ISO-Certified Manufacturer
ISO 9001 · 14001 · 45001Electric Heating Expertise
Manufacturing Since 1992Replacing steam-based heating with an indirect electric heating approach for oilfield gathering and transportation.
This oilfield application required an alternative to conventional steam heating for gathering and transportation duties in a cold outdoor environment. XGTHERMAL supplied vacuum phase-change electric heating equipment for the retrofit.
The existing route involved a steam heat source, distribution pipework and supporting services. Outdoor steam distribution added heat loss, while boiler operation brought fuel handling, water treatment and maintenance requirements.
The retrofit needed to maintain gathering and transportation temperatures through cold winter conditions and desert wind exposure. Reducing steam-network losses and auxiliary maintenance had to be considered alongside wax deposition, blockage risk and changing production demand.
The supplied heating equipment combines vacuum phase-change heat transfer with automatic control for outdoor oilfield service.
The engineering approach addresses process-stream isolation, heating uniformity and the control requirements of an oilfield retrofit.
Electric elements heat an intermediate working fluid. Vapor transfers heat to the process coil, and condensate returns by gravity. The elements remain isolated from the process stream. Vapor condensation transfers heat to the coil, supporting more uniform heating and reducing direct exposure of the process fluid to electric-element surface temperatures.
PLC-based automatic temperature control regulates heating output around the required process temperature. A local operator interface and SCADA-ready communication support field operation and remote monitoring.
The equipment arrangement brings the heat source closer to the heating duty. Process and electrical protection are integrated with station controls, including overtemperature, overpressure and no-flow protection. Detailed trip settings remain specific to the installation.
The electric heating route reduces dependence on a boiler room and distributed steam services. Indirect heat transfer separates the electric elements from the oil and gas stream, while automatic regulation supports the required operating temperature.
Project materials report annual steam-heating cost savings of approximately RMB 6 million. This is a project-specific reported figure, rather than a guaranteed saving for other installations. The reported benefit combines changes to fuel consumption, steam-distribution losses, auxiliary services and maintenance. It is not an efficiency measurement for an individual heater; comparison depends on the original steam system, operating hours, energy prices and heating demand.
Local operation and remote monitoring bring temperature, pressure, power status and alarms into the station operating environment. The retrofit provides a practical reference for reviewing boiler support, steam-network maintenance and heating-related production interruptions alongside the required process duty.
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