Failure Analysis of Heat Exchanger's Tubes at GPP Kerteh

Oil and gas industrial is one of the most important industries especially to developing
country. Experienced by the author along the eight months industrial training at
PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB) Kerteh, the surroundings require active researches
and developments in attempt to accumulate efficiency or maintaining plant services.
At gas processing plant ( GPP), one of the most important equipment is heat exchanger
which widely used to vary temperature of hydrocarbon or water. During the industrial
training, numerous shutdowns of heat exchanger were attributed to failure of the heat
exchanger, especially the tubes. Consequently, the failure of the tubes part leads the
management to replace the heat exchanger and fabricate new equipment. This
decision been made because of insufficient time to solve the problem in detail and to
continue operation.
A study was conducted into the failure of the heat exchanger. Design of the heat
exchanger and operation parameters were scrutinized. In addition, samples of the
failed heat exchanger tubes were obtained and studied using various failure analysis
tools such as X -ray, optical examination and SEM.
In conclusion, this investigation reveals that corrosion was the main factor in the
fuilure ofthe heat exchanger tubes.