EA Technology, a leading provider of asset management services to power network operators, has completed a significant high voltage earthing survey of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in Turkey.
Partnering with the BTC Pipeline Company (BTC) on the project, EA Technology assessed the ability of individual assets to withstand the volatile weather conditions in the region, helping to ensure the pipeline continues to transport at its normal capacity of one million barrels of oil per day. The survey involved detailed testing of Fifty Two Block Valve Stations, Four Pump Stations and one Marine Terminal in order to deliver this two stage contract over a twelve month period.
Stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, the 1,768km-long BTC pipeline traverses challenging environments including mountain ranges at altitudes of up to 3,000mtrs and waterways up to 1,600mtrs wide. Constructed to transport oil from the resource-rich Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field to the port city of Ceyhan, means that any asset failure could lead to downtime which would not only incur large cost implications, but also compromise the inherent safety of the pipeline.
EA Technology was chosen by BTC thanks to its proven capabilities in large-scale diagnostic projects. The project included testing of the electrical earthing and lightning protection systems in all Turkish sections of the pipeline, some exposed to extreme weather conditions. EA Technology also tested the high voltage switchgear for partial discharge activity. A team of highly-skilled EA Technology engineers equipped with innovative and bespoke diagnostic and testing instruments were deployed to work on location in Turkey to support BTC’s local pipeline maintenance team.
“Maintaining the long term output of one of Europe’s most critical oil pipelines in what are very challenging and fluctuating operating conditions is an ongoing concern with the BTC pipeline project”, said Abdulla Abdullayev, BTC Turkey Area Operations Manager. “For this reason, we wanted to partner with an industry expert in assessing electrical asset performance and reducing the risk of system failures.”
Project Lead Manager at EA Technology, Ramiz Ahmed confirms, “It was certainly a challenging brief for the EA Technology team in that we had to work in summer highs of +30°C and winter lows of -20°C. Operating in such climatic extremes clearly had an impact on the equipment and the teams doing the work. In the summer, there was the challenge of working outdoors in the cumbersome but necessary protective apparel, whilst in the winter the team had to battle high snow levels on foot and with 4wd transport.
“That said, the BTC project is one we’re especially proud of as it demonstrates just how EA Technology really goes the extra mile in making sure it completes the important work of critical asset management.”
