Saving £450,000 by upgrading and re-using six Flowserve mechanical seals rather than moving to more costly pressurised double seal systems in the North Sea
Client challenge
Reduced main oil line (MOL) and MOL booster pump mechanical seal service life was increasing pump outages and costs while seriously jeopardising crude oil output from an ageing North Sea platform.
NASH was able to identify the problem and suggest cost-effective solutions that improved the performance of the existing Flowserve BWI/P GUHTW-4250 and Flowserve BWI/P GU-3250 units.
Our response
An assessment by our team found that:
- More variable crude from the ageing well had a higher sand and scale content causing abrasion
- Water in the crude was causing marginal face lubrication and thermal shock
As a result of our work:
- Seals were upgraded to be more resistant to a mix of abrasives and marginal lubrication
Benefits
- MOL and MOL booster pump performance and crude oil output were restored
- Unnecessary and expensive (£450,000) mechanical seal upgrades were avoided