NGL 3200 Project – West Karoun Area, Integration and Interconnecting
The NGL 3200 Project in the West Karoun Area is a vital initiative for Iran’s energy sector, advancing the nation’s gas processing and petrochemical capabilities. The project is managed by the Petroleum Engineering Development Company, a key subsidiary of the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, and has been awarded to SADAF Company under a comprehensive EPCF (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing) contract.
The central objective of the NGL 3200 plant is to receive and process up to 500 MMSCFD (million standard cubic feet per day) of sour gas sourced from multiple major oil fields in the West Karoun region, including Darquain, Yadavaran, Jofeir, Bande Karkhe, South Azadegan, and North Azadegan. These oil fields are among Iran’s most productive, contributing significantly to the country’s hydrocarbon reserves and energy exports.
The project involves the advanced processing of sour gas to produce valuable C2+ NGL cuts (Natural Gas Liquids), lean gas suitable for pipeline transport or domestic use, and the recovery of sulfur as a byproduct. This integrated approach supports environmental goals, enhances operational efficiency, and maximizes value creation from the West Karoun oil fields.
Engineering and Design Services
Tehran Raymand Consulting Engineers has been contracted by SADAF to uphold project integrity and deliver the detailed engineering design for all common systems and interconnecting areas of the NGL 3200 plant. The engineering scope is centered on seamless integration, system reliability, and compliance with international standards.
- Project Management: Overseeing overall progress, timelines, and deliverables for the integration and interconnecting works.
- Integration Management: Ensuring all plant units, utilities, and support systems are effectively coordinated for optimal performance.
- Interface Coordination: Managing technical and operational interfaces between various units and facilities within the plant.
- Detailed Engineering: Development of engineering documents, specifications, and drawings for all shared and interconnecting systems.
- Procurement Engineering Services: Supporting the procurement process for equipment, piping, control systems, and utilities serving multiple plant units.
The focus on common facilities and integration ensures robust plant operation, simplified maintenance, and streamlined utility distribution across the NGL 3200 complex.
Key Units and Facilities
The engineering and integration scope spans a comprehensive range of process, utility, safety, and infrastructure units. Key units and facilities include:
- HV Substation (Unit 05): Main power distribution for the plant.
- Power Transmission Line (Unit 10): Transmission of electrical power to plant infrastructure.
- Pipeline 36” (Unit 15): Large-diameter pipeline for gas or product transfer.
- Pipeline 16” (Unit 20): Secondary pipeline for inter-unit transfers.
- Water Intake and Water Pipeline (Unit 25): Systems for sourcing, treating, and distributing process water.
- Reception Facility Unit (Unit 100): Entry point for sour gas into the plant.
- Gas Sweetening Unit (Unit 200): Removal of sulfur compounds and acid gases to meet pipeline and environmental specifications.
- Condensate Stabilization Unit (Unit 300): Separation and stabilization of hydrocarbon condensate for storage or sale.
- NGL Recovery Unit (Unit 400): Extraction and separation of valuable C2+ natural gas liquids.
- Polishing Unit (Unit 500): Final purification and conditioning of product streams.
- Sulfur Recovery Unit (Unit 600): Conversion and recovery of sulfur for export or industrial use.
- Gas Compressor Unit (Unit 700): Compression of processed gas for transport.
- Water Treatment (Unit 800): Process and potable water treatment facilities.
- Fire Fighting Water System (Unit 900): Dedicated system for emergency firewater supply and safety.
- Power Generation (Unit 910): In-plant power generation for backup or peak loads.
- General Utility (Unit 915): Plant-wide utilities and support systems.
- Flare System and Liquid Disposal (Unit 920): Safe handling of waste gases and liquids during normal or upset conditions.
- Fuel Gas System (Unit 930): Provision and distribution of fuel gas for plant operations.
- Fuel Oil System (Unit 940): Storage and supply of fuel oil for backup or process use.
- Chemical Injection System (Unit 950): Dosing of chemicals for process, maintenance, and corrosion control.
- Steam Generation (Unit 960): Boilers and systems for producing process steam.
- Buildings (Unit 970): Control rooms, maintenance, and administrative buildings.
- Sour Water Stripping (Unit Hold): Treatment and removal of sour water contaminants.
- Waste Water Treatment (Unit 980): Effluent and environmental treatment facilities.
- Air Compression (Unit 990): Supply of instrument and plant air for controls and operations.
- Instrument and Plant Air System (Unit 990): Redundant supply of clean, dry air to instrumentation.
- Nitrogen System (Unit 990): Plant-wide nitrogen supply for safety and inerting.
- Telecommunication System (Unit Hold): Voice and data communications infrastructure.
- Interconnecting (Unit 1000): Piping, cable, and utility links between all major units and systems.
The comprehensive integration of these units is designed to deliver maximum efficiency, safety, and reliability, in line with best practices for NGL and petrochemical facilities.
Project Timeline
The main phase of the integration and interconnecting project was scheduled for completion between September 2019 and October 2019, with critical deliverables and milestones achieved within this period.
