In the oil and gas industry, ensuring safety and operational efficiency is crucial. Among the many risks that operators face, overpressure is one of the most critical. Overpressure occurs when the pressure in a vessel, pipeline, or system exceeds the designed or safe limits. This can lead to severe consequences.
What is Overpressure Protection?
Overpressure is an abnormal rise in pressure that exceeds a system's design limits. It can happen in pipelines, vessels, or other equipment during normal operations, equipment malfunctions, or unexpected external forces such as temperature changes. Without proper mitigation, the sudden rise in pressure can lead to system failures, equipment damage, or even catastrophic accidents.
Overpressure protection refers to safety measures, devices, and systems designed to prevent pressure from exceeding safe levels. These systems automatically relieve excess pressure to maintain the integrity of equipment and ensure the safety of personnel and the environment.
Why Overpressure Protection is Crucial
Overpressure events in oil and gas operations can cause a variety of severe consequences, including:
- Safety Hazards: Excessive pressure can cause equipment to rupture, leading to fires, explosions, or the release of hazardous gases. This puts workers at significant risk of injury or even fatalities.
- Equipment Damage: The force exerted by overpressure can deform, break, or destroy costly equipment, leading to expensive repairs, downtime, and productivity loss.
- Environmental Risks: Uncontrolled releases of oil, gas, or chemicals can cause serious environmental damage, from spills to releasing harmful substances into the air and water.
Causes of Overpressure in Oil and Gas Operations
Overpressure can occur due to various operational and external factors. Understanding these causes is essential for implementing the right protection measures.
Operational and Process Causes
- Blockages or obstructions in pipelines: Debris, wax build-up, or hydrate formation can restrict flow, causing a rise in pressure.
- Malfunctioning valves or equipment failure: Pressure control valves that fail to open or close properly can increase uncontrolled pressure.
- Chemical reactions and thermal expansion: Exothermic reactions or temperature fluctuations can cause fluid volume changes, leading to overpressure.
External Factors
- External force damage (seismic activity, natural disasters): Earthquakes, landslides, or other natural forces can exert undue stress on infrastructure, leading to pressure spikes.
- Pressure surges from interconnected systems: Surges from adjacent systems, such as compression stations or interconnected pipelines, can unexpectedly increase pressure.
- Human errors in operational procedures: Mistakes in valve positioning, system shutdowns, or incorrect pressure settings can increase dangerous pressure.
Overpressure Protection in Oil and Gas Operations
Effective overpressure protection requires tailored solutions that address the unique risks of various operations within the oil and gas industry.
- Production Operations: Production processes such as well operations, hydraulic fracturing, and gas lift systems are prone to overpressure risks. In these cases, ensuring that blowout preventers (BOPs) and pressure relief systems are properly functioning is key to maintaining safe operations.
- Pipeline Operations: Gathering, transmission, and distribution pipelines are vulnerable to overpressure events, particularly from blockages, equipment failure, or pressure surges. Surge protection devices and automatic shut-off valves are critical components of pipeline protection strategies to mitigate these risks.
- Refining and Processing Facilities: In refineries, overpressure risks are highest in distillation columns, reactors, and heat exchangers. Overpressure can result in leaks, fires, or explosions, making pressure management systems such as flare and blowdown systems vital in controlling excess pressure and preventing system failures.
- LNG and Offshore Operations: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities face specific overpressure challenges due to the volatility of cryogenic fluids and the complexity of their systems. Offshore platforms, with their subsea equipment and wellheads, also require robust overpressure protection, particularly due to the remote and hazardous nature of these operations.
Learn More About VERSA’s Over Pressure Protection (OPP) Solutions
VERSA's Over Pressure Protection (OPP) solutions are designed to address real-time pressure issues, providing fast and effective relief. They are ideal for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, petrochemical, and manufacturing.
Key features include:
- High Reliability: VERSA’s systems are built to function in the most demanding environments, with high accuracy and durability.
- Customizable Designs: Whether you need solutions for high-pressure, low-pressure, or complex multi-stage systems, VERSA offers customizable products to meet your specific needs.
- Rapid Response Time: Our systems detect and respond to pressure spikes almost instantaneously, preventing equipment damage and ensuring the safety of personnel.
Components of VERSA’s Over Pressure Protection (OPP) Solutions
The VERSA pneumatic/hydraulic pressure sensor (stick pilot) is a common component of an overpressure protection system. VERSA’s Pressure Sensor is available in a 3-way block and bleed or a 2-way bleed, 2-position valve. The pressure sensor is designed to receive a high-pressure signal directly from the pipeline. The pressure sensor actuating spring can be adjusted to a pressure setpoint that, when exceeded, will cause the sensor to react. This signals the system control valve, facilitating a pipeline shutdown.
While the VERSA Pressure Sensor is available as a stand-alone item, a pressure sensor circuit generally requires several additional components:
- A high-pressure regulator for the first pressure stepdown
- A standard pressure regulator for the second stepdown
- Filtration elements
- Control valve
- Pressure sensor
VMAP, VERSA’s Modular Air Package system, can provide an integrated component package with all the required items for an Overpressure Protection (OPP) system. The VMAP OPP is a compact, easy-to-install assembly consisting of three modules: Gas Preparation, Pressure Sensing, and Control Valve.
Gas Preparation Module
The Gas Preparation Module has a high-pressure filter to clean the debris from the gas before regulating the pressure through two regulators to a suitable pressure for the actuator control module.
Both the filtered high-pressure gas and the regulated low-pressure gas are directed to the Sensor Module.
Control Valve Module
The Control Valve Module, either a pilot or a solenoid operated valve, will close if the pilot supply line loses pressure (from the sensor module).
The solenoid operated valve can also be remotely operated to close the valve. Both valve types can be equipped with a manual latching reset functionality and/or solenoid or pilot redundancy for additional safety and reliability.
Sensor Module
The Sensor Module provides the initial reaction to an overpressure condition. The pressure sensor is responsible for shutting down the pilot supply (low pressure supply) to the control valve module when the pressure (high pressure supply) exceeds the set point.
VERSA offers standardized typical circuits that may be enhanced to include a block and bleed valve, relief valves, or even a low-pressure sensor to provide both over and under pressure protection. The VERSA solution can be fully customized to meet the user’s requirements. All components used are field-proven and certified for use up to SIL 3, further enhanced with features from our Real-World Reliability solutions.
VMAP Over Pressure Protection (OPP) is a factory-assembled and tested solution that minimizes the use of piping and fittings through innovative design. Several potential leakage points have been reduced, and many of the associated costs of tubing and fittings have been removed. This also results in lower labor costs due to the ease of installation.
This fully 316 stainless steel solution, sourced from a single vendor, also removes the risk of cross-contamination of materials that can be seen on many automation control systems.
The Over Pressure Protection VMAP is a true example of VERSA’s Real World Reliability commitment to providing durable and dependable valves that withstand the toughest and most challenging operating conditions.
Learn more about the benefits of an overpressure protection device, like VMAP, for the oil and gas industry.
Why Choose VERSA?
At VERSA, we pride ourselves on developing solutions that not only protect your systems but also enhance overall performance. With decades of experience in fluid control technologies, we’ve become a trusted partner for industries worldwide. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction sets us apart.
If you want to improve the safety and reliability of your operations, VERSA's Over Pressure Protection (OPP) solutions are the answer.
Ready to learn more? Contact us today to discover how VERSA’s Over Pressure Protection (OPP) solutions can be tailored to meet your specific needs.
