Well Blow Down Unit (BDU)

POWER ZONE Case Studies | Project Highlights

The Multi-Phase Pump System Built for Leistritz

The Multi-Phase Blow Down Unit or BDU was first designed in 2012 by Power Zone Equipment and was the first unit of its kind for Gas Well Deliquification. Utilizing a Leistritz, 4 screw pump and an external liquid boot reservoir, the pumping unit was designed to pump both gas and liquid without damage to the equipment.

What is a Multi-Phase Blow Down Pumping Unit? First, let’s explain the problem that needed a solution in the first place. Once a gas well is put into production, it generally has enough pressure to flow the gas up the well and into the gathering pipelines. Over time, though, water seeps into the well and weighs down on the gas, stopping the gas from flowing and putting production on hold. What is usually done in this case is what is called a flare, where the well head is vented to atmosphere instead of routed to a pressurized gathering pipeline. With the reduced pressure at the top of the well, the gas pressure in the well is adequate to clean the accumulated water out of the well so the gas can flow freely again into the gathering pipeline. Sounds good right? It is easy, but this practice is the cause of a growing environmental concern and wasted gas.

Power Zone was first contacted in 2012 by Leistritz Corp. asking if we could use their pump and design a system for combating this issue. The end goal was to reduce the environmental concern by eliminating the gasses entering the atmosphere and recapture that gas into the gathering pipeline to reduce waste.

This was no small task. The unit had to be portable since it would need to move around from well head to well head, so a combustion engine was used since electrical power is not available at every location. To operate in a classified area, all of the equipment including the engine was made to Class 1 Div 2 specification. The end user wanted to be able to use the well gas as the fuel source, so a natural gas engine, along with the necessary filters and knockouts was used. Heat trace and insulation were needed to protect some of the piping components for year round operation in Northern Colorado. In the end, it was requested that the entire unit fits on a gooseneck trailer as opposed to a semi-trailer, adding the challenge of a compact, lightweight design.  

In the summer of 2013, we were proud to see this unit go to work and successfully operate for the job it was intended to do. We continue to explore more applications where a Gas Well Deliquification Unit can save money and the environment. Contact us today for more information or pricing of Multi-Phase Blow Down Units.

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