Gas Processing Plant Expansion #3

Fluor was selected by Union Texas Petroleum, a division of Allied Chemical Corporation, for the expansion of their Rayne, Louisiana plant. This is the third expansion of the Rayne plant that Fluor has performed. For Expansion #3, Fluor was responsible for engineering, procurement and construction.

The expansion will process additional natural gas liquids and include new units for fractionation, ethane treating for removal of carbon dioxide, dehydration, storage and additional revamp work. It will increase the plant's fractionating capacity to 26,000 barrels per day.

Client's Challenge

The Rayne plant processed natural gas received from a pipeline system, which runs through southwest Louisiana. With the third expansion, it began processing feed from a newly constructed natural gas liquids recovery plant owned by Exxon.

Fluor's Solution

Fluor built the initial Rayne gas processing plant in 1959, and subsequently expanded it in 1966. The third expansion was a relatively small capital project budgeted at $7 million. Fluor set up a streamlined operation using experienced personnel.

This allowed Fluor to demonstrate that it can perform small cap jobs as efficiently as it does on larger ones.

Construction began in January 1978 and was completed by early August, engaging a field work force of 200 people at peak.

Conclusion

The new processing equipment went on stream in October 1978, less than one year from the start date.