During the first week of December, S-Con Sales Engineer Marta Mattioli attended ProMax Training for Level 2 Gas Processing. The training built on the tools learned in the Level 1 Training and covered several areas from simple JT Refrigeration to Fractionation Plants. With the assistance of BR&E (www.bre.com), Marta was trained on the different components of the simulation software. For example, in the exercise for simulating different variations of the Turboexpander Plant, solver applications were used to control the conditions for the heat exchangers. One important reason to control these conditions is to ensure effective approach temperatures are within the exchanger’s capabilities.

Another important aspect covered in the training was understanding the simulation software and the limits of the software. The software does not take into account the time required for starting up heat exchangers. Therefore, one must be aware of and understand the effects of the rate of heating and cooling during the start-up period. Another aspect stressed in the course was the quality of the data used in the simulation. If the data one is using is not accurate neither will the results of the simulation. It is extremely important to always check the results and not rely solely on the simulation software.

As a new engineer straight out of school the training was a great opportunity for Marta to get familiar with the current technology used in the energy industry. The training was especially helpful regarding rules of thumb for pressure drops in equipment and the pros and cons of different processes, such as the GSP vs the RSV processes for Cryogenic Plants. The training was a great way for Marta to enhance her engineering knowledge to better be able assist our customers.

S-Con’s Trey Brown recently traveled to Wyoming to provide Operator Training to one of its Customers. The three-day training session included both classroom and on-site activities. Areas of training included Amine Gas Treating, Mol Sieve Dehydration, Cryogenic Gas Processing, Refrigeration and Hot Oil System design, start-up and operation. Approximately fifteen Client employees attended the training, with each expressing that the training gave them a much better understanding of the processes that they would be working with and what to expect during actual start-up and operation of the different plant systems. Classroom training included an in-depth review of the Plant P&ID’s and discussion of the theory associated with each process system, as well as the various problems that might be encountered during normal operation and how to respond to minimize impacts on the plant. On-site training consisted of “walking down” the plant and providing hands-on application of the theories discussed in the classroom. At the end of the three-day session, the Customer’s Operators felt much more comfortable and ready to get to work on processing gas.

On Thursday, October 9th, the S-Con Sales Team sponsored a hole at the Houston Gas Processors Association Golf Tournament. The tournament was held at Pine Forest Country Club and allowed the sales team to meet with natural gas professionals. At the hole, the team gave out S-Con koozies, flashlights and golf towels, as well as, refreshments.

S-Con continues to make great progress in its Construction effort to install the 120 MMSCFD Refrigerated J-T Plant. Both S-Con’s Shop Facility and Field Construction crews continue to work diligently to produce and install the Client supplied Balance of Plant design within a very tight completion schedule. S-Con has over 50 people at its Shop Facility dedicated to this one project and over 200 people (S-Con and its subcontractors) at the Construction site. The twenty (20)S-Con Process Skids were shipped from S-Con’s Bryan, Texas Facility over a period of five (5) weeks and have all been set in place, along with numerous pieces of S-Con and Client supplied “ship loose” equipment. When completed, the plant is expected to process up to 120 MMSCFD of inlet gas and recover upwards of 90% of the contained propane.

S-Con completed all of the process skids for the 120 MMSCFD refrigerated J-T Plant this week, and began its shipment to Wyoming.

See pictures of the completed product below:

On March 24, 2014, S-Con was awarded the Construction/Installation of the 120 MMSCFD refrigerated J-T Plant currently being fabricated in S-Con’s Shop in Bryan, Texas.  The Process Plant, consisting of twenty (20) Skids/Modules and various other equipment supplied by the Owner, is to be installed at a Wyoming location, with essentially all Process Equipment installed inside Process Buildings.  To ensure proper fit-up and spacing, S-Con assembled all Process Skids/Modules inside its Assembly Shop, before preparing them for shipment to the Field.  While Field Mobilization will not begin until early April, S-Con and the Owner expect to have the entire Plant up and operating by November 1, 2014.

S-Con’s Trey Brown attended the Bakken/Three Forks Shale Oil Innovation Conference in Grand Forks, ND from February 10-12, where he presented the SUPERCOOL Process as a new and cost effective means of capturing flared gas into salable liquid hydrocarbon products (NGL and LNG) and eliminating emissions into the atmosphere. The presentation was warmly received with numerous questions being asked on how it could best be applied.

S-Con’s Trey Brown and Rick Crooker will be attending the Bakken/Three Forks Oil Innovation Conference & Expo, to be held in Grand Forks, North Dakota February 10-12.  Mr. Brown will be presenting on S-Con’s new SUPERCOOL technology and how it may be used to eliminate flaring of associated gas and, instead, recover 100% of the NGL’s and provide a LNG fuel supply.  When implemented, S-Con believes this technology will represent the MACT/BACT method for eliminating flaring of natural gas into the atmosphere, with essentially no emissions.

Read more about S-Con’s SUPERCOOL Technology here.

Work continues to progress on the detailed design and fabrication of a custom, 120 MMSCFD Refrigerated J-T Plant.  The Plant, when completed, will consist of more than 20 process skids and include a 200-gpm Amine Plant, 3-bed Mol Sieve Plant, the Refrigerated J-T Plant with a De-methanizer/De-ethanizer, the Refrigeration System (using Propylene Refrigerant) and a Hot Oil System to supply necessary process heat.  When finished, S-Con will have designed and fabricated this plant within eight (8) months of being released to proceed.