MechChem Africa May-June 2021

Bosch Rexroth Ghana milestone repair project in Nigeria Bosch Rexroth Ghana has recently completed repairs to the contaminated hydraulic power unit (HPU) pumps on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System belonging to Shell Oil and Exploration in Nigeria.

T he hydraulically driven submerged cargo pumps used on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System belong- ing to Shell Oil and Exploration in Nigeria provide safe, efficient and flexible cargohandlingof liquidcargo. Arepair project on these pumps by Bosch Rexroth Ghana, recently completed ahead of deadline, pro- vided a unique opportunity for Shell Nigeria to reduce its total cost of ownership, and to improve maintenance turnaround times. In January 2020, Shell Nigeria sought to repair nine of its HPU double pumps and turned to Bosch RexrothGhana. In establish- ing a repair plan, the Bosch Rexroth Ghana teamdrewon the technical expertiseof Bosch Rexroth South Africa, headed by Repairs Manager IanKidson, and supported bywork- shop technicians Ronald Seller, Eugene Roos and Allan Page. The team proposed a total hydraulic investigation and inspection, which found that all the pumps were contaminated. Shell awarded the order for repairs in July 2020, in themidst of SouthAfrica’s lockdown, and because of lockdown restrictions, the factorieswereunable toproduce the required spare parts immediately. The Bosch Rexroth repair teams opted to carry out the repairs in stages, as spare parts became available, allowing them to complete the repairs within the stipulated project timelines. In the interim, Shell continued its op- erations, using its two spare pump units. However, the required repairs were critical,

as the pumps were part of the asset pumping crude oil from the oil production platform into floating vessels – essential to Shell’s op - erations. BoschRexrothprioritised the repair plan to ensure that Shell’s operations would not be hampered. Under the guidance of Kidson, the team also directed the repair work, which included de-assembly of the A4VSO double pumps; stripping and analysis; identification of faulty components and the compilationof a detailed inspection report. “Repairs were completed on the first four pump units in December, whichwas soon enough toprevent any down- time to Shell’s operations,” explains Booth. The remaining five pumps were repaired and re-certified in January 2021, with the project concluding on 28 January 2021, 30 days earlier than the expected completion date of 5 March. All commissioning was carried out by Bosch Rexroth SA personnel and Shell resumed its activities successfully, following completion of the repairs. The repair project is a huge success for the Bosch Rexroth West Africa team. It also serves as a milestone for Bosch Rexroth’s Nigerian business development as it pursues market share growth in the large but com- petitive oil and gas sector. “We were pleased to report that the pumps were repaired and tested toOEMstandard, ahead of the project deadline,” says Alex Booth, Bosch Rexroth Regional Manager for West Africa. “At the time of global oil price instability,

providing timely repairs and alternative solutions to Shell Bonga FPSO as well as an analysis of inspection report and OEM standard test certificates, has generated a lot of commendations and praise from Shell/Snepco’s maintenance team,” said Sunday Alabi, Bosch Rexroth Business Development Manager in Nigeria. The repairs to the pumps carry a six- monthwarrantyandare further supported by a proposed agreement between both parties – Shell and Bosch Rexroth – to continue working together. For Bosch Rexroth Ghana’s workshop team, the project also proved to be a suc- cessful training project. “We provided hands-on trainingon the stripping, quoting and rebuildprocess aswell as testingof the pumps,” says Booth. TheBoschRexroth SouthAfricaGroup ofCompanies, previously theHytecGroup, is Africa’s largest fluid power and automa - tion company. It comprises eight specialist companies: Bosch Rexroth South Africa – previously Hytec Holdings, Hytec South Africa, Tectra Automation, Hytec Fluid Technology, Hydraulic and Automation Warehouse, Hytec Engineering, Hytec ServicesAfrica andHYSA. Collectively, the Group sources, markets and distributes over 30 international hydraulic, pneumatic and automation brands via a network of 40 sales and service branches across sub- Saharan Africa. q

Five of the nine contaminated hydraulic power unit (HPU) double pumps on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System repaired by the Bosch Rexroth Ghana team with support from Bosch Rexroth South Africa.

8 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2021