WEG, a leading global manufacturer of motor and drive technology, said it has helped Oman's energy sector to enhance gas recovery in a major depletion project in the sultanate.

Achieving maximum productivity from oil and gas fields is the prime goal for the petrochemical industry but the extraction process becomes more difficult as fields become depleted, stated the UK company in a statement.

With this in mind, WEG, has developed bespoke variable speed drive systems to help with extraction from some of Oman’s older oil fields where the natural pressure is beginning to fade, it added.

Boosting extraction from depleting reserves is part of a $33 billion project which aims to enhance Oman’s hydrocarbon production capabilities and help the country broaden its economic base.

It is expected that Oman will unlock about one trillion cubic metres of natural gas over the next 25 years, representing a long term sustainable competitive feedstock for its petrochemical industry.

Plans are also afoot to develop downstream industries such as the production of Ethylene Dichloride (EDC), Caustic Soda and other chemicals, said the company in a statement.

As part of this major effort, the PDO Saih Rawl Field Depletion Project, Phase 2, will see $550 million invested on developing a daily gas production capacity of 30 million cu m, which will be fed to the existing Saih Rawl central processing facility.

Extra compressors will be installed to increase the pressure so that gas continues to flow, enabling the field to feed the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry while offering a back-up when other plants are shut down for maintenance, it stated.

Thanks to its vertical manufacturing process, WEG has also been able to supply Larsen & Toubro with all of the overloads, switchgear, relays and pushbuttons used within the drive cabinets, thus ensuring component compatibility and trouble free system building and commissioning as well as efficient ordering and delivery.

Commenting on the project, Colin Cox, the managing director of WEG Middle East, said: "We have exceptional experience of developing complete drive solutions for oil and gas applications – both upstream and downstream – and our involvement in such a major project as the PDO Saih Rawl Field is a fine example of our commitment to help the energy industry operate more efficiently and reliably."

WEG offers one of the broadest ranges of energy-efficient explosion-proof motors currently available with rated power from 0.12 kW to 5.6 MW and frame sizes from IEC 71 to 800, he noted.

“Thanks to this high performance drive and motor architecture, WEG products are the perfect solution for the most arduous industrial applications, such as those that are likely to be found in Oman’s PDO Saih Rawl Field Depletion Project,” said Cox.

"WEG can provide the ideal explosion-proof motor for virtually every application, even with extreme operating conditions such as ambient temperatures from -55°C to +80°C and altitudes up to 5,000 m," he added.-TradeArabia News Service