Gazprom’s Science and Technology Prize

Scientific substantiation, development and implementation of the innovative membrane unit for helium extraction from natural gases of Eastern Siberia and Russia’s Far East

Nominating company: Gazprom Proyektirovaniye (V. Vagarin).

The authors have developed an innovative energy-saving technology for membrane extraction of helium from natural gases produced in Eastern Siberia and Russia's Far East, which makes it possible to concentrate excess amounts of helium for the purposes of its subsequent long-term storage in geological formations.

In the course of their work, the authors have created a pilot membrane unit, which for the first time ever produced data on the impacts exerted by various factors on the efficiency of gas separation under the given operational conditions of the membrane unit for helium concentrate extraction (MUHCE). The data were used to develop the terms of reference for designing the project of the MUHCE at the Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field and to create a general mathematical model of the MUHCE.

The first production train of the MUHCE in Russia was put in operation in March 2020 at the Chayandinskoye field. The design output of the MUHCE is 32 billion cubic meters per year for feedstock gas. The commissioning of the MUHCE's production trains depends on the dynamics of gas production at Chayandinskoye and at the Kovyktinskoye gas and condensate field, as well as the composition of extracted gases and helium production volumes at the Amur GPP.

On the basis of the work, four patents of the Russian Federation were received.

Development of next-generation digital radio relay equipment and its implementation on the Power of Siberia gas trunkline

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk (V. Borodin).

The development of next-generation digital radio relay equipment for radio relay stations of the MIK-RL4...15R+ series took place in 2015–2017 at Research and Production Company Micran and underwent testing at the facilities of Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk. In 2019, the equipment was installed on the Power of Siberia gas trunkline.

The novel sci-tech solutions created and implemented for the first time in Russia include the following:

• optical transit of hybrid traffic at radio relay stations without using input/output boards;
• noise-immune channel for the monitoring and control of radio relay communication line independent of the payload traffic;
• Arctic-type transmitters and receivers;
• optic cable connecting transmitters and receivers to an access unit;
• specialized software.

This has made it possible to improve the reliability, bandwidth capacity and information security of radio relay equipment, as well as to ensure its safe and easy operation in the conditions of the Far North.

On the basis of the work, one utility patent was received and three software applications were registered.

Methodology for maintaining the required reliability of pipelines at compressor stations with the use of robotic diagnostic complexes

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk (P. Sozonov).

The authors have developed a methodology to ensure the required reliability of process pipelines at compressor stations (PP CS) with limited time and financial resources based on the use of in-line robotic diagnostic complexes.

In order to perform in-line diagnostics in PP CS, the authors developed a robotic complex that includes the following:

• autonomous flaw detector scanner (FDS) А2072 with diagnostic systems (modules);
• control board (mobile or stationary) for controlling the FDS and receiving diagnostic information;
• expert analysis system for detecting and ranking flaws.

The complex is designed to perform in-line quality control of the base metal of components and welded joints of pipelines with an outer diameter of 400–1,400 mm and a wall thickness of 6–40 mm.

Due to its small size, the FDS can be inserted into the pipeline via manholes, opened caps of back valves, and 300×250 mm temporary openings. The FDS can be used to assess the technical condition of pipeline systems with complex configurations.

In 2016–2020, Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk conducted inspections in more than 350 facilities at compressor stations, carried out diagnostics of over 440 km of PP CS, and inspected upwards of 200 local areas of the linear part of gas trunklines.

On the basis of the work, four patents of the Russian Federation were received.

Development and implementation of an innovative method of well workover to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adverse environmental impacts

Nominating company: Severneftegazprom (V. Dmitruk).

The author team has developed an innovative technology for repairing the threaded joint of the casing coupling and the mounting nozzle of the casing head via manual arc welding and certified the technology at the National Agency of Welding Control.

The implementation of this method has helped considerably cut the financial expenses and time spent on the repairs, eliminated the need for well killing operations, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and adverse environmental impacts.

The innovative well workover method changes the stress-strain behavior of the threaded joint by:

• reducing the actual bending moment that occurs at the ends of the pipe thread;
• decreasing surface stresses that occur at the ends of the thread;
• cutting the number and amplitude of deformations caused by the impact of the edge bending moment on the pipe metal near the end face of the coupling;
• having no effect on the integrity of the metal-to-metal seal;
• causing an insignificant stress concentration at the weld root, with the amount of concentration depending on the transition radius between the metal of the weld root and the metal of the pipe.

In 2013–2020, this technology was used in the course of repairs carried out in 23 wells of the Yuzhno-Russkoye field.

A utility patent was received for the innovative well workover method developed by the author team.

Development and implementation of innovative algorithms for processing the results of ultrasonic control and diagnostics of pipelines of the Unified Gas Supply System on the basis of performance evaluation models during the repairs and operation of facilities of Gazprom

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky (A. Oleinikov).

In 2005–2020, the authors developed domestic equipment and introduced into production new technologies for manual, mechanized and automated ultrasonic control of welded joints and base metal in pipelines, as well as at other facilities of Gazprom.

In 2007–2008, Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky jointly with Gazprom VNIIGAZ performed cyclic bench tests on welded joints that were in operation for a long time and contained external and internal defects that had been caused by technological and operational reasons, as well as various cracks caused by artificial simulators during the studies of residual strength of welds with defects. These tests demonstrated the possibility of using a differentiated approach to the estimated performance evaluation of welds with surface and internal defects.

It was established that the use of multi-component systems (acoustic units) and program automation for the process of recording and interpreting the results of ultrasonic nondestructive control considerably reduces the duration and improves the quality of control. The method of processing results based on the estimates of the performance evaluation helps significantly reduce the amount of repairs and weld cut-outs without compromising the reliability of pipelines.

Ultrasonic gauge installations of the SCANER series developed by Ultes for manual and mechanized ultrasonic control have been implemented at Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky since 2005. In 2005–2020, the SCANER gauge installations inspected 984,000 welded joints at the facilities of Gazprom.

One utility patent was received and a software application was officially registered with regard to the research paper topic.

Development and implementation of a package of innovative solutions for automated control of electromagnetic suspension of compressor rotors to improve the performance of gas compressor units

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod (R. Sadrtdinov).

The main scientific and technological concept of the work is to collate the data and experience gained during the operation of electromagnetic suspension (ES) systems at the facilities of Gazprom, use them as the basis for developing a mathematical and physical model of a controlled object, develop optimal technological solutions and implement them in the ES control system, and outline the structural requirements to particular units of the system in order to enhance the operating efficiency of centrifugal compressors.

The authors have accomplished the following tasks:

• the technical specifics and operating history of commercially available magnetic suspension packages of centrifugal compressors employed in gas compressor units have been analyzed;
• the mathematical and physical models of the controlled object have been created;
• the ES control method has been substantiated and the technical solutions for implementing the control system, including the algorithms and devices for maintaining the required technical and economic features of automatic control systems of ESs (ES ACSs), have been described;
• the calculation of energy and power characteristics of the system's elements has been performed and the methods for adjusting and assessing the qualitative performance properties of ES ACSs have been developed;
• the software-and-hardware tools have been selected and the pilot samples of ES ACSs have been manufactured.

The authors have introduced the concept and architecture of a digital ES ACS by drawing on the example of the Neman-R-100 ES ACS, which uses domestic software and hardware and is employed at Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod.

The digital Neman-R-100 ES ACS was successfully tested in 2014. In 2014–2020, the developed technological solutions were implemented at 85 facilities in control systems for gas compressor units with an installed capacity of 16 and 25MW.

Comprehensive systematic studies of dangerous hydrometeorological, ice and lithodynamic phenomena on the Sakhalin shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk

Nominating company: Gazprom VNIIGAZ (M. Nedzvetsky).

The authors became the first to develop and put into practice the methodology for the full-cycle comprehensive studies of hydrometeorological, ice and lithodynamic natural conditions within the entire Sea of Okhotsk on the basis of the marine reanalysis concept.

In the course of their work, the authors have accomplished the following tasks:

• field data obtained during offshore expeditions and in coastal and shore areas have been collected and analyzed;
• joint physical-and-mathematical modeling of the “atmosphere – ice layer – ocean” system, including with the use of the author model of ice layer dynamics, has been performed with regard to the entire Sea of Okhotsk for a 30-year period;
• dangerous lithodynamic processes, hydrometeorological phenomena and ice conditions have been identified;
• probabilistic modeling of the characteristics of natural conditions that define the operation mode (operational and extreme) has been performed for the water areas of the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye oil, gas and condensate field.

Unique arrays of hydrometeorological data, including ice layer parameters, have been obtained and are used in the maintenance and repair works at the facilities of the subsea production complex of the Kirinskoye gas and condensate field. For the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye oil, gas and condensate field, the characteristics that define its operation mode have been assessed with a degree of reliability sufficient to use them directly when planning the spudding of production wells and designing field facilities.

A software application was officially registered with regard to the research paper topic.

Creation of a digital space for the pre-qualification procedure

Nominating company: Gazprom Purchases (N. Chekalina).

The authors of the work have developed an entirely new pre-qualification concept for Gazprom. In the course of its implementation, the concept became the basis for the creation of software tools that made it possible to completely eliminate the need for paper applications submitted by pre-qualification participants. A single digital space was created for the interaction between the Gazprom Administration employees, experts, the Gazprom Group entities, and pre-qualification participants (hundreds of companies), and integrations with various third-party databases have been established, which significantly increased the reliability of the data obtained.

The following changes have been introduced into the pre-qualification procedure:

• pre-qualification participants have been provided with the opportunity to submit their applications by filling out an electronic template through their personal accounts at the Electronic Trading Platform of the Gazprombank Group (ETP-GPB);
• the system has been upgraded so as to automatically fill out more than 50% of fields in the section devoted to general information about a company;
• an automatic check was provided so that to make sure the application filled out by a pre-qualification participant is free from mistakes and no supporting documents are missing;
• the option of using a qualified electronic signature to sign pre-qualification applications has been provided;
• the Аutomated e-procurement system (AEPS) of Gazprom has been supplemented with an expert's personal account, which makes it possible to view the applications and data of participants and promptly request additional documents through the system, and contains unified forms to enter the data on the results of the check;
• contents of applications are submitted for expert assessment in real time and exclusively through the AEPS;
• expert assessment of applications has been made easier via integration with a whole range of databases, which ensures a reliable automated check of up to 20% of fields in the technical part of applications;
• on the basis of expert review and subsequent expert decision, the information on a participant is either automatically recorded in the Gazprom Group's Register of Potential Bidders or a refusal to record the information in the Register is sent to the participant; any decision made is promptly communicated to participants via their personal accounts at the ETP-GPB;
• the interactive version of the Register on the website of Gazprom is updated in real time; the monitoring of the current state of the companies recorded in the Register is carried out every three months.

Package of sci-tech solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the gas heating technology at gas distribution stations

Nominating company: Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta (A. Gaivoronsky).

The urgency of the research is determined by the need for the streamlining and optimization of gas heating processes at gas distribution stations (GDSs) during gas transmission in order to increase energy efficiency.

The novelty of the main scientific and technological concept of the work is that new and more reliable methods have been implemented to control the functional properties of the heat transfer agent, and the technical tools for cleaning the gas heaters that are employed in the maintenance and repair of equipment have been enhanced. The authors have developed new technologies for cascade control of gas heaters in groups and cascade pressure reduction in gas pipeline branches at GDSs with the use of pipeline pressure reduction units that have never been applied in Russia before.

The results of the work can be used in new construction, reconstruction and major repairs of active and prospective GDSs of Gazprom in order to increase the energy efficiency of gas heating processes that occur before gas is sent into pressure reduction units, as well as to decrease auxiliary gas consumption and harmful emissions.

The package of the developed scientific and technological solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the gas heating technology at GDSs makes it possible to:

• increase the quality of maintenance and repair activities performed on gas heaters;
• optimize the control of gas heaters in groups;
• eliminate structural deficiencies in the heat insulation of gas heaters;
• implement cascade pressure control in gas pipeline branches;
• decrease auxiliary gas consumption at facilities.

Development of the innovative hybrid stand-alone power supply system SAE-110 for remote low-power facilities of Gazprom

Nominating company: Gazprom Nedra (V. Cherepanov).

The authors of the work have developed the hybrid stand-alone power supply system SAE-110 for the purposes of uninterrupted power supply to equipment of up to 100W in power in the conditions where no external power supply lines are available. The hybrid system makes it possible to optimize the circuit design and technical solutions for the use of various types of base elements, reduce capital expenditures for the creation of power supply systems at remote low-power (up to 100W) process facilities, reduce operational costs through extended autonomous operation combined with remote control, and take due account of the climatic conditions in which the system operates.

The novelty of the newly developed system is in the functional concept that is employed during joint and independent functioning of power sources, as well as in the local and remote monitoring of process parameters. The hybrid system is equipped with a methanol fuel cell (generator) to enable long-term accumulation of energy, as well as a lithium-ion storage element (accumulator battery) to provide short-term power accumulation and monitoring of the variable load curve.

The essential feature of the new system is that its remote control is carried out via a system controller ensuring the rationality of the operational logic of the entire system, since the combination of a primary and a secondary energy source, accumulator battery and other logical devices requires an optimized control algorithm that provides maximum integral efficiency during the conversion of energy and resources in the main units of the system.

SAE-110 has been in operation for over five years and is currently employed as a stand-alone power supply source at four facilities of Gazprom.

One patent of the Russian Federation was received with regard to the research paper topic.