Reindeer and Halyard Offshore Platforms
Due to the high cost and difficulty of servicing anything on the platforms, the low maintenance requirements of Capstone Microturbines were hugely beneficial.
Project Details
| Site Owner | Quadrant Energy |
| Commission Date | 2011 |
| Fuel Source | Natural Gas |
| Facility | Reindeer and Halyard Offshore Platforms |
| Location | Lowendal Islands |
| System Application | Power Only |
Description
Australian oil and gas company, Quadrant Energy, use microturbines to power their Reindeer and Halyard platforms off the coast of North-Western Australia.
Servicing anything on the platforms requires flying in a crew by helicopter, which is expensive and impacts operations on the platform. Because of this, the low maintenance requirements of Capstone Microturbines are hugely beneficial. They have no oil or water and only need servicing once a year.
Another benefit is the microturbines’ ability to cope with fluctuations in demand. They can deliver a load range from zero kW to their maximum kW, running on raw gas. This is important because the offshore platforms often run at a very low demand of 10 kW, but then spike up to 60 kW.
During a recent major service, Quadrant Energy noticed that an unacceptable level of salt water and bird faeces was collecting around the air inlet and being ingested into the turbine, causing corrosion. Optimal developed a customised stainless-steel enclosure to protect the air inlet. The enclosure prevents the intake of salt water and dirt, without creating a pressure drop to the turbine.