GE Energy $35m controls upgrade project for Algeria's Sonatrach
Posted: 30 June 2004
GE Energy has received a $35 million contract to upgrade control systems and instrumentation on nearly 100 pipeline booster compressor trains in Algeria.
The project covers gas turbines and compressors at numerous compression stations along the Algerian energy giant Sonatrach's natural gas pipelines. Scope for the upgrades will come from GE Energy's optimization services group, which focuses on products and services for optimizing plant and asset performance.
Existing GE Speedtronic TM Mark II turbine control systems will be upgraded to the Mark VI platform on 75 compression trains using GE MS3200 gas turbine prime movers, with the majority of these calling for combined control of both the gas turbine and its associated compressor.
GE will address this requirement by installing its Integrated Turbine and Compressor Control (ITCC) offering, combining both turbine and compressor control functions in the Mark VI, and eliminating the need for independent controllers.
Additional scope includes replacement of gas turbine hydraulic fuel control valves with GE's newer single electric valve tech nology, retrofit of the Reuter-Stokes Flame Trackerä flame sensors in place of existing Geiger-Mueller tube sensors and installation supervision and start-up assistance. GE will also supply and install Bently Nevada 3500 Series Machinery Protection Systems and System 1 optimization and diagnostic software. These systems will encompass the 75 GE-driven compressor trains, as well as an additional 24 compressor trains driven by non-GE gas turbines. The project, which will upgrade Sonatrach's network of pipelines for transporting natural gas to its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities on the Mediterranean coast for export to Europe and the United States , is slated to begin in the third quarter of 2004. The upgrades will span approximately 30 months, with plans to commission the remaining of the 75 upgrades by September 2006.
“Sonatrach is recognized globally as a tech nology leader and I am very pleased that they have chosen GE for this project,” said Ricardo Artigas, president of energy services for GE Energy. “The scope of this project draws on a broad cross-section of offerings from the optimization services portfolio, led by our global controls services team as well as products and services from across GE Energy. This top-to-bottom approach enables GE Energy to provide value to Sonatrach by offering a truly integrated solution for its pipeline units.”
Sonatrach is an Algerian-owned petroleum company and the leading business on the African continent. It employs 120,000 people globally and specializes in research, exploration, pipeline transport, manufacturing and sales of hydrocarbon products and its derivatives. Sonatrach is also active in conventional and renewable electric power generation, as well as the desalination of seawater. It is currently the 11th largest petroleum company in the world and second largest exporter of LNG.
GE Energy's optimization services group provides solutions for power generation, upstream oil & gas and multiple other industries with controls services, retrofits and upgrades; mechanical condition monitoring and plant asset management expertise; fuel management and plant performance optimization tech nologies; and, harsh environment sensing.
About GE Energy
GE Energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation tech nology, energy services, and management systems with 2003 revenues of nearly $18.5 billion. Based in Atlanta , Georgia , GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, distributed power and energy rental industries.
For more information see www.gepower.com 
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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