PROJECT: Oil & gas sector | Worldwide

ESTER TYPE: MIDEL 7131 synthetic ester

PURPOSE: Fire safety, reliability and environmental protection

[ OVERVIEW ]

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

A transformer fire in an oil or gas processing facility is likely to have disastrous and costly consequences. Choosing 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 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. 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 mineral oil cannot compare to the readily biodegradable properties of MIDEL 7131.

Key benefits of 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

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 MIDEL ester fluids. Retrofilling is the process of draining mineral oil from a transformer and replacing it with another fluid, in this case MIDEL 7131. The process is proven and effective (the first MIDEL retrofill was performed in the 1970s for British Steel).

The use of 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.

The use of MIDEL ester fluids in these sectors supports the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: