GE Oil & Gas Technology Selected For Trans-Tunisian Pipeline Expansion
Florence, Italy - GE's Oil & Gas business will provide new turbocompressor units and will upgrade existing equipment to increase the pumping capacity and extend the operating life of the Trans-Tunisian pipeline, which transports gas from Algeria through Tunisia to Sicily, Italy.
Société de Construction Gazoduc Transtunisien (SCOGAT), owned 100 percent by Eni, is in charge of the project, while Snamprogetti of Italy is the EPC contractor.
During the feasibility phase of the project, a working group was created to examine all possible scenarios and select the most appropriate solution, both from a technical and an economical standpoint.
Under this contract, eight new turbocompressor trains will be supplied and installed: one train (BCL404/A centrifugal compressor driven by an MS5002C gas turbine) in the Cap Bon compression station; one train (PCL603-2 centrifugal compressor driven by a PGT25 gas turbine) in the Feriana compression station; and six turbocompressor trains (PCL801 centrifugal compressors driven by PGT25 gas turbines) in the newly designed Sbeitla and Korba compression stations.
In addition, at the Cap Bon station, five MS5002B gas turbines will be replaced with five MC5002C units; and four MS5002B machines will be upgraded to the MS5002C configuration.
The project also will include the upgrade or replacement of several auxiliaries such as heat exchangers, gearboxes, couplings, instrumentation and control panels, as well as the retrofitting of five high-pressure barrel compressors with dry gas seals.
All of the equipment for this project will be supplied from GE's Oil & Gas facilities in Florence, Italy. The project is slated for completion in two phases. The first one will allow an increase in gas transport by upgrading the existing compression stations, while the second will begin the operation of the new compression stations.
"This is a very important project to upgrade the performance of the Trans-Tunisia pipeline, which is vital for the continued economic growth of the region," said Claudi Santiago, president and CEO of GE's Oil & Gas business. "We are very pleased that SCOGAT has shown its confidence in GE technology for this effort."
SOURCE: GE's Oil & Gas