Renergen's Virginia gas project
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from the Virginia project, in the Free State, have restarted following a planned maintenance outage, gas producer Renergen confirmed on February 15.
The delays suffered during the planned maintenance outage were primarily owing to the scheduled maintenance period being brought forward to coincide with the helium coldbox repair, the company said, noting that the shutdown ran longer than expected owing to unexpected challenges experienced with the primary mixed refrigerant compressors.
These compressors were supplied by a company that is part of a global Swiss compressor manufacturing group, which includes China where the compressors were assembled. The original-equipment manufacturer (OEM), local agent and Swiss head office, together with the Renergen project and engineering teams, were able to diagnose the problem and determine the root cause.
As a result of the losses suffered owing to the delay, Renergen will seek to obtain relief from insurance cover and or a contractual claim against its suppliers.
Renergen has subsequently turned its attention to the helium system following the successful repair and testing of the helium coldbox last year.
“We are currently awaiting the arrival of the OEM, which will occur following the Chinese New Year celebrations. Once in the country, they will finalise the integration of the helium system into the overall plant and then undertake a final performance test to ensure the entire plant performs according to its original design specifications,” the company said.
In preparation, the nitrogen and helium systems will be filled with externally sourced refrigerant, primarily pure gaseous nitrogen and helium, which are essential to the cooling process of the respective coldboxes, Renergen said.