Kotech KDP-34/10 Oil-Free Compressor Supports Chemical Cleaning in Saudi Arabia’s Oil & Gas Sector

The client was contracted to perform chemical cleaning and pre-commissioning on a newly constructed oil and gas pipeline. The cleaning process required compressed air to drive pigs through the pipeline, circulating chemical solutions to remove mill scale, weld slag, and construction debris. After cleaning, compressed air was also used for blow-drying the line to meet pre-commissioning acceptance standards.

The client's existing oil-lubricated portable compressors, even with multi-stage filtration, carried a persistent risk of oil vapor and condensate contamination in the compressed air supply. Trace oil mixing with chemical cleaning agents would reduce their effectiveness or leave an oily film on the pipe's internal surface, causing the entire cleaning campaign to fail. Oil or moisture left behind after blow-drying would result in failure of the final inspection by Saudi Aramco, requiring costly rework and project delays. Additionally, oil contamination could cause pig seals to swell and get stuck inside the pipeline, creating a serious operational hazard. The client needed a truly 100% oil-free, dry, and clean compressed air source.

Kotech deployed a single KDP-34/10 100% oil-free diesel portable rotary screw air compressor for this project. The unit features dry-running oil-free compression technology, with no oil introduced into the compression chamber. The output air is third-party certified to ISO 8573-1 Class 0 standard, guaranteeing zero detectable oil in any form.

The compressor delivers 34 m³/min (1,200 CFM) at 10 bar working pressure, providing the high-volume, high-pressure air required for chemical cleaning and pipeline blow-drying. Powered by a Cummins diesel engine and equipped with a high-ambient cooling package, the unit operates reliably in Saudi summer temperatures exceeding 45°C. The trailer-mounted chassis enables easy relocation between pipeline sections as the cleaning campaign progresses.

Kotech engineers managed on-site commissioning, pipeline connections, and integration with the client's pig launcher/receiver systems, ensuring stable operation throughout the 90-day cleaning cycle.