Technology Alliances
Colt Engineering believes in using the most current, leading-edge, proven technology to provide our clients with facilities that offer the optimum combination of capital cost and operability. We have worked with major process licensors in the refining, mineral and metallurgical and natural gas processing industries, and our large staff of process engineering specialists gives us the ability to assess all of the options for a given project.
Where circumstances call for innovation and "out-of-the-box" approaches, Colt has developed its own technology
such as the Colt TreaterTM and, for pipeline integrity, the LINEGUARDTM leak detection system.
Colt regularly works closely with developers of new technology to find solutions that will fit our clients' needs. For example, we have relationships with CCR Technologies Ltd., Quadrise Canada Fuel Systems Inc. and Outokumpu Technology, to support the development of their technologies and provide engineering and project support services.
Alternative Fuels
Colt is a process design leader in alternative emulsified fuel technology for steam or power production. Through our technology partner Quadrise Canada Fuel Systems Colt has North American rights for project development in this field.
Colt’s experts are on the leading edge of pure oxygen burning and have conducted extensive test burns at the CANMET pilot facility in Ottawa, Ontario. Colt was directly involved with the first 100% pure oxyburn, achieving excess oxygen conditions of less than 0.2 wt% while burning extra heavy residual liquid fuels. Our unique experience in this field is critical in identifying key areas that will reduce N2 presence and ensure improved process performance. Examples include methods to reduce N2 ingress and produce a high-purity flue gas stream, elimination of general air ingress, improved boiler and burner manufacture design, fan design and improved safe operation of the oxyfuel system.
Enhanced Oil Recovery
Colt has extensive experience in CO2 sequestering, transport and injection for enhanced oil recovery. Through this work, Colt has advanced knowledge of flue gas treatment, oxyburn combustion, flue gas enrichment and CO2 compression and dehydration, and is active in securing patents in this area. Colt is extremely familiar
with the concepts and design of flue gas recycling through our work in alternative fuel design for thermal facilities and electrical power plants, and has recent experience in clean burning technologies and CO2 capturing with extra heavy fuel.
Gas Production Flow Assurance
In recent years Colt has been increasingly involved with hydrate inhibition as applied to offshore gas processing. Colt has successfully completed the design of five world-scale monoethylene glycol (MEG) reclaimers.
Colt's expertise includes a complete simulation of the entire flow assurance system. The simulation models the whole MEG circuit and predicts the ion balance critical to the equipment design basis. The model includes the lean MEG choke, produced gas out of the choke, wellhead and pipeline gathering system. Through this work we have knowledge of all the components that may affect the corrosion prevention schemes and risks of fouling or solids deposition.
This unique model enables us to accurately recalculate the new solids level in the tie-back line and determine the actual allowable salts in the MEG product. Identifying the true allowable salt level is imperative to optimizing the reclaimer size.
Sulphuric Acid
Colt's sulphuric acid experience includes project and construction management, procurement and detail engineering at a number of acid plants.
We specialize in debottlenecking, process optimization, instrumentation and control systems, plus procurement and project management on all types of petrochemical complexes. We are well acquainted with equipment layout and design considerations, piping systems, pumping, utility and control systems for installation of equipment assemblies in sulphuric acid plants.
Colt's responsibilities have included:
- Preparation of design basis memoranda and specifications to document projects, cost and economic justification for management approval
- In-plant modifications and additions, complete with system tie-ins and tight shutdown scheduling
- Liaison with operating team to review input for basic design
- Commissioning and start-up
Colt's abilities in sulphuric acid technology are enhanced by an alliance with Outokumpu Technology. Outokumpu’s Lurgi technology has been employed in the design and supply of sulphuric acid plants for more than 80 years, with over 600 plants installed worldwide. The total capacity of plants in which they have worked corresponds to over 30% of world acid production.
Outokumpu Technology provide the process engineering and the necessary support services for their sulphuric acid technologies, used to create value-added products such as:
- Sulphuric acid
- Liquid SO2
- Oleum
- Spent acid
- Liquid SO3
- Ultra pure acid and other related products
Heavy Oil Emulsion Treating
In heavy oil production, the treatment of residual entrained and emulsified water requires innovative techniques and process technology. Colt, through its license agreemnt with Universal Industries, is a leader in this process technology. Universal exclusively markets the ColtTreaterTM and has over 30 installations to date.
Without the use of emulsifiers and other chemical treating, the Colt Flash Treater is a simple method for dehydrating heavy oil to 0.5 wt%.
This technology has been enhanced to support today’s more stringent oil specifications. For steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil sands production, new process methods address suspended solids, high water cut feed, and chloride reduction.
