First spherical tanks of the Amur Gas Processing Plant are ready to receive liquefied hydrocarbons
First three spherical tanks of the feedstock and product area of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) are ready for operation. They will ensure the reception and storage of propane, butane, natural gas liquids (NGL), and pentane and hexane fraction produced at the first start-up complex of the plant. Further, the feedstock and product area facilities will be put into operation as the production lines are launched.
Spherical tanks and pipelines have been successfully tested for leaks, and a large number of loop and functional tests have been performed. Finishing of the feedstock and product area switch room as well as the hardware room is nearing completion. Safety of operation will be ensured by a fire-fighting system consisting of three water tanks with a volume of 5,000 cubic meters each, a pumping station with a maximum capacity of more than 2,100 cubic meters per hour.
The feedstock and product area comprises of 20 spherical tanks with a volume of 2,400 cubic meters each. Welding, installation, and hydraulic tests are being performed and thermal insulation and protective coating are being applied on the remaining tanks.
Background
The weight of each spherical tank is more than 400 tons, the diameter is 16.6 m, the thickness of the shell is 40–48 mm. The tanks are made according to individual projects at the plants of Yekaterinburg (Russia) and Lanzhou (China). The use of the tanks with an increased volume of 2,400 cubic meters instead of the standard 600 cubic meters helped reduce the metal consumption of the feedstock and product area and reduce the area of the Amur Gas Processing Plant.
The Amur Gas Processing Plant of PJSC Gazprom will become one of the world's largest natural gas processing sites with a capacity of 42 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Commercial products, in addition to purified methane, will include ethane, propane, butane, pentane and hexane fraction, NGL, and helium.
Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk LLC (member of Gazprom Group) is the investor and owner of the Amur Gas Processing Plant project. Construction is managed by NIPIGAS JSC, a leading Russian centre for engineering, procurement, logistics and construction management.
Enlarged photo (JPG, 1 MB)