GE Completes Testing of Qatargas II Propane Train


AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - June 7, 2006 - GE's Oil & Gas business has successfully completed tests of the propane compression train for the Qatargas II LNG project, a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil, at the GE Oil & Gas facilities in Massa, Italy.

The propane compression train is composed of a 125-megawatt single-shaft GE Frame 9 heavy duty gas turbine, a 45-megawatt rated electric motor and two compressor bodies. The low-pressure compressor is a 3MCL1403 horizontally split casing type with two-side stream injection, and the high-pressure machine is an MCL1402 horizontally split compressor. The total absorbed power during the test was in excess of 86 megawatts.

This is the second string test successfully completed for the Qatargas II LNG project, whose two LNG trains will each have a capacity of 7.8 million tons per year of LNG production (the largest LNG plants ever built). They are two of six similar LNG trains to be located in Qatar.

The propane compressors had first undergone a mechanical running test separately at GE's facilities in Massa, where a dedicated test bed has been set up for such testing. Before starting the full-load test, the two compressors had also been performance-tested according to ASME PTC10 standards, showing good efficiency and range.

The complete sequence of performance and string testing was completed within approximately one week and the machines were accepted by the end user.

"The QGII team congratulates the GE team for a job well done and for the extra efforts exerted during the final testing campaign," said Roy Salisbury, Qatargas II Lead Project Machinery Engineer.

About GE's Oil & Gas business
GE's Oil & Gas business is a world leader in advanced technology turbomachinery products and services, with engineering and manufacturing centers of excellence throughout Europe and the United States. Based in Florence, Italy, the company offers complete solutions for production, LNG, transportation, storage, refineries, petrochemicals and distribution systems, as well as pipeline integrity solutions including analysis and pipeline asset management.

For more information, contact:
Gabriele Peri
GE
Oil & Gas
+39 055 423 8280
gabriele.peri@ge.com

Ken Darling or Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ge.com
howard.masto@ge.com

All Topics