CUSTOM ENGINEERING
From heat load calculation to commissioned heating skid -- fired, electric, and hybrid heating systems engineered in-house for non-standard process requirements.
The Heating Challenges That Standard Products Cannot Resolve Alone
Four standard heating technologies cover the majority of upstream oil and gas heating requirements. Custom engineering begins where the standard product ends: when the fluid is unusual, when the heating duty involves multiple technologies working together, when the installation environment imposes constraints no catalog product was designed for, or when the system must integrate heating with separation, metering, or chemical injection in a single engineered skid.
Integrated Heating and Separation Skids
In compact wellsite and gathering station installations, heating and separation functions are frequently combined into a single skid to minimize footprint, reduce piping connections, and provide a single commissioning event. Designing a heating-separation integrated skid requires thermal and process engineering to work simultaneously: the heater outlet temperature must match the separator inlet requirement; the combined weight and centre of gravity must be within transport limits; the control system must manage both the heater's temperature control and the separator's level control as a coordinated system.
Non-Standard Fluids and Extreme Operating Conditions
Standard water bath and vacuum phase-change heaters are sized for typical crude oil and gas streams. When the fluid is outside the standard envelope -- extremely high pour point (>60°C), high wax content crude requiring active temperature rise rather than maintenance, CO₂-rich gas causing carbonic acid corrosion, sour crude with H₂S above standard material thresholds, or produced water with extreme scaling tendency -- the heating system requires engineering departures from standard designs.
Remote and Unmanned Site Heating Systems
Heating equipment at unmanned wellsites and remote gathering stations must operate for extended periods without manual intervention. This requires: automated burner management with remote alarm transmission, fuel gas pressure monitoring and automatic shutdown on low fuel, battery or solar backup for control power, GSM/satellite alarm forwarding, and robust mechanical design that tolerates the maintenance intervals typical of remote site operations.
Offshore and Marine Heating Applications
Offshore platform and FPSO heating systems face constraints absent from onshore applications: weight limits, deck footprint measured in square metres, marine environment corrosion, explosion-proof requirements across the entire system, structural design for wave-induced motion loads, and classification society certification (DNV, BV, ABS, Lloyd's) in addition to process equipment standards.
Sinopec No. 5 Joint Station -- Top 10 Excellent Supplier · Congo Jiarou Oilfield -- heating integration in LNG project · CNOOC Wushi -- dehydration & demercurization heating
Thermal Engineering First -- Then Fabrication
Custom heating projects require a different engineering sequence than custom separation projects. The starting point is the thermal energy balance: where is the heat coming from, where is it going, and how much of it must move through each piece of equipment per unit time. Getting this calculation right determines everything downstream.
Heat Load Calculation and Duty Definition
Every custom heating project begins with a heat load calculation. This is not a simple Q = m × Cp × ΔT for the process fluid -- it includes:
- Process-side duty: heat required to raise fluid from inlet to outlet temp at design flow rate, accounting for fluid physical properties.
- Heat losses: heat lost from vessel, piping, and skid structure to ambient environment.
- Start-up duty: additional heat required to bring system from cold start to operating temp within specified time.
- Turndown behaviour: heater's performance at minimum flow rates.
Heater Technology Selection
| Factor | Technology Implication |
|---|---|
| Fuel gas availability | No fuel gas → electromagnetic / electric; Fuel available → fired options |
| Area classification | Zone 1 no flame → electromagnetic; Zone 1 with permit → flameproof fired |
| Efficiency requirement | >90% target → vacuum phase-change or electromagnetic |
| Offshore / weight-critical | Weight constraints → compact electromagnetic or electric tracing |
Thermal Design
- Fired heaters: Fire tube sizing, coil sizing (heat transfer area, passes), thermal efficiency calculation.
- Electromagnetic heaters: Inductor geometry, frequency selection, coupling efficiency, thermal penetration depth.
- Electric heat tracing: Heat loss calc per segment, cable output selection, insulation optimization.
- Heat exchangers: LMTD/NTU calculation, tube count, shell type, pressure drop verification.
Mechanical Design and Code Compliance
Each pressure-retaining component is designed to the applicable code: GB 150 for pressure vessels, GB/T 151 for heat exchangers, ASME VIII Div.1 for export. Fire tube design follows GB 9222. Burner and fuel gas train design follows SY/T 0538 and GB 50183.
Control System and Burner Management Design
For fired heaters, the burner management system (BMS) is a safety-critical function. LINSON OIL designs BMS logic to IEC 61511 principles: flame safeguard, sequence, purge cycle, safe shutdown. For integrated skids, a unified PLC manages both heating and separation loops.
Skid Integration, FAT, and Commissioning
Custom heating skids are assembled and tested in our factory. FAT includes: full burner firing test, thermal efficiency measurement, temperature control response, safety shutdown tests. On-site commissioning engineers available for complex start-ups.
What LINSON OIL Can Engineer and Build
Comprehensive capabilities across disciplines and equipment types.
Engineering Disciplines
Equipment Types
- ■ Water bath heaters -- any duty, any fluid, any pressure class
- ■ Vacuum phase-change heaters -- split-body for transport constraints
- ■ Electromagnetic heaters -- Zone 1 / IIC rated systems
- ■ Electric heat tracing systems -- complete system design
- ■ Fired reboilers -- for distillation and stabilization columns
- ■ Shell-and-tube heat exchangers -- process, steam, or hot oil duty
- ■ Integrated heating-separation skids -- heater + separator + metering
- ■ Remote-site automated packages -- unmanned operation; SCADA
How We Work With You
Flexible cooperation models adapting to your engineering capabilities and project requirements.
Full Custom Heating Engineering + Fabrication
Client provides: process fluid data, temperatures, flow rates, constraints, area class.
LINSON OIL delivers: heat load calc, selection, full mechanical/thermal design, fabricated & tested system.
Best for: EPC projects, greenfield, non-standard requirements
Client Thermal Design + LINSON OIL Fabrication
Client provides: approved heater datasheet (duty, pressure, materials).
LINSON OIL delivers: fabricated heater to client's thermal design, full GB 150/ASME certification.
Best for: Engineering companies with in-house thermal capability
Hybrid System Integration
Client provides: individual heater specs for facility sections.
LINSON OIL delivers: integrated design coordinating multiple types, unified control, full skid integration.
Best for: Facilities using mixed heating technologies
Long-Term Heating Equipment Partnership
For recurring requirements (annual procurement, replacement). Framework agreement with pre-agreed specs, formats, pricing, and scheduling.
Best for: Operators with continuous field development
21 Years of Heating Equipment Supply. Certified. Tested. Recognised.
The Sinopec Recognition
Awarded Sinopec Northwest Bureau's Top 10 Excellent Supplier in 2020 and 2021. Determined by performance: on-time delivery, QA acceptance, HSE, and service. Sustained two consecutive years.
Certifications
- • Special Equipment Mfg (A2 + High-Pressure)
- • GB 150 / ASME VIII Div.1 / U-stamp
- • GB/T 151 / TEMA
- • CNAS Accredited Laboratory
- • Explosion protection: ExdbIICT3-T6Gb
- • ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 / 3834
- • 87 Patents
QA Process for Custom Heating Projects
Thermal Design Review
Heat load calc & sizing reviewed internally. Design basis documented and submitted for client approval. Explicit sizing margins.
Material Traceability
Mill certificates for all pressure parts. 3.1 certs and PWHT records for high-pressure/sour service. ISO 3834 welding records.
NDT and Pressure Testing
CNAS-accredited in-house NDT (RT, UT, MT, PT). Independent hydrostatic tests. Third-party witness accommodated.
Thermal Efficiency Test & FAT
Flue gas analysis for fired heaters. Electrical input vs heat output for EM heaters. Full BMS functions and PLC interlock testing.
Export Documentation
Complete dossier: Ex certs, pressure test, thermal efficiency, NDT, and commissioning manual.
Custom Heating Engineering -- The Project Record
Sinopec Northwest Bureau -- No. 5 Joint Station
Custom-engineered heating equipment supplied for the central processing hub's production system. Met strict technical standards and continuous operation requirements, earning Top 10 Excellent Supplier for two consecutive years.
Congo (Brazzaville) Jiarou Oilfield, Phase I/II/III
Heating stages integrated with associated gas recovery and LNG liquefaction system. Custom engineered for international shipping, local conditions, and strict process temperature control required for downstream liquefaction.
CNOOC Wushi Oilfield -- Onshore Terminal
Dehydration and demercurization system incorporating heating stages for crude oil dehydration and gas conditioning. First such integrated system in Shandong Province (2025 First-of-its-Kind Equipment designation).
Warranty & Support
Standard: 2 Years
From commissioning or 26 months from shipment. Covers mechanical integrity, thermal performance, control function, and burner operation. We warranty the system performance, not just components.
Long-term Partners: up to 2.5 Years
Dedicated project engineer as ongoing technical contact.
Post-Delivery Engineering Support
- Commissioning: On-site engineers for fired heater cut-in, loop tuning, BMS verification.
- Performance Review: 3-6 month data review vs design basis to recommend optimizations.
- Capacity Studies: Assessment for changing process conditions.
- Retrofits: Adding remote monitoring, BMS upgrades, pressure rerating.
Your Heating Requirement Is the Starting Point. Our Engineering Team Is the Solution.
Custom heating projects start with a conversation about the process. Send us these parameters and our thermal engineers will come back with a preliminary technology selection, heat load estimate, and relevant project reference -- typically within 1-2 business days. No commitment required.
Free Engineering Resource
Describe your heating requirement and receive:
- ✓ Preliminary heater technology recommendation
- ✓ Heat load estimate based on your parameters
- ✓ Relevant project reference matched to your fluid
Reviewed directly by a LINSON OIL senior thermal engineer.