Satellite Battery Upgrade
Obsidian Energy | Central Alberta – Drayton Valley Area
Our client required a practical, cost effective solution to maintain operations when their producing wells were left stranded by the suspension of two large gas plants in the area. The solution involved upgrading an existing satellite battery with separation, oil treating, storage, and compression capacity to divert gas volumes to a regional plant. The upgrade was done within a short timeline of three months on a conservative budget, utilizing largely surplus equipment. These brownfield challenges are welcomed by our team as they often require more sophisticated engineering and technical expertise than greenfield projects.
Upgrading or Reusing Existing Assets Often Delivers the Best ROI. Choose the Right Engineering Partner to Ensure the Design meets both Performance and Safety Criteria.
The satellite upgrade was designed to handle between 1 and 2 MMSCFD of gas and associated oil production. It included:
- Addition of surplus oil and water tanks
- Addition of new tank off-gas knockout drum incineration
- Replacement of the pop tank with a flare knockout drum (FKOD) and flare stack for handling pressure safety valve (PSV) releases
- Addition of surplus treater with upgraded CSA B149.3 compliant burner management system (BMS)
- Addition of surplus compressor
- Upgrade of outdated pneumatics to a modern control system
- Upgrade of site power supply from the utility service
- Addition of SCADA-like remote monitoring of the site
Surplus equipment was found through the owner’s inventory and evaluated for suitability and safety in the new service. Besides design and project management services, Journey was responsible for regulatory, licensing, and piping registration. A small and nimble team providing suitable, fit-for-purpose deliverables maintained a low engineering cost.
