In almost every way, the Gulf of Mexico is a desolate and unforgiving Place. There is no power grid serving the 700,000 sq.mi, of water. Yet that's where Lee Welch and his generator and equipment rental company makes its mark.
"We serve lots of markets here in South Louisiana and the surrounding area, but it is the offshore oil and gas business that is this company's prime mover," said Welch, whose Welch Generator Co. is headquartered in Larose, La. When an oil platform is being constructed, Welch noted, there is no electrical power available. It's generators, like the ones they sell, that power the tools, make worker accommodations livable and drive the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) that do much of the subsea work.
"For example, right now we are providing power for the construction of some of the world's largest deepwater oil and gas production facilities," Welch said. Welch named some of the biggest deepwater projects now underway such as Brutus, Diana, Medusa and others that depend on Welch rental generators for electric power.
For the Medusa project in the gulf, McDermott International is building the platform for Murphy Oil. There is a Welch generator on the partially completed platform that powers an accommodations module for workers and one on a McDermott construction barge serving a pair of ROVs that are involved in subsea construction.
Welch also has power solutions for production platforms as well. When a 4.7 MW generator operating pipeline pumps went out on a Chevron platform in the gulf, Welch quickly responded with four 1.25 MW generators to keep the platform producing. During the 27 days that the Welch generators were operating, the platform produced $90 million worth of product. The $50,000 rental cost of the generators was literally peanuts compared to the $90 million of product the company would have lost if the platform were shut down.
Welsh's brightly painted yellow enclosures are well known throughout the oil patch. Inside each enclosure is a Cummins diesel engine capable of driving generators rated at 15 kW to 1.5 MW. "We use Cummins diesel power exclusively for our rental generators," Welsh reported. "Cummins Mid-South is always there when we need them."
All generators are radiator cooled and most come with an integral fuel tank built into die base of the generator that typically holds more than a day's fuel. External fuel tanks are also available for all units in 562, 1000 and 4200 gal. capacities.
Welch uses many of the standard engines offered by Cummins, but also uses the newer electronic fuel system engines such as the QSX 15 and the QSK 23 that offer better fuel economy and lower emissions. Many of the Welch generator packages come with dual radiators from Hart Heat Transfer Products, Houston, Texas. One radiator is used to cool the turbocharged air while a separate radiator-mounted flush to the first unit cools the engine water. "The enclosures for the gen-sets are fabricated in our own factory to withstand the harsh, often brutal weather encountered in the Gulf," Welch said.
While oil and gas rigs and production platforms are the major users of Welch generators in the gulf, offshore service vessels are also prime customers. Typically a supply boat will have a pair of 300 to 500 kW gen-sets on board to handle the vessel's electrical needs. If one of those gen-sets goes down for any length of time, Welch can provide one of equal capacity to keep the boat working and even repair the vessel generator through a sister company Houma Armature Works.
Unusual, one-of-a-kind uses for Welch generators have become almost commonplace. For example, when Edison Chouest Offshore wanted to move its huge new anchor handler, Laney Chouest, from its shipyard to the Gulf, the transfer was accomplished by using two drydocks to lift the vessel up a few feet so it would clear the shallow bottom of the route to the Gulf. Two Welsh generators were in service to power the dry docks on the voyage. The docks are usually fixed in place at the shipyard using shore power.
Onshore, there are also many uses for Welch generators. Allied to the offshore industry is the need to protect the welds of big pipes. In the stress relieving process, a thermal blanket is placed on each side of the weld and that blanket is heated to 700[degrees]F and let% in place for four to five hours.
Since these pipes are often in areas not served by electric power service, Welch generators are often used to provide the electricity for the stress relieving operation.
In petrochemical plants, rental power is often called upon when main line power is shut off during renovations or additions. "Power companies charge petchem plants for power by the day, not the kilowatt used," Welch said. "If a section of a plant is operating with minimal power due to construction work, it is often cheaper for the plant to rent generators rather than pay the day rate for full power."
In large food distribution centers, the loss of mare line power can be a disaster. Even if the facility has a stand-by generator, that unit typically can supply emergency power to operate essential services for just a few hours. To keep refrigeration working over a longer period typically calls for 300 kW to 500 kW or more and that is usually outside the range of an in-place emergency generator.
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