Shell Catalyst & Technologies has successfully completed a warranty test run of its Shell Turbo Technologies at the Gbaran-Ubie Central Processing Facility (CPF) in Nigeria, operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, meeting all performance guarantees and increasing natural gas processing capacity—without building additional infrastructure.

 

The upgrade was part of the Gbaran Phase 3B – Uzu development. Shell’s patented turbo column internals were installed in two triethylene glycol (TEG) dehydration trains during scheduled turnarounds, enabling higher throughput and helping the operator meet Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply commitments.

 

The successful test confirmed that Shell Turbo Technologies’ column internals improve TEG dehydration contactors, enhancing gas–liquid separation and interaction. The result: stable operation and higher processing capacity without compromising water-dewpoint specifications.

 

“This project shows how Shell Turbo Technologies can unlock substantial additional capacity from existing assets. Retrofitting advanced column internals allowed the Gbaran CPF to increase gas processing capacity without the need for new infrastructure,” said Nick Flinn, VP Decarbonisation and Emerging Technologies at Shell Catalysts & Technologies.

 

Collins Asilonu, General Manager of Engineering and Services at Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, added: “The adoption of Shell Turbo Technologies presented an excellent opportunity to optimise facility expansion costs by debottlenecking existing trains rather than installing an additional train. This approach delivered multiple benefits, including a reduced project schedule, lower OPEX, and decreased construction HSE exposure.”