BJ Completes Its First Water Injection Operation in Australia

BJ Process and Pipeline Services has successfully completed a contract to provide temporary water injection services in Australia for Roc Oil (WA) Pty Ltd.

Roc Oil called on BJ PPS to provide a temporary pumping spread and crew to supply the water injection requirements of the Cliff Head Project when permanent water injection pumps suffered problems during commissioning of its onshore Dongra plant.

BJ PPS was required to provide a pumping spread capable of pumping 20,000 bbl of water per day (BWPD) with a discharge pressure of 175barg, as well as feed water of 70 degrees centigrade. In the end, BJ PPS pumped at flows of up to 20,000 BWPD at discharge pressures ranging from 60barg to 100barg. This rate was maintained continuously throughout the entire 129-day pumping period without downtime.

To achieve this, BJ PPS designed and assembled a customized high-flow multi-stage centrifugal pumping package driven by 1,800 BHP diesel engines. As the pump skids are modular in design, BJ PPS was able to respond quickly, transporting the units via air in standard 20-foot shipping containers. This meant BJ PPS mobilized the pumping spread in just 20 days from request.

In addition to the water injection contract, BJ PPS was also called on to provide nitrogen and leak testing services during the Dongra plant commissioning. Currently, BJ PPS is maintaining the temporary water injection pumping spread on a standby basis while Roc Oil carries out critical testing to prove the reliability of its permanent pumps. The pumping operation and related services were carried out by staff from the BJ PPS operations base in Perth, Western Australia, with specialist equipment provided by the BJ PPS base in Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.

"Roc Oil is extremely important to us as we fuel expansion efforts in Australia," said Lindsay Link, general manager of BJ PPS. "As always, it is our objective when delivering water injection services to provide reliable and continuous service, quickly and efficiently. We will maintain the necessary equipment and personnel in Perth on standby status for Roc Oil so we can respond immediately to their pumping needs in the area," he added.

One of the few companies to offer high-flow multi-stage pumping packages, BJ PPS has carried out 10 temporary water injection operations during the past seven years. This is the first temporary water injection operation BJ PPS has carried out in Australia.