Case Studies

The Problem

A North Sea oil producer was experiencing a reduction in the service life of Main Oil Line (MOL) Pump seals and MOL Booster Pump seals on several of their platforms. This was causing a significant increase in pump outages and costs.

The Solution

A number of Flowserve mechanical seals were sent to NASH for evaluation and repair. In most cases, the primary (inboard) mechanical seal faces were badly damaged by a combination of abrasive wear and/or thermal shock. Crude oil also leaked into the secondary tandem (outboard) seal causing clogging, hang up and failure.

An examination of the current duty conditions confirmed the ageing well was producing more variable crude with a higher sand, scale and water content. The sand and scale were causing abrasive wear and the water was causing marginal face lubrication and thermal shock.

 

 

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