Revealing Facts About Christmas Tree

In the complicated but vital industry of drawing oil and gas out of the earth and getting it to the surface, people often get confused about the difference between a Christmas tree assembly and a wellhead. Although the terms are used interchangeably, they are not the same piece of equipment. Each has valves and related equipment that help it control and guide the flow of this precious resource.

WHICH IS WHICH?

A Christmas tree is an assembly of valves, spools and fittings used for oil, gas, water injection, water disposal, gas injection, condensate and other types of wells. It is named for its resemblance to a decorated tree at Christmas.

A wellhead must be present to utilize a Christmas tree and is used without a Christmas tree during drilling operations. The wellhead is the component at the surface of a well that provides the structural and pressure-containing interface for the drilling and production equipment. Producing surface wells that require pumps (pump jacks, nodding donkeys, etc.) frequently do not use any tree because no pressure containment is required.

The Christmas tree and the wellhead work together to bring oil and gas to the surface.
Tree complexity has increased over the last few decades. The trees are frequently manufactured from blocks of steel containing multiple valves rather than made from multiple flanged valves.

The primary function of a tree is to control the flow into or out of the well, usually oil or gas.
A tree often provides numerous additional functions including chemical injection points, well intervention means, pressure relief means (such as annulus vent), tree and well monitoring points (such as pressure, temperature, corrosion, erosion, sand detection, flow rate, flow composition, valve and choke position feedback, connection points for devices such as down-hole pressure and temperature transducer.)

WHAT PURPOSE DOES A TREE SERVE?

Trees function for these purposes:
On producing wells, injecting chemicals or alcohols or oil distillates to prevent and or solve production problems (such as blockages).
Controlling the injection of gas or water on a producing or non-producing well to sustain economic “production” volumes of gas from other wells in the area (in the field).

The control system attached to the tree controls the downhole safety valve (surface controlled subsurface safety valves, downhole safety valve or subsurface safety valve) while the tree acts as an attachment and conduit means for the control system to the downhole safety valve.

Figure 2

As Figure 2 shows, there are five valves: the kill wing valve, swab valve, production wing valve, upper master valve and lower master valve. When the operator, well and facilities are ready to produce and receive oil or gas, valves are opened and the released formation fluids are allowed to flow into and through a pipeline. It is important to understand where these valves are located and what role they play in getting gas from the well bore to the customer.

PARTS DEFINED

The two lower valves are called the master valves (upper and lower, respectively) because they lie in the flow path, which well fluids must take to get to the surface.
The lower master valve will normally be manually operated, while the upper master valve is often hydraulically actuated.
Hydraulic tree wing valves are usually built to be fail-safe closed, meaning they require active hydraulic pressure to stay open.

The right-hand valve is often called the flow wing valve or production wing valve, because it is in the flow path the hydrocarbons take to production facilities.
The left-hand valve is often called the kill wing valve. It is primarily used for injection of fluids such as corrosion inhibitors or methanol to prevent hydrate formation.
The valve at the top is called the swab valve and lies in the path used for well interventions like wireline and coiled tubing.
The choke is the device, either stationary or adjustable, used to:
Control the gas flow, also known as volume, or
Create downstream pressure, also known as back pressure
Understanding the various parts of these assemblies can help oil and gas industry professionals see the differences between wellheads and Christmas trees.
 (Credit: Jessica Lee, Valve Magazine)

3 Weeks Special Classes For Science Students

This is to inform the general public that there will be 3 Weeks special classes for science students.

Features: Math/Further Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. ICT and Vocational training, Science Practicals.

Target: Senior Secondary Science Students, School Leavers, JAMB and SSCE candidates, 100 Level University students studying Medicine, Engineering, Health Sciences, General and Applied Sciences.

Schedule: 3pm to 5pm Mondays to Fridays. Saturdays 10am to 1pm.

Duration: 20th December 2019 through 10th January 2020.

Fees: N10,000 per participant. Participants with special financial constraint can be considered for negotiated fees.

Venue: Odfid Technical Center, Eket (07037263653)

... Building capacity in science and technology.

Get A Skill In Instrument Mechanic Work NOT Instrumentation

In my 300L as a Process Engineering student I was on a job verifying the flow of a pump in an oil facility in Eket- as a regulatory requirement. With the help of the tool I used, I discovered the pump was underdelivering. I recommended that the pump be reset. I was told it would take days to get that done because the instrument mechanic has to be brought from Aba. I shook my head and wondered, with all the instrumentation and control degrees and diploma we have in Eket, no one has the instrument mechanic skill as an added advantage?

My dear Instrument and Control Engineering graduates that need skill why not for instrument mechanic work? It is true that you were taught a lot of the Engineering involved in Process Instrumentation (I did too as a Process Engineer, now specializing in Process Design). You did the Laplace and Z-Transform, The Fourier Series, The Controller Tuning, The Working Principle of Bourdon Guage, The P&ID etc. That was all that was required for your Engineering Training. Some of your friends have gotten work with it. Others that will go into lecturing will religiously hand those theories to the next generation. You that need to go for skill should get a utility based tool.

Many go for skill after their degree and get stucked in another classroom activity. The training centres would just decorate this training as Instrumentation Course. They would rehearse all you heard in school and thereafter collects a whooping sum from you and issue you another paper. The highest achievement these centres may have might be a model plant having few pipework, valves, a pump, and pressure guage. They would point hand and show you these instruments and that would be all for the training.

Choose a course in Instrument Mechanic Work instead.


Instrument mechanics in engineering are tradesmen who specialize in installing, troubleshooting, and repairing instrumentation, automation and control systems. The term instrument mechanic came about because it was a combination of light mechanical and specialised instrumentation skills. The term is still is used in certain industries; predominantly in industrial process control.

Job Description:

1) Installs, repairs, maintains, and adjusts indicating, recording, telemetering, and controlling instruments and test equipment, used to control and measure variables, such as pressure, flow, temperature, motion, force, and chemical composition, using precision instruments, and handtools: Disassembles malfunctioning instruments or test equipment, such as bargraphs, electrical ovens, multimeters, environmental cabinets, and weatherometers, and examines and tests mechanisms and circuitry for defects.

2) Replaces or repairs defective parts, using handtools.

3) Reassembles instrument or test equipment, and tests assembly for conformance to specifications, using instruments, such as potentiometer, resistance bridge, manometer, and pressure gauge.

4) Inspects instruments and test equipment periodically and adjusts calibration to ensure functioning within specified standards.

5) May calibrate instruments or test equipment according to established standards.

6) May be designated according to type of instrument repaired as Aircraft Instrument Repairer; Panel-Instrument Repairer; X-Ray-Control-Equipment Repairer.

If this article has been useful to you please share with others. If you are a firm that has all it takes to give training in Instrument Mechanic Work let me know so that I recommend clients to you. Also if you desire practical base Instrument Mechanic Work training let me know so that I link you up with a good training firm.

Get Trained on Technical Skills in Eket

Anyone that has interest and can afford the sum below should contact me for industry recognized training:

1. Pipe Fitting - N100,000
2. Electrical Installation and Maintenance - N50,000
3. Scaffold - N80,000
4. Scaffold Inpection - N800,000
5. Spray Painting - N50,000
6. Arc Welding - N100,000
7. Production of Chemical Products e.g. paint, detergents, disinfectant, creams etc - N50,000

The training and certification is done by recognized firms of which I am partnering.

Find Out Which Skill Goes With Your Degree

I must first of all make it clear that I am not happy with the idea of which graduate Engineers are asked to acquire skills. It is not a thing to celebrate. It is only a product of an underdeveloped society in which we have found ourselves as Nigerian Engineering graduates. An Engineering graduate should be talking about employment, graduate internship, and postgraduate specialization - in an ideal scenario. Skill is not Engineering.

Why then do I ask graduates to get trained? Why do I train graduates? The reasons are:

1. Our secondary schools did not equip us with the skills we needed to possess in the Basic Technology component of our formative education.
2. Skills will grant you access to the industry which you will now use the opportunity to stay relevant and aim toward your dream job.
3. Since our society is not developed, specialized Engineering concept will grant less benefit without the fundamental skills - except for those in lecturing.

That being said. Before choosing any skill make sure it aligns with your degree certificate for future career growth. I will use four examples  to explain what I mean - painting, pipeline fitting, instrument mechanic, and welding.

1. Painting: Painting as a skill would be suitable for Chemical Engineering graduates. This skill will expose trainees to different types of paints - oil and water based, painting equipment such as brushes, rollers, compressors, and spray pots. The Engineering graduate will use this and have access to the industry - especially with firms handling corrosion control. From this exposure the graduate can now apply his education to formulate special paints like corrosion inhibitive paints, antifungal paints etc. He can also apply his knowledge to have practical exposure to process parameters like pressure used during the operations. He can look into quality analysis of paints. He can aim toward qualifying as a coating inspector. Following this, within few years in the field, the graduate that acquired this skill does not work as an ordinary painter but have his footing as an Engineer.

Stay tune for how pipeline fitting, instrument mechanic work, welding etc will be relevant to Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Petroleum Engineering graduates. Available

Have You Ever Thought Of A Career In Process Safety

Safety has many branches which include occupational health that deals with noise, fumes, ergonomics, diseases etc; occupational safety which deals with job related injuries, fire, trip and fall etc, environmental safety that handles pollution control, waste management, nuisance abatement etc. There is a prominent aspect of safety which handles the synthesis of all plant equipment and processes in a manner that does not result to incidence. This is Process Safety and is a core specialty in Chemical Engineering. This article seeks to stimulate interest of young chemical engineers in the field of process safety.

Are you the person that is always thinking about the "what ifs" in life? Do you like to be prepared by planning for a worst-case scenario? If so, you're calling may be a career as a Process Safety Engineer.

In this role, your main focus is helping production plants improve through risk identification and reduction from the design stage for new plants or on established projects at existing plants. You'll identify future problems and work to eliminate them. In this role you'll inspect facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential risks. You'll also work to ensure safety regulation compliance.
Keeping employees safe is your top priority. A Process Safety Engineer will review employee safety programs to make sure they are at their best. You'll review plans for the building of of new machinery to find out if all safety needs have been met. You'll recommend process and product safety features that will reduce employees' exposure to work hazards. If an industrial accident occurs, you'll find the the causes. Then you'll recommend changes to prevent the accident from happening again.

Previous experience in the manufacturing or chemical industry is very helpful for this role. You'll also need a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, preferably in chemical or mechanical engineering.
CRITICAL SKILLS

Analytical Thinking
Chemistry Knowledge
Engineering Principles
Environmental Regulations
Health, Safety and Environment Practices
Mechanical Tools, Equipment, and Systems
Operations Analysis and Monitoring
Safety Regulations and Procedures
Understanding of Regulatory Requirements

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Complete process safety reviews and develop recommendations for addressing process safety issues
Provide risk assessment through the use of risk analysis techniques and tools
Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes
Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment
Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases
Recommend process and product safety features that will reduce employees' exposure to work hazards
Compile, analyze, and interpret statistical data related to occupational illnesses and accidents
Review employee safety programs to determine their adequacy
Provide coaching to plants on identification and resolution of process safety issues.

Who Wants To Work As A Pipeline Engineer - Apply

Graduate Trainee Pipeline Engineer.

Compact Manifold & Energy Services (CMES), provides services to the oil & gas industry including engineering, procurement, construction, fabrication and installation both on shore and offshore.

Our comprehensive suite of services has been specifically designed to make your job easier while maintaining a high degree of safety and quality.

Our clients includes major and independent oil & gas producers in West-Africa.

CMES is a customer oriented engineering service provider. Our business activity is focused primarily on providing our customer with first class products and services that achieve both customers’ satisfaction and long lasting business relationship. This is a result of our customer satisfaction, focus and highly skilled workforce.

As part of our commitments to develop technical capacity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, we are requesting for qualified candidates to submit their CVs for the roles of Pipeline Engineer (Graduate Trainee).

The training shall involve development of installation engineering methodology and analysis using Orcaflex or OFFPIPE.

Qualification: Bsc or B.Engr. in Mechanical Engineering with a minimum of 2nd Class Division from a retable University in Nigeria.

Method of Application: Cv with a cover letter should be sent to: cayim@cmes-engineers.com. The subject of the application mail should be the title of the role.

Closing date: January 2nd 2020.