An innovative nitrogen pump that provides more than double the flow output of standard offshore nitrogen units, was launched today in Darwin by Perth-headquartered and global engineering firm Eftech International (Eftech).

The 360,000scf/hr pump was designed and purchased from the United Kingdom and will be used to displace large volumes of hydrocarbons liquids and gases, offering operators access to higher capacity flowrates for nitrogen purging and leak testing activities.

Eftech Managing Director Andrew Manning believes this is the largest offshore pump of its kind.

“The single skid nitrogen pump is the only and largest offshore pump in Australia, built and certified to work in hazardous areas for both on and offshore projects,” said Manning.

We made the investment to bring this new pump into the Australian market to offer a more efficient solution as demand surges across the industry with a growing number of oil and gas shutdowns and maintenance projects caused by delays from Covid-19.

“We wanted our customers to have access to higher capacity flowrates for nitrogen purging and leak testing operations, to help significantly reduce downtime to perform these critical path activities during turnarounds.”

Eftech owns a large fleet of cryogenic and nitrogen membrane equipment for the global energy industry, with the latest purchase added to its portfolio to help the Company meet the ongoing demands of its diverse client base.

According to Mark Duncan, Operations Director at Eftech, the new pump is ideal for Western Australia’s extreme climate.

“LN2 uses engine power and a recovered engine heat to vaporise and pump liquid nitrogen,” said Duncan.

“Without getting too technical, the pump operates with a centrifugal boost that feeds a higher pressure positive displacement pump, allowing the liquid nitrogen to pass through a vaporisation system before being converted into a nitrogen gas.

“When operating in the tough conditions we face here in Western Australia, the 360k pump is designed to operate in extreme conditions and is capable of working at full capacity in ambient temperatures from –20° C to + 50°C.”

The new LN2 pump will commence operating from Eftech’s Darwin operation in early May.