Rotork pipeline valve actuators in Kurdistan economic improvement project

Rotork Fluid Systems has supplied heavy duty GO Range gas-over-oil valve actuators for a new strategic gas pipeline bringing economic benefits to the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The 180km pipeline, supplying natural gas to the Arbil and Sulaimaniya power plants, is the first phase of the $650 million Kurdistan Gas Project, a joint venture between Dana Gas - the Middle East’s first private sector natural gas company - and Crescent Petroleum. The joint venture has formed a strategic alliance with the Kurdistan Regional Government to generate 1250MW of power that will save Iraq about $2.5 billion of annual import costs.

Majid Jafar, Executive Director of Crescent Petroleum, recently explained: “This is the first project of its kind in Iraq and will provide important economic and social benefits for the Kurdistan region and all of Iraq.” Ahmad Al Arbeed, the Upstream Executive Director for Dana Gas, added that they now aim to build on these achievements in the Kurdistan region and across Iraq, with a strategic focus on maximising economic benefit and addressing local needs.

Rotork GO range valve actuators use pipeline gas as the power source to pressurise the hydraulic operating system, which can be configured to meet virtually any valve duty requirement. They are especially suitable for valve applications in the remote locations associated with cross-country pipelines. The actuators for the Kurdistan Gas Project are operating ten ANSI Class 900 Econosto ball valves in sizes up to 24 inches. Actuator site assembly and function testing were carried out with the assistance of Rotork trained and certified technicians from Omas Ltd, Rotork’s agent in Turkey.

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Rotork actuators have been supplied for a project designed to provide an uninterrupted supply of water to the Iraqi province of Basrah and develop the infrastructure to improve the quality of life for the citizens.

Included in the contract, IQ and AWT electric actuators have been ordered for gate valves and ball valves manufactured by JC Fábrica de Válvulas, S.A. for new plant that will increase the treated water supply capacity to the province from 4,000 to 16,000 cubic metres/hour.

The project is funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers, who are investing $9.5 million to increase the capacity of pumping units at Qurmat Ali and install new chlorination systems. The contract was awarded to the Al Dayar United Company for General Construction in January 2008 and is due for completion by the end of the year.

The actuators on the project are locally supported by Rotork’s UAE sales office in Abu Dhabi.

Published: 25th September 2009