81-GT-182

AN ASME PUBLICATION
$4.00 per copy $2.00 to ASME Members

mz'

/Er Y .-.MEG

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

345 E 47 St., New York, N.Y. 10017
The Society shad not be responsible for statements or opinions advanced in papers or
in discussion at meetings of the Society or of its Divisions or Sections. or printed in
its publications. Discussion is printed only d the paper is published in an ASME
journal or Proceedings. Released for general publication upon presentation.Full
credit should be giver, to ASME. the Technical Division, and the authortst

Copyright 1981 by ASME

L. Cootes
Shell U.K. Exploration & Products,
North Quay, Lowestoft, England

Contamination of Centrifugal
Process Gas Compressor Lube Oil
and Seal Oil Systems by
Hydrocarbon Condensate
In the wake of gas compression offshore the problem of contamination of Seal Oil
and Lube Oil systems by the process gas has posed particular problems. These
difficulties stem chiefly from the uniqueness of the offshore situation, viz.: The
inability to "waste" contaminated seals return because of an uncertain supply
situation (oil inventory bunkered by boat) and the twin constraints of weight space
restrictions imposed by offshore design. "In situ" treatment of relatively large
volumes of contaminated Lube Oil and Seal Oil on offshore platforms is possible
using the method described in this paper.

INTRODUCTION
Shell/Esso's Leman Field is situated some
30 miles (45km) NE of the UK's Norfolk coastline.
It is the most productive gas field in the Southern
Sector of the North Sea and produced, during its
peak production year of 1975/76, 384,500 Mmscf
(10,887m 3 x 10 6 ) of natural gas.

^6/264

46/29

49/30

49/26 SHELL/E550

In 1975 with approximately 27% of the field

reserves having been produced, the first centrifugal
compressor units were installed offshore on the two
compressor stations AK and BK. These units (one
on each platform) were the first phase of a compression
train comprising four compressors in series such
that the final configuration is that shown on Figure 2.

27

46/266

. PMp6o
CEP
12/3

11 F55o

33/ia

53/2

32/SaP^ oO
!2/SC
Sf

S^^y

BACTON

''

TERMINALS

Fig.2 Leman Gas Compression Process Flow Diagram

(AK)
Fig.1 Geographical Location - Leman Field

Contributed by the Gas Turbine Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for presentation at the Gas Turbine Conference &

Products Shows, March 9-12, 1981, Houston, Texas. Manuscript received at

ASME Headquarters December 18, 1980.
Copies will be available until December 1, 1981.

The original conception of each station was for

4 x 15,000 Hp (4 x 11,185Kw) gas turbine driven
centrifugal compressors. However, as the economic
groundrules for hydrocarbon recovery changed rapidly
throughout the seventies so each successive phase
of compression was designed with more and more
Horsepower. The final configuration is for 96,000
ISO Horsepower (71,587 Kw) per compressor station.

Downloaded From: http://173.254.190.160/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/asmep/83954/ on 01/19/2017 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

O
The compressors selected for the first two
phases of compression were Cooper Bessemer RF 3(2)
BB-30 two stage centrifugal "beam style" pipeline
compressors.
These units, as installed, were not equipped
with a separate lube oil and seal oil system. This
omission compounded a problem which was to be found
by accident in February 1977.
DISCOVERY OF THE PROBLEM
As part of a maintenance trend prediction,
the compressor lube oils were examined periodically
for trace bearing metals. On one occasion a routine
analysis for viscosity, flash-point, acidity etc
was requested.
The analysis was undertaken by Shell Research,
who, after receipt and initial examination of the
samples, sent an urgent telex to Expro recommending
changeout of the oil immediately.
The cause for their concern was the extremely
low flash-point of the oil caused by the presence
of hydrocarbon condensate. This hydrocarbon condensate
was identified as, quote .......a mixture of hydrocarbons with carbon numbers from C 4 to C14/C15 with
peaks at C 10 and C 11" .. " " .
MAGNITUDE
The oil being used for the compressor and its
associated power turbine was Shell Turbo T32 - one
of a range of oils produced for turbo machinery
in five viscosity grades.
In order to illustrate the extent of the problem
it is useful to study Figure 3 which compares "as
new" Turbo T32 with the average contaminated samples
and the worst sample condition analysed over a five
month period in 1977.
It will be noted that even at a relatively
minor contamination level there is a drastic drop
in flash point.

TURBO T32

Flash Point
Pensky
( Marten CC

'AS NEW'
CONDITION

204C

Kinematic
Viscosity
Centistrokes
at 40C

32

Percent (WT)
Diluent

0.01%

AVERAGE
WORST
CONTAMINATED CONTAMINATED
SAMPLE
SAMPLE

80 - 90C

25.7

63C

21.12

Drop in Flash-Point
The safety implications of this change in
oil characteristics are fairly obvious but were
compounded by the fact that several open lube oil/seal
oil reservoir tank vents were terminated in the exhaust
plume of the gas generator. The purpose of these
vents is to assist the natural aspiration of various
oil breatherg and to further improve the release of
light ends dissolved in the oil.
As a temporary safety measure flame arresters
were installed on the vents to prevent flashback down
into the reservoir tank.
ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM
To illustrate the root cause of the contamination
we need to refer to Figure 4.
The oil used in the compressors has two functions;
primarily it lubricates but its secondary role is to
provide a hydraulic seal for limiting gas seepage
from the compressor chamber along the rotor shaft.
The oil used to meet both these requirements is
drawn from a common source. If we consider the flow
scheme for the seal oil, it can be seen that the oil
is introduced into a housing at a point midway between
two rings; the pressure of this incoming oil is
maintained at approximately 7 psig (0.5bar) greater
than that of the gas chamber. An effective gas seal
results from the formation of a narrow oil film
between the two rings and the rotor shaft. The
seal ring closest to the gas chamber is referred to
as the high pressure or inner seal; it is the oil at
this point which has the greatest exposure to the
process gas and it is therefore this region which is
considered to be a major source of contamination. 1

T
OIL ENTRY

HIGH PRESSURE SEAL

2. LOW PRESSURE SEAL

3. HIGH PRESSURE SEAL OIL RETURN

4. LOWPRESSURE LURE OIL
GAS VENT

5. OIL DE-GASSER

TO TURBINE

6. SIGHT GLASS

EXHAUSj

7 HIGH PRESSURE OIL SAMPLE

:ONTAMINASTACK.
OIL DR
GAS .-

B. CHOKE(GAS)
9. CHOKE (OIL)
10. RESERVOIR TANK
II. GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE

OIL

ID. TANK SAMPLE POINT

13. COMPRESSOR SHAFT

GAS

SPACE

1.26%

--- CUBE OIL -----

3.5

Fig.3 Comparison: Contaminated and 'as new' Turbo T32

IMPLICATION
Drop In Viscosity
This can result in damage to compressor bearings,
rotors and pumps. It can also cause problems in
maintaining seal oil differential.

Fig.4 Seal Oil Flow Scheme

SPEED OF CONTAMINATION
By disconnecting the high pressure seal return
to the reservoir tank, measuring viscosities and
flash-points and then reconnecting, the speed of the

Downloaded From: http://173.254.190.160/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/asmep/83954/ on 01/19/2017 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

iI
contamination was observed to be extremely rapid
(see Figure 5.).

RESERVOIR TANK FLASH PQWT

Figure 6 shows the composition of Leman gas.

Turbo T32 has a measured diluent concentration of
0.01% by weight in the carbon range C 1 to C 15 . In
the contaminated high pressure line samples this was
found to increase to between 2.8 and 5.5% by weight.
This has the effect of reducing the high pressure
line flash points by up to 180C and the viscosities
by nearly 9 centistokes. The oil reservoir samples
showed a partial recovery after degasification but
not sufficient to prevent long term deterioration.
The overall effect is a steady build-up of contaminants in the C 10 - C15 range.
LEMAN GAS:
COMPONENT OR PROPERTY

z.

Fig.5 Contamination Test Results

The average flash-point of liquids draining
from the Seal oil Traps was 65F (18C). Moreover
the style of pipeline booster compressor Expro had
selected had an exceptionally high inner seal leakage
rate (approximately 350 U.S. Gallons/day (1325 litres/
day) per machine). A leakage rate of this order
is equivalent to the complete inventory of oil,
2000 U.S. Gallons (7570 litres) passing through
the traps every six days.
DIRECTION TAKEN TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM
Having established with the vendor that little
could be done to rectify the situation on the existing
Phase I and II machines and that a separate lube oil/
seal oil system could not be provided on the future
Phase III/IV machines because of rotor dynamics
problems, enquiries were made through several
technical channels within the Shell organisation.
These enquiries established that one of the
Group's refineries was experimenting with rgethods
of treating seal oil contaminated with H S;j a site
visit was made to inspect a vacuum degassin
g
unit
operating at 50 Torr and 100C on the seal :return
of a large centrifugal compressor.
The results looked promising and subsequently
a sampling programme was initiated with Shell Research
to establish the build up of contaminants with time
and hence to define the duty specification for a
decontamination unit for Leman.
ANALYSIS OF THE CONTAMINATED OIL
Experimental
On site sampling was carried out on the
compressors and samples taken from high pressure
seal oil return line and the reservoir tank. Oil
was quantitatively flashed from each sample into
an evacuated vessel and collected independently
and measured volumetrically; this enabled the
determination of gas/oil ratios to be carried out.
The composition of all recovered gas and liquid
samples were subsequently determined either by gassolid or gas-liquid chromatography.

C1
C2
C3
iC4
nC4
iC5
nC5
C6 (including Benzene & Cyclohexane)
C 7
C8
C9
C10
C11 - C15
CO2, N2, He

MOL
91.2
2.92
0.69
0.14
0.18
0.06
0.06
0.048
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0.012
4.49
100.000

Molecular Weight

X16.9 - 17.0

SHELL TURBO T32

C 1 - C 15 content = 0.01 mol
Molecular Weight

= 438

Fig.6 Comparison Between Leman Gas and Shell Turbo T32

DUTY SPECIFICATION AND PROCESS DESIGN
When Process Engineering design was applied to
the results of the above tests it was discovered
that it would be difficult or impossible to achieve
a return to a reasonable flash-point and viscosity
by vacuum alone with temperatures up to 180F (82C). 2
It was therefore proposed that carrier fluid
or sparge be used in order to help strip the contaminants more effectively. The proposal was to use
either potable water or process gas as the carrier
fluid; the former although possibly more efficient
was rejected on the grounds of its scarcity offshore.
Process design was completed and a simplified
P & ID of the system is shown in Figure 7.
As noted previously in "SPEED OF CONTAMINATION"
the Seal Oil leakage per machine was in the order of
350 U.S. Gallons/day per machine (1325 litres/day);
after allowing for installation of four machines a
design basis of 1.5 times this figure was used to
allow for further seal deterioration and other sources
of contamination - principally the overhead Seal Oil
Tank.

Downloaded From: http://173.254.190.160/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/asmep/83954/ on 01/19/2017 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

,.aM
ti
VACUUM PUMP GROUP

^\^/

(NORTH)

-,

VACUUM VESSnS
E

.E

\ ^-

(NORTH)

1.

^y^
//
'''
/^

HEATERS
^^

/;
II
t' ^'
1
(SOUTH)l

VACUUM VESSEL

VACUUM PUMP GROUP

(SOUTH)

Fig.7 Simplified Flowsheet - Vacuum Degassing Unit

Fig.8 Plant Isometric View

Seal Oil leakage from the four compressors

is fed via a common 2" header into a Primary Degasser/
Buffer Vessel. A Lube Oil slip stream of 80 U.S.
Gallons/hour total (300 litres/hour) is also fed
into this vessel via a separate nozzle. The purpose
of the Lube Oil stream is to satisfy the requirements
of the Vacuum Degasser feed pump and to assist in
the clean up of contaminants from other sources.
Some atmospheric separation occurs at this stage
and approximately 70% of the Methane is dispersed
as an offgas stream.
The partially degassed oil is then fed via
a gas/oil mixer and thence to an in-line heater to
raise its temperature to 210F (98C). The carrier
gas, which originates from the Fuel Gas system, is
admitted at the rate of 6SCF/USG (0.045m 3 /litres) of
Seal Oil Leakage. Its purpose is to assist in
sweeping out the C10 to 015 fractions in the vacuum
degassing operation. The gas/oil mixture is then fed
to the Vacuum Degassing Vessel which it enters via
the bores of several 2 micron fibre glass filter
elements. As the mixture is drawn through the
elements a relatively large surface area is presented
to the vacuum which is maintained at 2 Torr (0.078"Hg).
The contaminants are drawn off by the vacuum
pumping group and join the off-gas from the Primary
Degasser. Decontaminated oil is pumped to an
overhead Storage Tank and returned to the individual
unit reservoir tanks as required.
3 An isometric of the Vacuum Degassing Skid is
shown on Figure 8. Note there are two trains on the
single skid.

POST COMMISSIONING EXPERIENCE

Both units were commissioned successfully in
May 1980 and preliminary results look encouraging.
The degasser is successful in raising the Flash Point
from 60 - 70C to 160 - 180C. Flash Points of
195C and viscosities fo 30.6 Cat have been achieved.
In order to optimise the performance of the unit
an extensive programme of process trials is required
during the operational winter of 1980/81.
Safety Footnote
During commissioning it was discovered that the
composition of the vapour space in the reservoir
tanks was varying to between approximately 2%
and 20% 0 2 (in Methane). The normally accepted
range for which an explosion hazard exists is
12 - 20% 0 2 by volume. Field measurements also
showed that under certain circumstances, the oil
contained sufficient electrostatic charge to produce
an incendive spark.
In order to negate the electrostatic hazard we
currently dose the oil with Shell anti-static
additive, ASA 3. Use of ASA 3 at a rate of 100 p.p.m.
reduces the conductivity of the oil to an acceptable
level but further work is also needed in the control
of tank atmospheres.
CONCLUSIONS
In the wake of gas compression offshore the
problem of contamination of Seal Oil and Lube Oil
systems by the process gas has posed particular
problems.
These difficulties stem chiefly from the
uniqueness of the offshore situation viz
- The inability to "waste" contaminated seals return
because of an uncertain supply situation (oil
inventory bunkered by boat).
- The twin constraints of weight space restrictions
imposed by offshore design.
"In situ" treatment of relatively large volumes
of contaminated Lube Oil and Seal Oil on offshore
platforms is possible using the method described in
this paper.

Downloaded From: http://173.254.190.160/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/asmep/83954/ on 01/19/2017 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use

REFERENCES
1 Scheel, L.F., Gas Machinery, Gulf Publishing,
Houston, 1972, p.76.
2 Ferguson, S.A., "Process Discussion and
Specification for Compressor Lube/Seal Oil Decontamination Equipment", Protech International Report
7721. PRC.005, May 1978.
3 "General Plant Isometric" - courtesy of
Bowser Filtration Ltd.

Downloaded From: http://173.254.190.160/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/conferences/asmep/83954/ on 01/19/2017 Terms of Use: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/terms-of-use