API 616-2011 standard updates and its applicability to offshore platforms

In the oil and gas industry, Gas Turbines for the Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Industry Services(API 616) standard plays a crucial role in guiding the design and procurement of gas turbines. Oil and gas companies usually adopt it as the template for design and procurement of gas turbines after some modifications are made. After 13 years, API 616 -2011 replaced API 616-1998. Applicable types are added to the new edition. Besides, a series of new requirements and practices are included in the new edition to increase the design rationality and improve the unit performance and quality, aiming at safer and more reliable design. In this paper, the main differences between the two editions were analyzed, and the applicability of the new version was studied by combining the actual application situations and characteristics of gas turbines at offshore oil production platforms. Correlative comparison and induction were mainly adopted to compare the key factors influencing the design, procurement and operation maintenance, including interchangeability, safety, reliability and performance requirements. Finally, the corresponding conclusions and suggestions on applicability of the new edition were put forward.