Lubrication of Steam, Gas and Water Turbines in Power Generation - a Chevrontexaco Experience

On 9 October 2001 two US oil companies Chevron and Texaco merged. Their long-term joint venture operation, known as Caltex (formed in 1936 and operating in East and Southern Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australasia), was incorporated into the one global energy company. This global enterprise will be highly competitive across all energy sectors, as the new company brings together a wealth of talents, shared values and a strong commitment to developing vital energy resources around the globe. Worldwide, ChevronTexaco is the third largest publicly traded company in terms of oil and gas reserves, with some 11.8 billion barrels of oil and gas equivalent. It is the fourth largest producer, with daily production of 2.7 million barrels. The company also has 22 refineries and more than 21,000 branded service stations worldwide. This paper will review the fundamentals of lubrication as they apply to the components of turbines. It will then look at three turbine types, steam, gas and water, to address the different needs of lubricating oils and the appropriate specifications for each. The significance of oil testing both for product development and in-service oil monitoring will be reviewed, together with the supporting field experience of ChevronTexaco. The environmental emissions controls on turbines and any impact on the lubricants will be discussed. Finally, the trends in specifications for lubricating oils to address the modern turbines designs will be reviewed.