Case Study

Mercury Removal & Bonus Target

Texas

Scope

Plant Expansion & Optimization

The Challenge

In 2020, a Midstream distribution company (“Client”), with nearly 10,000 miles of pipelines and over 50 terminals for refined petroleum products, approached Halker Consulting (”Halker”) for a phased project at their condensate splitter facility to increase profitability. The Mercury Removal portion was a financially based incentive project to open up a contract with a new customer. To maintain the critical path, and avoid delaying the project, Halker had to move quickly through the design phase. The “Bonus Target” portion also had financially based incentives, but with existing customers.

The Solution

Mercury Removal

Halker completed a multi-discipline, detailed engineering mercury removal project. This project involved the addition of two mercury removal beds on the heavy naptha product. The effort included relief valve sizing and incorporation of the new relief valves into the existing facility facility flare system. The deliverables included:

  • Vessel Selection Assistance
  • P&IDs
  • PSV Sizing
  • Safety Review Participation
  • Vessel Foundation Design
  • Site Plans
  • Pipe Supports
  • 3D Modeling
  • Pipe Specifications
  • Piping Isometrics
  • Instrumentation Specifications, Data Sheets and Purchase BOM
  • Updated Area Classification and Grounding Drawings
  • Update to Facility Flare Model

Bonus Target Study 

“Bonus Targets” are optional specifications that Clients can hit to improve product values. In this process study, Halker determined what equipment would require modification to hit all of their bonus targets at the nameplate facility capacity. The study considered three possible feed compositions and two different sets of bonus targets. The study involved generation of a process simulation in HYSYS for each case, and then equipment analysis for each case to determine what would be limiting. Halker provided a report summarizing the recommendations and analyses performed.

The Result

Through a collaborative effort, Halker was able to offer revenue generating options to the Client while meeting an expedited schedule through both pathways. These two examples highlight the fit-for-purpose nature of Halker with both a a process engineering and multi-disciplinary engineering-heavy scope of work being executed successfully.