ARDUOUS ENVIRONMENTS....................... .7BACK
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CHARGING TO KAZAKSTAN

Two mobile hydraulic charging units, designed to work in temperatures approaching minus 45°C on the Kazakstan oilfields, have been developed and built KT Hydraulics.

The units, supplied to John Crane UK for the Karachagnak Development Project, will operate on a new oil refinery currently under construction beside the Caspian Sea.

Each unit, incorporated onto trailers for towing behind Landrovers features two independent 200 litre oil and water glycol tanks, control systems, air operated and hand pumps, filters, quick connect hoses and a three setting selector valve to vary charging pressures. All proprietary components fitted to the units, including high pressure retaining parts, are designed to operate in extreme temperatures.

The units will be used to recharge mechanical shaft seals on heavy-duty Ingersoll Dresser pumps. The pumps are used extensively throughout the new refinery and require regular maintenance.

Under the £36,000 contract, KTH was responsible for drawing up fabrication drawings, contracting fabrication, assembly, testing and delivery to John Crane UK, the company responsible for designing the seals in the field.

KTH project manager Mike Hogg commented, whilst we have supplied many charging units over the years, we have never produced anything that has been designed and built for such extreme environmental and operating conditions. The units have therefore been developed to be incredibly robust and to withstand temperatures of up to minus 45°C.