Fin fans

Monadelphous has continued to demonstrate the value of its experienced and motivated team in Karratha, helping its customer to set a new reliability record for its LNG assets.  

Since 2017 a dedicated Monadelphous team solely focused on the maintenance of its fin fans. The team works on the fin fans that sit atop of the LNG trains at Karratha Gas Plant (KGP) and Pluto Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Park in north west Western Australia. The fans cool gas during processing, moving lower temperature air over multiple rows of finned tubes.  

Alex McWhirter, Campaign Leader said the use of a dedicated team is leading to great results.  

“The engagement of a team dedicated to the fin fan maintenance demonstrates the value we are able to deliver to our customer,” said Alex.    

In October 2023 KGP had only one fin fan out of service; a new record on the site. This was the lowest number of fin fans out of service in a month ever recorded at KGP.  

“The new record is the result of continual small improvements. This comes from having a motivated crew, by following procedures, and by placing an emphasis on quality. These factors together allow us to get maximum lifespan out of the equipment,” said Alex.  

At KGP there are 1200 fin fans spread over five LNG trains. On average 1.5 fans need maintenance or repair every day. A fix can take anywhere from an hour to days depending on the severity of the issue.  

“We have been having low numbers of fans outages over an extended period so it is satisfying to see that we have set a new record. The team have really taken on ownership and accountability for this project and they should be proud of the work they have done,” Alex said.  

Well done to everyone involved.