PROJECT: Oil & gas sector | Worldwide

ESTER TYPE: Shell MIDEL 7131 synthetic ester

PURPOSE: Fire safety and reliability

[ OVERVIEW ]

Oil and gas processing plants rely on transformers to supply electricity to their vital operating systems. Shell MIDEL 7131 has a long and proven history in these environments because it delivers a critical solution to fire safety and reliability challenges.

A transformer fire in an oil or gas processing facility is likely to have disastrous and costly consequences. Choosing Shell MIDEL 7131 in place of mineral oil increases fire safety because it has a much higher fire point (>300°C) and a 100% fire safety record. Specifying Shell MIDEL 7131 may allow for a smaller fire suppression system (or potentially none at all), thereby reducing the cost and size of the substation, whether on land or in offshore sites.

[ SITUATION ]

In offshore applications, performance is just as important as fire safety. If a transformer failed to withstand the corrosive conditions it would need to undergo expensive, unplanned maintenance. Shell MIDEL 7131 reduces the likelihood of breakdown because it is extremely robust and has good oxygen stability. Transformers operating in the exacting environments of oil and gas facilities should also be designed to have minimal impact on the environment. In this respect, the ester base oil of Shell MIDEL 7131 is readily biodegradable according to OECD 301 and biodegrades faster than conventional mineral oil.

Key benefits of Shell MIDEL 7131 include:
• K-class high fire point (>300°C) to IEC 61039
• 100% fire safety record
• FM Global approved/UL listed transformer fluid
• ATEX Certification

Shell MIDEL 7131 is ATEX-certified, as a “Component Intended for use on/in an Equipment or Protective System Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres” – Directive 2014/34/EU.

[ RESULT ]

The oil and gas sector has also been swift to adopt the practice of retrofilling existing units with Shell MIDEL ester fluids. Retrofilling is the process of draining mineral oil from a transformer and replacing it with another fluid, in this case Shell MIDEL 7131. The process is proven and effective (the first Shell MIDEL retrofill was performed in the 1970s for British Steel).

The use of Shell MIDEL ester fluids also means improved moisture tolerance compared with that of mineral oil, which keeps the transformer’s insulating paper in a better condition for longer, thus helping to extend
asset life.