To: Khun Kittisak Hiranyaprathip, PNJ

From: Rachan Engchanil,PSH/F

Cc: Apisak Sri-amorntham
Date: October,10,2016
Subject: O&M Perspectives on Booster Compressor
type selection.
As advised that PSH/F O&M Team, as frontline
workforce, is to provide personal experiences and
expectations together with choice of preference from
Booster Compressor project deliverables. Since the
project process has come quite a long way passing
most significant stage gates with efforts and
preparation works carried out as we have been aware
of, opinion will then be directed purely to personal and
team
aspiration in an idealistic situation where
budget constraint is not an issue.
Our rationale
toward centrifugal compressors preference can be
illustrated as below tabulated information.
Range

Size,
Mobility

The
range
of
matches
the
recommendation

applicability
international

Small foot print with Compact

size and modularity is main
advantage of turbine set because
gas turbine is still best choice
that delivers higher BHP per
machine weight than other
drivers.
Its compacted size and small
footprint also reduces supporting
infrastructure and consequent
field personnel workload, logistics
support.

Actual Suction
Volume VS Discharge Pressure - Comp

Noise

Reliability
&
Availabilit
y

Maintaina
bility
&
Interchan
geability

Generally 80-90 dBA. However,

turbine enclosure is designed to
suppress so. Additional acoustic
wall could be considered if
needed to be sure within this

forestrial area.
Both international and PTTEP
experience of operation reveals
turbine driven compressor yield
higher reliability and availability
along life cycle.
Turbine change out strategy is
advantageous
for
plant
availability as it is a modular set
up. It minimizes downtime and
risk to prolonged maintenance
work.
Size and model of turbine when
optimally
selected
can
be
common to majority use in the
market or within PTTEP operating
assets, major capital spare parts,
and whole set of turbine can be
interchanged,
common,
and
pooled (e.g. Centaur 40, Taurus
50/60, LM2500, etc).
This also gains advantage of
breakdown part borrowing among
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2014 Graph.pdf

Top Record S1 2014

- 1.pdf

assets. And increased power of

bargaining in service agreement
contract to OEM.
Retrofitabi When declined, turbine can be
lity
utilized in various applications. it
is easy to couple or mount with
other driven machines e.g.
generators.
Controllab With its inherent characteristic,
ility
turbine delivers good response in
a wider dynamic range of speed
change
Clients daily abrupt change of
demand at peak period can be
well responded with predefined
mode of operation.
Operabilit
y

Turbine start / stop when well

understood and trained, all
sequences are automatic within
short period.
To support high turndown ratio at
long duration of low nomination
change
according
to
client
demand, merely variable speed
control and recycle is not much
flexible when configuration is
arranged
for
2
x
100%.
Configuration of 3 x 50% shall be
ideally
perfect
to
optimally
reconcile every operation and
maintenance constraints
Turbine size is more common to
those are available in the market
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and currently utilized among

PTTEP operating assets.
When
turbine
size
and
compressor
is
smaller,
infrastructures and resources for
maintenance and operations are
better manageable; so would the
cost of spare part be.

Efficiency

OPEX
lifecycle

3 x 50% is more flexible in

production wise in the event of
unit unavailability the plant will
loss
every
50%
for
each
unavailability.
Open cycle thermal efficiency of
gas turbine is 29-37%. Heat
recovery and utilization may be
considered to improve rational
use of energy.
Maintenance and operation cost
of Turbine driven compressor for
2 x 100% or 3 x 50% are at USD
10-12
Millions

slightly
difference.

SPH Booster Comp

Maintenance Cost Comparison 15YLA

Conclusion:
All information tabulated above was rationale that
SPH O&M input to Project Team during inception
phase. This proposal did not include capital cost into
account as it is outside our expertise.
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As earlier mentioned, for an ideal situation, centrifugal

compressors will be a system of choice for SPH team
taking into account of existing Operations Philosophy,
manning level and competency management which
are to be prepared and managed.
Regards,
Rachan

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