Recently, a multi-national Oil & Gas company chose Kelvion to re-tube an Air Cooled Heat Exchanger (“ACHE”) from one of its offshore platforms.

​

Time critical
Over time, the tubes had corroded and various components in the frame had rusted. Time was of the essence for the work, which needed to be completed during a turnaround at the offshore platform.

The ACHE was delivered to Kelvion’s Broussard, Louisiana Service Center while our Sales & Service Coordinator in Catoosa Oklahoma, liaised with the customer to ensure that the HTRI calculations for the quoted materials met the required performance standards.

​

Extensive testing and repair
Then the team at Broussard set to work, first stripping the unit to expose the two bundles that make up the ACHE model. Using hydraulic cutters, reamers and extractors, they removed the tubes from the tube sheets. They then cleaned the tube sheets to allow optimal installation of the new tubes.

After installing the tubes, the bundles were thoroughly tested to ensure there were no leaks. Further tests were done when the bundles were installed in the frame. Finally, the team repaired and replaced the rusted and degraded frame components before the unit was collected for shipment to the platform.

The result
Work was completed successfully on time and the equipment is scheduled to resume operations later this year. The customer was impressed by Kelvion’s commitment to quality and, as a result, has commissioned a re-tube of another ACHE.