Publications

The electric power system takes a very important part in the Oil and Gas Industry, especially for the production of mature field. In Rimau Block, one of Medco’s production block in South Sumatra, almost 57% total oil production utilizes Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP) that use electric power for their motor. Water injection pumps also use electric motor to maintain the reservoir pressure and balance the produced water at surface facilities. The reliability of electrical system is very critical to avoid production loss. The power system can be divided into two major areas, namely the generator as power generation and the transformer as power distribution. Problems in the generator can be caused by low fuel gas quality, short circuit, control panel failure and mechanical drive. Problems in the transformer can be caused by short circuit, oil leaks, mechanical crack and also overheat. Once the electrical supply is lost due to power generation or distribution equipment problems, ESP will shutdown, resulting in oil loss and decreasing the lifetime of the ESP. This paper will focus on how to handle overheat problems that are common in transformer operation due to the degradation of insulating oil quality, winding core insulation and harmonic effects. An overall investigation and inspection of the physical and electrical condition is needed before choosing the right solution to refurbish the degraded transformer. The solution must be chosen based on minimum maintenance cost and also minimum loss time due to concerns on oil production continuity. The case study in this paper is based on the successful experience of Medco in conducting minimum maintenance cost and time lost modification strategy in refurbishing degraded transformer. A simple modification in the cooling system of transformer can cut potential loss time from an estimated 30 days into 1 day and also save 180 million rupiahs in maintenance cost. This method has enabled Medco to recover potential oil production loss of 16,100 BO (530 BOPD). Keywords : Reliability of Electrical, degraded power transformer, cost saving, reduce potential loss