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20/12/2019 News

The Incahuasi Plant expanded its production capacity

During 2019, the Incahuasi gas processing plant increased its production capacity from 8 to 11 Million cubic meters of gas per day; a challenging project executed without accidents, within budget and on schedule.

The expansion of the plant's production capacity was a very complex since: (a) it required high-level engineering to find innovative solutions and minimize changes to existing facilities; (b) most of the work was done with the plant in full operation, with all the associated risks this condition implies; c) the final phase of the integration required the deployment of 1200 people working on day and night shifts during six days of full field shutdown.

In addition, for the first time in Bolivia, but also for the first time for Total's sites around the world, a technology based on cyclonic separation of gas and liquids was integrally designed by computerized methods that ensure the quality of the gas produced, thus avoiding the installation of additional cold separators that would require a cost five times greater and an extra six months.

The gas treatment plant´s capacity expansion is part of a 160-million–dollar global project that includes the interconnection of the ICS-3 well and the drilling of the ICS-5 well, a project that has already been carried out, and its future interconnection.

This global project will allow Ipati and Aquio Block´s sustained production of 11 Million cubic meters of gas per day over the coming years.

In the expansion project, fourteen new equipment and five modified ones were used; 118 tons of structure were moved; 50,625 meters of cable, and 60 tons of steel. More than 1,200 people were involved in the project and more than 42 heavy equipment deployed. The work was achieved with 57 companies, 28 contractors, and 19 subcontractors dedicated to design and engineering, transport, construction, catering and electric tasks, among other important areas.

The Incahuasi Processing Plant

In August 2016, with an initial investment of USD 1.3 billion, the Incahuasi Gas Processing Plant, located 250 km south of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, began commercial production from the Ipati and Aquio Blocks with a gas processing capacity of 6 Million cubic meters per day. At that time, the plant received the hydrocarbon extracted from three production wells: Aquio-X1001, ICS-X1 and ICS-2. There is currently an additional interconnected well, the ICS-3.

The processed gas is delivered by a lateral line to the national transport system, via the GASYRG pipeline, while the condensates are delivered via another pipeline to the OCSZ-2 pipeline.