Control valve specialist Severn Glocon has been awarded a landmark contract to supply 536 engineered control valves for the processing plant on the Ichthys Project onshore LNG facilities.
Included in the contract are cryogenic valves of up to 42 inches bore, weighing around 20 tonnes, as well as valves with pressure ratings of up to 2,500 ANSI.
This is the largest and one of the most technically challenging contracts in the firm’s 50 year history. The valves will deal with volatile fluids at temperatures as low as -160°c, and they need to handle extreme requirements surrounding cryogenics, thermal dynamics and velocity control.
Severn Glocon’s technical specialists have developed bespoke designs for the valves, and they are being manufactured across the Group’s Gloucester and Chennai facilities.
Valves for some of the most demanding applications, such as compressor anti-surge and gas-to-flare control, will benefit from Severn Glocon’s customised multi-labyrinth trim. This enables precise control of fluid velocity, minimising stress placed on components to enhance performance and reliability, as well as extending valve life and lowering noise levels.
Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) activities for the project are being undertaken by the JKC Australia LNG Pty Ltd (JKC), a joint venture between JGC Corporation, KBR and Chiyoda Corporation. The project is now in the construction phase and the first valves are being shipped. Manufacture and supply of valves will continue into 2014.
“The scope, scale and harsh demands of this project command highly-engineered, technically advanced hardware,” says Roger Spiers, Commercial Manager at Severn Glocon. “ Our brightest engineers have been focusing their efforts on developing breakthrough valve solutions. We have also invested in extended in-house cryogenic testing facilities to optimise delivery times.”
The Ichthys LNG Project is a Joint Venture between INPEX group companies, major partner TOTAL group companies and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, May 15, 2013; Image: INPEX