The Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) Project is being constructed by BG Group through subsidiary QGC to develop Queensland coal seam gas (CSG) for Australian and international markets. The project involves transporting CSG via a 435 km pipeline to Gladstone, where it will be turned into LNG at a plant on Curtis Island.
On the back of the huge market opportunity driven by the burgeoning CSG-fed LNG industry in Queensland, the differing regions of Enerflex collectively and collaboratively designed the company’s new manufacturing facility, located in Eagle Farm, Queensland. The size and configuration of the new facility allows Enerflex to leverage off their core competency in compressor packaging and further supply TEG and process equipment packages, undertake revamps and compressor optimisation and execute fabrication and assembly works as part of turnkey and integrated projects.
Fulfilling a need
When produced from a reservoir, CSG contains a large amount of water and is typically completely saturated at the water dew point. This water can cause several problems for downstream pipelines, processes and equipment including blockages, temperature excursions and corrosion.
At low temperatures the water can either freeze in piping or, as is more commonly the case, form hydrates with CO2 and hydrocarbons. Depending on composition, these hydrates can even form at relatively high temperatures, potentially plugging valves, equipment and piping. TEG dehydration units reduce the hydrate formation point of the gas through water removal to a level where this formation is manageable.
The TEG packages to be manufactured by Enerflex for the QCLNG Project have been designed to allow an inlet inflow rate of 220 million cubic feet of gas per day. Each train comprises a
skid-mounted glycol regeneration package and off skid glycol contactor towers, off skid glycol coalescers and air-cooled heat exchangers.
The majority of the piping and skid structural fabrication and all of the package assembly works will be undertaken at Enerflex’s new manufacturing facility in Eagle Farm, Queensland. The on skid engineered packages and OEM equipment are being manufactured from numerous locations across Australia and South East Asia.
The challenge
Whilst Enerflex offices globally have designed and supplied hundreds of TEG packages, the mainstay of Enerflex in Australia has been the engineering, procurement and construction of gas compression and processing facilities.
This regionalisation of global competencies, says Enerflex, has been the main challenge to date on the QCLNG Project; taking what has traditionally been performed by other global Enerflex offices and providing a product that is fully compliant to Australian conditions, standards and codes.
Enerflex has put in a great deal of effort and resources to ensure that the works run smoothly and on schedule on the back of a knowledge and experience transfer that commenced in 2008. The company has developed a detailed schedule and tracks the progress of individual activities to ensure that equipment or fabricated items arrive at the workshop with sufficient time for assembly and pre-commissioning.
When the packages are ready to be delivered to site, minimal issues are envisaged as constructability has been an inherent focus of Enerflex’s design, facilitating straightforward and simple installation.
Working together towards a new industry
The QCLNG Project will further strengthen the five-year working relationship between Enerflex and BG in Australia, formulated during the construction of QGC’s original Berwyndale South production facility.
Enerflex says it is excited to be a part of the QCLNG Project, which will help establish Queensland and Gladstone as major centres for the rapidly expanding LNG global industry.