How Air Driven Pumps & Gas Boosters are used in the Oil & Gas Industry

Do you work in the oil and gas industry? Then you’re probably familiar with air-driven liquid pumps and gas booster systems. In both onshore and offshore applications, air driven pumps & boosters are used for chemical injection, down hole ball valve or flapper valve actuation, component and process line pressure testing, emergency failsafe shutdowns and in safety systems

Air driven pumps are used to fill nitrogen charged banks of accumulators with hydraulic oil which operates blow out preventers. And auxiliary functions of jacking and bolt tensioning. Gas boosters and air amplifiers are used in leak detection, gas transfer circuit breakers, diesel engine starters and fire protection systems

These aren’t the only uses for air-driven pumps and gas booster systems, though. If you want to know more about the many ways the oil and gas industry uses gas booster systems, take a closer look at their different applications.

How They Work

Air-driven liquid pumps are mechanical devices that typically consist of a reciprocating piston, with an integral control valve and check that compresses the air or gas. The compressed air or gas then travels through a series of valves and pipes to the desired location.

Gas booster systems can handle various types of gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and more. They come in different sizes and capacities, depending on the needs of the industry.

How Does the Oil and Gas Industry Use Gas Booster Systems?

Chemical injection

Air-driven liquid pumps are an integral part of injection systems used to insert chemicals and water into oil and gas production systems

Valve Actuation

Typical pipeline systems rely on intermittently positioned valve stations that are unmanned and include provisions for fail safe operation.

Hydraulic pressure from air driven pumps pressurizes actuators mounted on control valves to open or dump as required to ensure failsafe is achieved in case of a system upset.

Diesel Engine & Compressor Starters

Large engines and compressors require starting torque greater than what can be reached with traditional electric starters. Air driven liquid pumps are used to deliver the pressure required to drive hydraulic starters

Testing

Air driven liquid pumps and gas boosters are used to provide pressures to test a wide variety of components and assemblies. These may require pressures that may exceed 20,000 psi. ie.  Actuators, Valve actuators, shut-offs, relief, swing checks hoses, couplings, pipelines. fittings & gauge certification.  

Castings and forged components may use Helium gas or Sulphur Hexafluoride at pressures up to 30,000 psi is used to detect porosity in the components

Leak Detection

Gas boosters are used for high pressure leak detections. On all oil/gas transmission lines, oil pressure vessels, receivers, subsea Christmas trees and connections to reduce possible leaks of crude oil into the environment or into seawater.

Emergency Failsafe

Air-Driven pumps charge banks of hydraulic accumulators used to hold valves in the open condition. When a system upset is detected, then the hydraulic pressure controlling the opening of valves is dumped. The valves close to a “Failsafe” condition. 

Fire Protection

Air driven Gas Boosters are used to supply pressurize Halon and Argon to fire suppression systems and hot spot detection devices. As well as oxygen/breathing air for life support systems. And charging of Halon & liquid Carbon Dioxide Fire extinguishers

Other applications

 Survival craft deployment & pressurization, Charging of diving tanks,

These are just some of the many ways in which the oil and gas industry relies on

Air Driven liquid pumps and gas boosters. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative uses for these pumps & boosters in the future.

Additional Benefits of Air-driven Pumps & Gas Booster Systems

Air-Driven liquid pumps can perform a wide range of tasks, making them incredibly versatile in the oil and gas industry. One major benefit of using Air driven systems is their energy efficiency. These systems use compressed air or gas to increase liquid or gas pressure, which requires less energy compared to traditional methods such as electrically driven pumps. This ultimately leads to cost savings for companies.

Air driven pumps can be used in highly volatile or explosive environments with potentially volatile, corrosive and explosive liquids and gases

In regions or areas where electrical power is unreliable of unavailable – Diesel compressors are typically employed as a power source – making air driven pumps the logical choice for pressurizing hydraulic systems or transferring pressurized gases

Air-driven pumps & gas booster systems are also compact and portable. This makes them easier to transport and install, even in remote locations. Because of their size, they also require less maintenance—this is because there are fewer parts and components that can break or wear down.

Another advantage of gas booster systems is their ability to handle a wide range of gases. This makes them suitable for various applications in the oil and gas industry. Whether it’s natural gas, sour gas ,nitrogen, or hydrogen, gas booster systems can handle it all.

While Air driven pumps and gas booster systems may not be the only solution for increasing hydraulic and gas pressure in the oil and gas industry, they offer unique benefits that make them a popular choice among operators.

Without gas booster systems, the oil and gas industry would struggle to efficiently transport and process natural gases. For this reason, every oil and gas company should consider investing in these versatile systems.

At SCI Sharp Controls, Inc., we sell air  pneumatic driven pumps from recognized brands such as Hydraulics International, Inc , HPI High Pressure Equipment and Sprague.. Choosing a reliable and high-quality Air driven pump & gas booster product enables you to control, process, transport, or extract efficiently, leading to increased production and cost savings for your company. If you haven’t already, consider implementing gas booster systems in your operations today. You can contact us for more information on our products and services.