The scope of the IWH Project is to step up the treatment capacity of production water destined for re-injection into the reservoir, and to extend gas compression capacity in order to boost the extraction of natural gas.

The greatest difficulty in the IWH Project is bringing new materials and equipment into the existing oil centre while the plant is running. In addition, project timing and logistics are also crucial, for  the area is located in a remote part of the Sahara Desert with a very inhospitable climate, in conditions of extreme heat, wind and blowing sand.

The main plants and alterations needed to implement the project requirements are:

• Two new three-phase separators (180 tons each; 25 metres long and 5.3 m in diameter)
• One new oil and water treatment system (made up of 16 different pieces of process equipment, 13 centrifugal pumps and 4 tanks);
• Replacement of a 20” gas header on the existing slug catcher with a new 32” gas header 15 metres long in single prefabricated piece.

Phase II concerns compression, and so the main scope includes installation of:

• One centrifugal compressor driven by an electric motor (6.4 MW) similar to the ones installed previously, including the necessary auxiliary systems, suction/ discharge scrubbers, process aftercooler, etc.
• One centrifugal compressor driven by gas turbine (28 MW – iso rated) similar to existing ones, along with all the necessary auxiliary systems, suction /discharge scrubbers, process aftercooler control system, air filtration and outlet, fuel gas treatment, etc.

The third phase of the project involves building a 20” trunkline from Satellite 2 to the power plant.