the piston rod reciprocates through the cylinder cover, a stuffing box provided in the cylinder cover prevents the leakage of steam from the cylinder.
Stuffing box is a major component of compressors. A 2,000-KW compressor installed in NISOC facilities can inject 16 mcf/d of gas.
NISOC engineers, in collaboration with the private sector, have managed to acquire technology for manufacturing stuffing box.
Coiled Tubing
A research project jointly carried out by NIDC and Directorate of Research and Technology of NIOC have resulted in the development of coiled tubing.
In the oil and gas industries, coiled tubing refers to a very long metal pipe; normally 1" to 3.25" in diameter which is supplied spooled on a large reel. It is used for interventions in oil and gas wells and sometimes as production tubing in depleted gas wells. Coiled tubing is often used to carry out operations similar to wire-lining. The main benefits over wire-line are the ability to pump chemicals through the coil and the ability to push it into the hole rather than relying on gravity. Pumping can be fairly self-contained, almost a closed system, since the tube is continuous instead of jointed pipe.
The manufacturing of coiled tubing by Iranian engineers is saving the country IRR 70 billion, not to mention Iran’s self-reliance.
A coiled tubing operation is normally performed through the drilling derrick on the oil platform, which is used to support the surface equipment, although on platforms with no drilling facilities a self-supporting tower can be used instead.
Mud Pump
NIDC, University of Tehran’s Park of Science and Technology and the Iranian companies Sapno and Peyman Press have jointly designed and manufactured mud pump for drilling operations. Each mud pump cost Iran IRR 10 billion.
A mud pump is a reciprocating piston/plunger device designed to circulate drilling fluid under high pressure (up to 7,500 psi (52,000 kPa) ) down the drill string and back up the annulus.
Mud pump is a large reciprocating pump used to circulate the mud (drilling fluid) on a drilling rig. It is an important part of the oil well drilling equipment.
Mud Pumps can be divided into single-acting pump and double-acting pump based on the completion times of the suction and drainage acting in one cycle of the piston's reciprocating motion.
The pressure size of the pump depends on the depth of the drilling hole, the resistance of flushing fluid (drilling fluid) through the channel, as well as the nature of the conveying drilling fluid. The deeper the drilling hole and the greater the pipeline resistance, the higher the pressure needed.
Offshore Logging Skid
Offshore logging skid has been manufactured by Faliz Pazouhesh Pars Company which is based in the Khuzestan province.
Logging throughout drilling operations is like a light showing the way to drilling engineers.
The equipment used in high-risk drilling operations, particularly in offshore drilling, need to be anti-explosive.
Iran used to purchase logging skids from abroad due to advanced technology applied in pneumatic, hydraulic and instrumentation systems of this equipment.