Nitrogen gas is one of the primary products used throughout the Oil & Gas industry ranging from the initial drilling of the well to the delivery of the finished product via pipeline, truck and train to the end user. As a naturally occurring inert gas, Nitrogen can safely be used for a wide range of services throughout the energy industry. Nitrogen has several properties that make it an ideal tool for use in the energy industry; it is inert, non-reactive, non-toxic, and non-corrosive.
Nitrogen services can be delivered to the customers’ site in a variety of methods; as a cryogenic liquid, compressed dry gas bottles, or filtered from the atmosphere at site using a Nitrogen membrane unit. The most common treatment method used is to deliver the Nitrogen to site in bulk as a cryogenic liquid, and convert it to a warm dry gas using either a diesel fired heat exchanger or non-fired Flameless nitrogen pumping units. The Nitrogen gas can be delivered at temperatures ranging from -150 to +400˚C. and pressures starting at atmospheric and up to 10,000 psi. Recent developments have also allowed for the use of Nitrogen filtering membranes to become an accepted method of gas delivery for specific projects, including low rate delivery, underbalanced drilling and remote locations.
| Nitrogen Properties (N2 Properties): | |
| Density (Gas) = | 1.251 g/L |
| Density (Liquid) = | 808 Kg/M3 |
| Boiling Point = | -195.73˚C |
| Dew-point = | -80˚C |
| Chemically inert | Extremely stable element |
The method of application chosen depends on the project size and scale, with economics and supply demands being of major consideration. Nitrogen applications can range in size from a two hour operation involving one pumper and operator to operations lasting months and utilizing numerous pumpers and transports. Some projects require very large volumes of Nitrogen delivered in a short time period, which is normally provided by the conventional fired pumping equipment. A continuous supply of Liquid Nitrogen can be delivered to site by specially designed Nitrogen transports.
FourQuest Energy is able to provide a wide range of Nitrogen purging services. These services are essential for plant shutdowns when the required nitrogen supply exceeds the plants ability to maintain the high flow rate, often required during shutdowns and various other maintenance activities. Nitrogen purging is very effective for pipeline purges, product displacement, and new pipeline inerting. FourQuest Energy’s engineers can help develop the most effective and efficient purging techniques for any plant or pipeline environment. These innovative purging techniques can often save significant time and money for any purging activity.
FourQuest Energy can design custom procedures for the removal of unwanted atmospheres by Nitrogen purging. including the removal of hydrocarbons, oxygen and other types of toxic or reactive gases. Our engineers will determine the optimum rate, temperature and volume require to remove these unwanted products in the most safe and efficient manner possible. Since nitrogen is inert it will not support combustion. Once a system has been purged using Nitrogen the risk of fires within the system or pipeline is removed as long as the atmosphere within it is pure Nitrogen. The pure nitrogen atmosphere prevents any corrosion caused by oxidation making it ideal for preserving piping for long duration without use.
When dealing with hydrocarbon deposits in vessels or pipelines hot Nitrogen service can be used to greatly reduce the amount of time and Nitrogen product required to clear the vessel of unwanted deposits. Hot Nitrogen Purging is often used to remove stubborn deposits from the following systems:
Nitrogen / Helium leak detection is the most precise method for detecting and quantifying leak rates on critical flanges available. This process involves pressurizing the system in question with a mixture of Nitrogen combined with ~1% Helium. Each potential leak location is then probed by qualified technicians using extremely sensitive helium detection equipment. This process is extremely effective for identifying and quantifying leak rates prior to the introduction of volatile products to the system.
An alternative approach to Helium leak detection is the use of ultrasonic leak detection equipment. For this application the system is pressurized and then inspected using extremely sensitive ultrasonic detection equipment which detects the sound created from a leak on a flange. This system is very effective for Identifying leaks; however this system cannot be used for quantifying the leak rate.
When combined with an effective bolt tensioning or torqueing program these leak detection systems are highly effective means of ensuring that any system is ready for startup.
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Actual data recorded during an accelerated cool-down using nitrogen gas injection. |
Virtually any reaction vessel operating at extremely high temperatures can benefit from the accelerated cool-down service provided by FourQuest Energy. Our engineers are able to design custom procedures to meet any accelerated cool-down requirement. The high temperature vessels used in energy industry processes for a wide range of products can often take days or even weeks to cool-down to manageable temperatures for work to be done. By implementing an accelerated cool-down program for the amount of time required from the initial shut-down to starting work, can be greatly reduced from several days to several hours, depending on the size and temperature of the vessel being cooled.
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| Actual data recorded during an accelerated cool-down using liquid nitrogen injected into a supplied air flow. |
The custom procedures, written specifically for each application by our engineers, have been proven to safely and efficiently reduce the amount of time required for the cool-downs on process reactors, including hydro-crackers, hydro-treaters, catalyst beds, and reaction furnaces without causing any adverse effects to thermally sensitive material throughout the process. Having the ability to provide high rate Nitrogen on-site, ready to pump, prior to accelerated cool-downs can greatly reduce
and even eliminate any thermal runaways when conducting heat soaks in sulfur recover units.
High pressure Nitrogen is a very effective medium for conducting pneumatic tests on sensitive equipment when potential contamination is a concern. Nitrogen is a clean, extremely dry medium for conducting tests. The use of FourQuest Energy’s nitrogen pumping equipment can provide an extremely mobile, clean, and dry medium for testing contamination sensitive systems. The high rates, pressure and precise control available from our Nitrogen pumping equipment can greatly reduce the amount of time and increase the level of safety for conducting this type of critical testing activity.
When combined with Helium leak detection leaks on large systems can often be identified and repaired prior to reaching the final test pressure. By identifying the leaks at much lower pressures, the systems can be repaired without having to bleed off the pressure and re-pressurize once the final test pressure has been reached. FourQuest Energy’s equipment can be safely operated and monitored remotely from a safe distance for any operation requiring a safe operation distance.
FourQuest Energy can provide the right equipment for any nitrogen application, when it is logistically difficult to ship liquid nitrogen to your job site, FourQuest Energy’s Nitrogen membrane units are ideal for remote locations, both onshore and offshore. These units are well suited for low rate and volume applications where the
delivery of liquid Nitrogen bulkers is not feasible. The use of Nitrogen membrane units can often greatly reduce transportation costs and the logistical concerns that may result.
Nitrogen gas provided by FourQuest Energy pumping equipment provides 99.99% pure nitrogen, with a dew-point of -80˚C. This clean, extremely dry gas is very effective for drying out any pipeline or process system, when combined with the high temperature, nitrogen drying can greatly reduce the amount of time required to achieve dew-points required when compared with conventional drying methods.
Since Nitrogen gas is inert so it is the ideal atmosphere for filling pipelines or process systems that may not be in use for some time. By maintaining a positive nitrogen atmosphere inside a pipeline or process system, ongoing corrosion can be greatly reduced and even eliminated if the system is dry and there are no leaks present. Nitrogen can be effectively used to lay up pipelines for years, minimizing the corrosive effects of other elements. This service is particularly effective for the drying of chemically sensitive systems such as Oxygen and Hydrogen.
In cases where a piping system or pipeline does not have sufficient valves or other appropriate isolation mechanisms in place; Nitrogen freeze plugs can be used to temporarily to create a positive isolation. The use of nitrogen freeze plugs can often save a significant amount of maintenance or testing time by providing isolations and eliminating the need for a complete drain down of the system or a shut-down of the unit. For testing applications freeze plugs can significantly reduce the total volume required for testing by separating the portion to be tested. Nitrogen freeze plugs can effectively hold up to 10,000psi.
