BP selects Rotork electro-hydraulic valve actuators for vital platform duties
16/06/2005
BP Exploration has specified heavy duty electro-hydraulic actuators manufactured by Rotork for a critical valve upgrade on the BP Unity platform, a vital unmanned facility that receives the oil from five fields in the North Sea.
Eleven Rotork EH Range actuators will perform ESD (Emergency Shut Down) duties on high pressure (Class 1500) riser ball valves, replacing traditional hydraulic actuators and associated bulky compressor plant. In addition to its space-saving virtues, the electrically operated EH actuator design provides swift, accurate and reliable performance without the maintenance demands of conventional hydraulic equipment - a significant benefit in an unmanned and inhospitable environment.
Rotork's dedicated data logging and diagnostic capabilities enable valve and actuator condition to be remotely monitored and logged - in this case at the BP Unity platform onshore control centre - minimising the risk of unexpected problems and helping to maintain the platform's very high availability commitment.
Rotork EH actuators also provide a partial valve stroking capability - a key feature of the design which enables the operator to prove the system integrity - meeting an important part of the industry's SIL (Safety Integrity Level) demands.
BP Unity, a critical asset to North Sea production, receives oil from Britannia, Bruce, Nelson and Scott platforms and the Graben Area Export Lines (GAEL System). The oil is routed to a common manifold and then sent ashore through the Forties Pipeline System.