Heat Exchangers (Crude Trane) Cleaned Back to Bare Metal within a Dutch refinery

Cleaned to Bare Metal improves CO2 footprint

Summary

A 400, 000 bpd European refinery required a more effective cleaning technique for their crude exchangers. Previously cleaned with multiple rigid lances using 1000 bar (15 000psi) water pressure. The site was cleaning crude heat exchangers every 3-4 months using traditional contractors. The client noticed that performance deteriorated quickly and questioned how well the exchangers were being cleaned. Before working with Tube Tech, they had merely accepted for years that their current cleaning standard was the best they could get.

Challenge

• The refinery was keen to see how clean Tube Tech could get the crude heat exchanger tubes as there was evidence of very tenacious scale being left behind after each traditional clean.
• The client was surprised to hear that Tube Tech could clean the heat exchangers in-situ rather than pulling the bundles by leaving the floating head on as technology was available to remove the waste from the header during cleaning which would have saved several days in downtime.
• This would be a consideration on the next event.
• Traditional local water jetting contractors had taken 17 x 12 hour shifts.
• The refinery operator was looking for an improvement in the cleanliness of the tubes and any reduction in cleaning time would be an added bonus.

Solution

• The tubes were severely fouled with heavy crude even after an in-situ kerosene flush which indicated many blockages were present.
• Tube Tech used a unique multi lance, 3 stage lancing system combining Safedrill, Safejet and a third technology to polish the tubes.
• Once all tubes were cleaned to the clients satisfaction Tube Tech then used their unique darTT technology to give the tubes a final polish. This ensured that tubes were back to bare metal to improve performance.
• The crude heat exchangers was cleaned in 5 x 10 hour shifts AND back to bare metal, noticed by rust forming inside the tubes.

Tube Tech comment

Martin Byford Operations Director “We look forward to demonstrating our in-situ cleaning skills to this client in the near future. The success of the crude heat exchanger tube cleaning in the cleaning bay was impressive and Tube Tech once again demonstrated their expertise in crude heat exchanger cleaning and their ability to meet oil refinery cleaning needs”.

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