Oil & Gas - Mid-/Downstream

Vertical Sump Pump Provided for Oil Storage Application

When a major energy pipeline company looked to streamline their pumping system for their oil storage tanks, they called on NETZSCH to design and build customized vertical cavity sump pumps for lower maintenance and operational efficiencies.

 

Background

Along the customer’s pipeline are pumping stations needed to power the liquid fuels through the pipeline. At each pump station, there is a underground storage tank used as a collection point for excess oil from service work that is performed on main pipeline pumps. As the collection tanks fill to capacity, the customer needs to pump the liquid from the tank back into the pressurized pipeline.

 

Challenge

This process had consisted of a two-pump system – with a cantilever pump used to lift the excess oil out of the tank and a high-pressure piston plunger injection pump to move the oil back into the pipeline system.

 

Solution

NETZSCH progressive cavity pumps are tailor-made for this application, with dimensions to fit the customer’s existing underground tank. This pumps are also designed to operate in reverse, requiring the seal to be on the discharge side and the entire housing to be pressurized. The space-saving design of the entire pump disappears into the tank, providing for a very neat and clean installation. This also means that there is no additional effort needed to heat and isolate external equipment – a very important attribute in ambient operating temperatures down to -40°C. No concerns or issues from field operators. With the success of this installation, the customer has changed their current specification regarding these sump pumps to include or recommend the use of the NETZSCH pump for this application.

 

 

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