U.K.-based Altra Energy (Altra) has won an open tender for a capacity trial of the In Amenas Gas plant in Algeria. Altra will provide process and mechanical support for the preparation, execution and reporting of the live capacity trial of JV Gas, which is made up of BP, Sonatrach, and Statoil and is expected to last eight months.

The contract, which follows earlier work by Altra to determine engineering required to ensure safely increased production above the design capacity for an extended period, is worth £500,000. The In Amenas LPG processing facility is located in SE Algeria and currently produces an annual rate of 28.2MMSm³ of wet gas.

The project will involve flare and relief valve studies, process simulation, vibration checks of thermowells, heat exchanger tube bundles and small bore pipework, mechanical and fixed bed integrity study, a turbo expander performance study and also a trip and alarm set point review. The team will perform a HAZOP and Risk Assessment of the capacity trial procedures prior to carrying out the on-site trial in conjunction with the JV Gas technical team.