Congo LNG Project – Offshore

  • Scope of Work

    • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Study for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Motion / Shaking Analysis for Inlet Separator
    • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Studies for Motion Analysis for LP, HP & Closed Drain Pressure Vessel

  • Location

    • Republic of CONGO

  • Client

    • ENI

The Congo LNG (liquefied natural gas) project is the first natural gas liquefaction project being undertaken in the Republic of Congo. The project is set to adopt a zero-flaring technological approach, ensuring a low environmental footprint. The installation of new infrastructure and the optimization of existing facilities allow the abundant gas resources, associated and not, to be tapped, thus supplying both the local electricity market and exports to other countries, with Europe as the main destination.

Mechartes carried out CFD analysis studies for the various equipment of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) to verify the effect of sloshing and the performance of equipment placed in the facility. An inlet separator multiphase CFD analysis is needed to verify the effect of sloshing and the performance of internals to verify the gas performance during the motion for the given design of internals and vessels.

We estimated phase separation parameters of gas and liquid using all the separation internals, the settling velocity of oil droplets in the gas phase, and the expected entrained oil droplets in the gas outlet. Additionally, we evaluated the performance of the provided baffles in the vessel concerning sloshing using CFD transient motion/sloshing analysis and offered appropriate design recommendations to improve the internals.

Furthermore, similar studies were carried out for the project’s LP, HP Flare Knock Out drum & Closed Drain Pressure Vessels. These separators were subjected to motion with pitch and roll to a certain degree, and the process was simulated using CFD transient motion analysis for minimum to maximum amplitude. We estimated the phase separation parameters of gas and liquid using all the separation internals, the settling velocity of oil droplets in the gas phase, and the expected entrained oil droplets in the gas outlet.

The performance of the provided baffles in the vessel concerning sloshing was also studied using CFD transient motion/sloshing analysis, and we offered appropriate design recommendations to improve the results.