AsemconnectVietnam - Over 35 years of formation and development, Vietnam Gas Corporation (PV GAS) has written a proud journey, from its first steps amidst countless difficulties to its position as a pillar of the country's gas industry.

The project titled "Application of Scientific and Technological Solutions in Vietnam's Gas Industry to Contribute to Ensuring National Energy and Food Security" is the clearest evidence of the creativity and aspiration for conquest of the Petrovietnam/PV GAS staff and workers in the gas industry.
Overcoming Challenges, Bringing Precious Gas Ashore
In the 1990s, Vietnam faced numerous difficulties due to embargoes and a severe energy shortage. Frequent power outages disrupted production and negatively impacted social life. Meanwhile, although Vietsovpetro had been extracting oil at the Bach Ho field since 1986, the associated gas separated out still had to be burned offshore due to a lack of collection infrastructure. The paradox was that the Ba Ria Thermal Power Plant – only about 120 km from the Bach Ho field – was entirely dependent on imported DO/FO fuel. Faced with this urgent need, in 1991, the Vietnam Gas Company (now Vietnam Gas Corporation - PV GAS) was entrusted by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation (now Vietnam National Energy Corporation - Petrovietnam) with the crucial task of quickly collecting and bringing the gas ashore to replace oil fuel at the Ba Ria thermal power plant.
This was a colossal challenge for PV GAS, which had to start from scratch: limited experience, technology, and human resources; an inconsistent legal framework; and extremely tight budgets. However, through diligent learning and innovative scientific and technological solutions, PV GAS, in close cooperation with Vietsovpetro, successfully brought the first gas flow ashore. This event not only solved the fuel problem for the Ba Ria Thermal Power Plant but also marked a historic milestone: the birth of Vietnam's gas industry.
The mark of science and technology: The foundation for safe and stable operation
To quickly realize the goal of bringing gas ashore amidst a complete shortage of offshore compression platforms and onshore processing infrastructure, PV GAS and Vietsovpetro implemented groundbreaking technical solutions. By creatively utilizing reservoir pressure combined with the natural cold temperature of seawater at the bottom layer, they successfully transported gas from the Bach Ho field to the mainland without the need for compressors or complex heat exchangers.
Notably, this was the first time in Vietnam and the region that a high-power ejector was used to mix high-pressure and low-pressure gas streams. This solution increased the gas flow rate at medium pressure, creating thrust to propel the gas further along the pipeline. The flexibility and innovation in technology enabled PV GAS to promptly supply clean fuel to power plants, addressing the country's energy shortage at the time.
During operation, the two-phase gas-liquid pipeline system from offshore to onshore (with a length among the longest in the world) always faced the enormous risk of forming giant "liquid plugs" (slugs). If these plugs entered the plant's processing system, they could damage all the equipment, leading to serious economic and safety consequences.
To control this situation, PV GAS implemented an optimized operation solution based on MSI simulation software. This technology allows for tight control over the accumulation and movement of liquid nodes within the gas pipeline, ensuring continuous, stable, and safe flow for the entire onshore processing system.
Simultaneously, PV GAS has demonstrated its technological self-reliance through the successful research and development of the GCAP software, with features equivalent to the international HYSYS software.
This tool plays a crucial role in controlling gas processing processes and allows for accurate prediction of hydraulic losses of the gas-liquid flow within the pipeline throughout operation.
Mastering the MSI and GCAP software combination has created a comprehensive technological monitoring platform, helping to maintain absolute stability and safety for the offshore pipeline system and gas processing plants.
During operation, PV GAS has also been innovative and flexible in its research, utilizing the existing capacity of its equipment to upgrade the gas processing capacity of the Dinh Co plant from 4.3 to 7 million Sm3/day and the Nam Con Son plant from 20 to 22 million Sm3/day, ensuring maximum recovery of liquid products, LPG, and improving production and business efficiency. This is a solution with high practical value, providing a basis for the state to develop more thermal power plants and plants producing products for other industrial and agricultural sectors.
The power of science and technology has yielded impressive figures, with the total direct economic value from the solutions of the project reaching approximately VND2,400 billion. To date, PV GAS has collected and transported 186 billion Sm3 of gas to shore, contributing to total revenue of VND1.3 trillion and paying VND110 trillion to the state budget. This project has formed a complete nationwide gas system, including the Cuu Long, Nam Con Son, Ca Mau, and Ham Rong – Thai Binh gas systems; a system of storage and port facilities; and gas and gas product distribution systems, serving the collection, transportation of gas from offshore to onshore, processing, and commercialization for customers.
Beyond its economic value, this complex of projects plays a crucial role in ensuring national energy and food security through a stable gas supply for production and daily life. The safe operation of the gas system not only strengthens the confidence of investors to accelerate exploration and prospecting but also sparks the development of industrial zones that use gas as a raw material and fuel, contributing to changing the socio-economic landscape in many localities and the country.
This is clear evidence of PV GAS's pioneering position in combining scientific intelligence and practical production. These strategic achievements have laid a solid foundation and contributed to the formation of a modern, complete, and highly promising gas industry, which continues to play a crucial role in enabling Vietnam's energy industry to confidently enter a new era with a new stature and position.
N.Nga
Source: VITIC/Tinnhanhchungkhoan