Crude Oil Booster Pumps Failures Review

Abstract Crude oil booster pumps are critical part of the production process and any trip or failure on those pumps will cause a production impact. Reducing the number of trips and increasing the reliability of existing pumps will enhance the operation to reduce the repeated short falls in production. Rework, repeated failures and uptime of such equipment are key parameters to evaluate the preventive maintenance efficiency. Developing a new system to track the performance of critical equipment and check their reliability being implemented to have better understanding of the process. DCS engineers are heavily involved to track the up normality in the system and to alert the operators on site to take the proper actions without any delay. Identifying the root causes of the failures by conducting Root Cause Analysis workshops and meetings to avoid such trips including the type of spare parts, the maintenance manuals being used and the installation process considering timing and manpower involved. Most booster pumps failures were observed due to overpressure exerted by crude causing damage to the mechanical seals which can be observed by external leaks and if continue without fixing it will lead to internal parts damages. Installation and dismantling process playing major factor in the run life of the pumps, in addition to the manpower with high capabilities with reexperience and supervising the jobs. Oil type and lubricants are also critical to extend the life of the pumps. Pumps performance at different oil production rates and observed at higher rates pumps performance is getting improved. Moreover, the strainers were checked and found contained some sludge and paraffin which come from the oil side and causing trouble to the pumps. Best practices and experience with booster pumps behavior including the root cause analysis to check and confirm the status of booster pumps to avoid production impact and operation interruption. In addition, a new practice implemented to enhance the booster pumps performance through comprehensive evaluation of the system including the crude oil and the preventive maintenance conducted.