Completion of another important investment

PGNiG Technologie SA based in Krosno has, as the General Contractor, many years of extensive experience in building and equipping oil & gas infrastructure. The company specializes in the design, commissioning and operation of crude oil and natural gas fields, underground gas storage facilities, compressor stations as well as transmission and distribution pipelines.

Therefore, the company contributes to increasing domestic extraction of these minerals. This is evidenced, for example, by the completion of another important investment called the development of the Kamień Mały oil field, realized for PGNIG SA Oddział Geologii I Eksploatacji.

The facilities and technological installations made by PGNiG Technologie enable the extraction of the reservoir fluid through three wells. Crude oil and natural gas are sent to the newly built Kamień Mały Group Center, and then through a hermetic pipeline, through ZZU Czarnów, to the Górzyca Group Center, approx. 18 km away. There, both raw materials are separated, and then the crude oil is transported by tank trucks to the Barnówko railway expedition, and the compressed natural gas – using the compression set installed as part of the project – is sent to the Zielin field, from where it is sold after being brought to commercial parameters.

PGNiG Technologie, as the General Contractor, was responsible for the supply of key technological equipment, the implementation of major technological works and the coordination of subcontractors’ activities in individual accompanying industries.

During the works, a number of innovative solutions were applied to protect the natural environment and affect safety and reduce the operating costs of the installation. One of them is a gas flare, designed and delivered by PGNiG Technologie, intended for the combustion of residual gases from the crude oil extraction process. This device is to guarantee easy and immediate access to the service while at the same time uninterrupted operation of the installation.

Attention should be paid to the pre-insulated DN100 reservoir fluid transfer pipeline with a length of approx. 18.3 km. The HDPE protective jacket of the pipes is to ensure temperature stability inside the pipeline and thus eliminate the risk of paraffin precipitation during the transport of the reservoir fluid.

The pipeline has been equipped with a leak detection system that has not been used in Poland so far, based on optical fiber cables placed in the pre- insulation layer and outside the pipeline. The structure of the fiber optic cable is sensitive to temperature changes at the leakage point, which translates into the reflection of the light beam distributed in the cable and then into the leakage location with an accuracy of 1 meter at 10-second intervals. This allows for immediate reaction and taking actions limiting the effects of the irregularity. Non-standard materials were used for the production of pipes, i.e. steel with the designation NS, dedicated to media transport pipelines with the content of hydrogen sulphide (H2S).

An important element of the system are also radiation cross-linked heat shrinkable joints. Cross-linking treatment increases the service life of the joint and the shrinking force, thanks to which better tightness and lower failure rate is achieved.

During the works, in addition to technical challenges, the Company was faced with circumstances not directly related to the investment, but having a significant impact on it. On the route of the pipeline, finds from the Lusatian culture period, remains of a settlement from the Roman period, as well as military items from World War I and II were found. These discoveries required archaeological and sapper supervision, which resulted in the suspension of investments several times in sections. Many objects were examined, incl. graves from approx. 2000 years ago, hearths, post-holes , pits and dugouts. Numerous artifacts have been excavated and documented, including flint tools from around 10,000 years ago, a large amount of ceramics, elements of armor and coins. These items enriched the collection of the Kostrzyn Fortress Museum.

In addition, the route of the transmission pipeline ran through the flood plains, therefore it was necessary to perform additional drainage , as well as overcome numerous obstacles on the wet ground.

Despite many challenges, the investment was completed and commissioned. Its launch will allow for the extraction of approximately 285 thousand tonnes over the next 26 years. tonnes of crude oil and approximately 66.5 million m ³ of natural gas.

                                                                                               author – Adam Starzyk