VALVES USED IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The Oil and Gas industry heavily relies on the pipeline systems for most of its operations starting from refining processes till its final distribution. Basically, this is the reason that the pipeline infrastructure along with its control systems is of critical importance in this particular sector.

Due to the fact that any failures or lapses in systems as such could result in hazardous spills, and even environmental catastrophes causing a major loss. 

Valves being one of the most essential part of any piping system i.e. to put it in simple language valves are mechanical devices that are used in piping applications to regulate, control as well as to open & close a fluid’s pressure and its flow.

Basically a valve is manufactured by assembly of many parts generally the mechanical ones, the main among them being the body which is the outer shell, the trim which is a combination of the replaceable wetted parts, an actioning mechanism i.e., the manual lever, the bonnet and the stem.

Valves which have smaller bore size or those which require higher resistance to pressure & temperature are mainly manufactured with body out of forged iron while the commercial valves which have bigger bore size feature body made of cast materials.

The Valves market which is worth around 40 billion USD has major Valve Manufacturers located in the US, Europe (European Origin Valves), Japan and China.

The different types of valves used in the oil industry has the following applications:

• To Start/stop the flow of the fluid using gate valve, ball valve, butterfly valve, knife gate valve, or plug valve.
• Moderating the flow of the fluid using a globe valve.
• Controlling the flow of the fluid control valve.
• Changing the direction of the flow using a three-way ball valve.
• Regulating the pressure of the process using pressure reducing valve.
• Protecting of a device or a piping system from back-pressures or overpressures (check valve)
• Filtering the debris flowing through a pipeline for the protection of the equipment which might have been damaged by solid dirt parts using basket strainers.

Ball valves :

The ball valves are based on a quarter-turn rotational motion mechanism which when opened, makes the holes in the ball to stay in line with respect to the body inlet allowing all contents to pass through.

These balls are usually made out of a mixture of several metallic while the seats are made from a soft material like Teflon. These valves are mainly used for gases, air and liquids, since they are quick to turn on and off and has a tighter sealing with lower torque. Fevisa, one of the leading ball valves supplier around the world.

Butterfly valves :

These are rotational motion valves with the quarter-turn operation which are quite easy and fast to open since the valves usually come fitted with a gearbox where the stem is connected with a hand wheel by gear. This completely simplifies the operation of the valve, but at the expense of a reduction in speed. Weighing lighter and being quicker to use, these valves are actually available in varied sizes also it can cope with low-pressure drops and high-pressure recoveries. Fevisa being the market leader in various categories of Industrial valve suppliers, are also properly known as butterfly valve supplier who ensures all safety norms and face impending challenges in the field.

Gate valves :

Gate valves are mainly designed to start or stop a flow when a straighter flow of the fluid along a minimal flow restriction is needed. This valve when turned open, makes the disc of the gate open fully allowing contents to pass. Considering the valves with international standards likes WRAS approved Valves and UL FM-approved Valves gives more value to the quality of products.

Globe valves :

The globe valves are a linear motion valve used to stop, start and regulate flow. These valves are typically used for the water cooling systems, fuel oil transportation as well as for oil systems turbine lube. Also it is used for throttling and isolation services making it become the world’s most common type of valve due to its good shut off ability.

Plug valves :

The plug valves use a cylindrical or tapered plug to stop or start the flow. These are easier to turn off/on, also they are smaller in size compared to most of the valves and has a minimal resistance flow.

Conclusion:

The valves are basically the unsung heroes of the oil and gas industry since they are indispensable if there is any hope of your industrial products getting to consumers.

Fevisa being one of the leading valve manufacturers and valve stockist in Dubai, is of the opinion that it will be interesting to watch how all the leading valve manufacturers and valve suppliers, as well as their stockist i.e., USA, Europe, and the rest of the world, will innovate their strategies going forward also how technology may be further incorporated in industrial valves.

Further, our Europe origin valves are designed to follow the various industrial standards and customers’ requirements. Our team of designers & engineers can assist you into making the right choice of the kind of valve for your application. Fevisa is ever ready to help you out in the choice of stock valves.