Valve, compressor contracts awarded for Western Hemisphere projects

Valves for the Bolivia-Brazil pipeline are checked before final shipment from the Bari, Italy, manufacturing plant.

Major valve and compressor contracts have been let for projects in the Western Hemisphere.

Petrobras has awarded Nuovo Pignone, Florence, a $10.5 million contract to supply 400 valves for the 1,975-mile natural-gas pipeline being constructed from Bolivia into Brazil.

Additionally, Brazilian company Maritima Petroleo and TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., Calgary, have awarded Nuovo Pignone separate contracts to supply turbocompressor packages. The Brazilian contract is for offshore Campos Basin; the Canadian, for a major expansion of TCPL's system delivering natural gas out of Alberta.

Largest line

The Bolivia-Brazil pipe line will extend from Rio Grande, Bolivia, near Santa Cruz, to Canoas, Brazil, near Porto Alegre. The largest gas pipeline ever constructed in Brazil and Bolivia and among the largest in South America, its expected completion is 2000.

The Nuovo Pignone stainless-steel interior ball valves will have diameters ranging from 32 in. to 8 in. with operating pressures of 100 bar (1,450 psi). The zero-leakage, on/off valves will be used for both underground and aboveground installation to regulate gas flow in the pipeline.

The valves will be manufactured at a company plant in Bari, Italy.

Nuovo Pignone has previously supplied valves in Brazil through Cuinza, a Spanish and Brazilian-owned engineering company, which also subcontracts with stateowned Petrobras.

Compressor orders

Maritima Petroleo, engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for Petrobras, has awarded Nuovo Pignone two orders totaling seven turbocompressor trains and generators to be used by Petrobras in two separate natural-gas operations offshore Brazil. Value of the contract was not revealed by Nuovo Pignone.

Located 250 km north of Rio de Janeiro and 100 km from Brazil's coastline, the Campos basin gas and oil reserves are situated in depths up to several thousand meters. The reserves were discovered in 1974, and some of the wells drilled there are among the deepest in the world to date, according to Nuovo Pignone.

The Italian company will supply three turbocompressor trains for export and gas-services lift to be installed on the P36 (Spirit of Columbus) platform in Roncador field as part of a new field-development project.

Each of the three modules will consist of two centrifugal compressors (BCL406A and 2BCL458N) driven by a PGT25 gas turbine. Delivery is scheduled for first half 1998 with startup in early 1999.

The second order is for two turbocompressors and two additional power-generation trains for a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) ship to be located in Marlim Sul field, called P37.

Each turbocompressor train will consist of two centrifugal compressors (BCL406A and 2BCL458Ns) driven by a PGT25 gas turbine. Two PGT25+ gas turbines will be used in the ship's turbogenerators for power generation. The equipment will be delivered by third quarter 1998.

For TCPL, Nuovo Pignone will supply four PGT25 + gas turbine-compressor packages at four different compressor stations along the TCPL system. These turbocompressors will be installed in summer 1998 with commercial operation scheduled to begin in fall 1998. Value of the contract was not revealed by Nuovo Pignone.

Each module will consist of a centrifugal compressor (Nuovo Pignone, type PCL) driven by a PGT25 + gas turbine. These units represent the first application in South America for an LM2500+ gas turbine, the most recent effort of Nuovo Pignone/GE Marine & Industrial combined technology. The gas turbines are equipped with dry low emission (DLE) combustion systems of the latest generation.

Nuovo Pignone will also provide the preassembled packages for turbines and compressors together with the control system and the unit building as well.

With its nearly 60 compressor stations, says Nuovo Pignone, TCPL is the largest pipeline company in Canada, and a leading transporter of natural gas in North America. Since 1989, TCPL has more than doubled the capacity of its pipeline to be able to satisfy the strong gas demand arriving, especially from the Northeast U.S.

The companies

Nuovo Pig none is a global manufacturer of compressors, gas and steam turbines, pumps, and various equipment for the oil and gas, pipeline, refinery, petrochemical, and power-generation industries. GE acquired majority ownership of the company in 1994. Nuovo Pignone operates in 110 countries worldwide and maintains local offices in almost 30.

GE Power Systems (GEPS), Schenectady, N.Y., is one of GE's major businesses and supplies power-generation technology, service, and energy-management systems. GEPS serves customers globally through a network of local offices and service centers, with three regional headquarters-GEPS Asia in Hong Kong, GEPS Europe in London, and GEPS Americas in Schenectady.