In this guide we’ll walk you through everything there is to know about high pressure control valves.
From the basics of how it works to step-by-step repairs and troubleshooting, you’ll gain a solid foundation of knowledge on how to operate and maintain Kimray’s high pressure control valves.
Use the table of contents to skip to different sections of the learning path.
A High Pressure Control Valve is a valve that can operate in pressures above 500 PSI. The design of a High Pressure Control Valve allows it to operate at a maximum working pressure of 500 PSI or more without damaging the valve body.
One of the first questions to determine when setting up a high pressure valve is what is going to power it?
These valves can be powered by either pneumatic or electric power. Power is delivered to the valve through an actuator, which is typically bolted to the top of the valve.
A pneumatic actuator receives a pneumatic signal from a pressure pilot (using either gas or compressed air) and positions the valve according to that signal.
An electric actuator receives an electrical signal from an Electric Pilot or RTU. The actuator then drives that valve to a corresponding level based on that signal.
Two distinct advantages of electric actuation include zero-emission operation and automation capabilities.
In oil and gas production, these valves are used in a variety of applications. These include but are not limited to dump valves, back pressure valves, suction controllers, and re-circulation valves.
The Kimray High Pressure Control Valve is a versatile solution for all your oil and gas production needs.
It can be used as a dump valve, pressure regulator, suction controller, recirculation valve, as well as in plunger lift applications.
There are two options to choose from: Stem Guided or Cage Guided.
The stem-guided valve can be configured with either snap, nominal or equal percentage trim. This allows you to use it for a liquid dump or gas control application. If your conditions change, these trim sets can also be swapped out in the field without taking the body out of line.
The valve will remain in its fail position until it’s told to do otherwise by a pilot or liquid level controller.
In a liquid dump application, it will receive a pneumatic signal from a liquid level controller to open and dump the liquid.
In a pressure regulating application, one of our pressure pilots will be monitoring either upstream or downstream pressure, and when it needs to make an adjustment, it will send a pneumatic signal to the valve actuator to open or close it.
The flow through the Stem-Guided High Pressure Control Valve comes from on top of the seat. This valve offers precise control with the small Cv trim options.
The flow through the Cage-Guided High Pressure Control Valve comes from underneath the seat. The upstream pressure moves through the two communication holes inside the piston. This equalizes the pressure on the top and bottom of the piston.
This means that the valve is balanced, so regardless of how large your pressure drop is, the valve can be opened or closed by a standard pressure of supply gas from the pilot.
The open-yoke design on both of these valves gives us an indication of valve travel. This also allows early detection of packing wear to indicate whether you need to change the packing.
High Pressure Control Valves can be field converted to fail open or close with simple hand tools, and there’s no need to purchase any additional parts.
These valves are also compatible with electric actuators for zero-emission, automated control.
With the increased use of proppant in well completions, control valve body replacement has become a regular requirement for oil and gas producers.
Erosive production fluid causes equipment damage and can lead to environmental and safety issues as well as costly downtime.
High Pressure Control Valves bear the brunt of this erosion, and valve bodies can eventually be compromised.
The T-Body High Pressure Control Valve is designed specifically for the erosive production conditions of today's oilfield.
With regular maintenance, the T-Body provides long-lasting control of high-pressure processes and allows you to minimize control valve body replacement.
There are 4 key features that make this valve effective:
The key feature of the T-Body valve is the replaceable wear plug assembly. This plug assembly is designed to absorb the force of sand and other erosive materials that wear away and damage HPCVs.
With the T-Body, you can easily examine this sacrificial piece and replace it without taking the valve out of line. This is a much more low-cost option than replacing the entire valve body.
The NPT end connection option can also be quickly converted from through-body to angle-body configuration.
This means you can easily repurpose your valves for different applications and purchase one valve rather than two to reduce the overall amount of inventory needed for your operation.
A standard 2” NPT Plug is included in the box for converting the valve to the angle body configuration. Use of this plug in the bottom port will negatively affect valve performance.
The flanged T-Body options include flanges on the side ports and retain the 2” NPT port on the bottom for the wear plug assembly.
With the pneumatic version of the T-Body, you can convert the topworks in the field from fail-closed to fail-open operation.
The T-Body High Pressure Control Valve comes standard for pneumatic actuation. You can also pair it with one of our electric actuators to reap benefits like zero-emission operation and remote control.
The T-Body High Pressure Control Valve is ideal for liquid dump, plunger lift, gas lift, flowback, or any other control application where erosive conditions exist.
For example, a producer was operating plunger lift wells in very sandy conditions in Western Oklahoma. On these particular wells, they had transitioned to plunger lift during initial production, directly after flowback.
The problem they were facing was with the valves on their flowline.
The T-Body is available in 2” NPT and a variety of different 2” flanged options, from 150RF up to API 5000.
All types can be fitted with the full line of trim options from Kimray's Stem-Guided High Pressure Control Valves.
Speak with an expert at your local Kimray store or authorized distributor to see how the T-Body could help your operation.
High Pressure Control Valves are used by upstream energy producers around the globe to control processes like separation and pressure reduction.
They can also be combined with other components to create pressure packages for regulation control.
Rather than ordering multiple components, connectors and tubing to assemble, producers can order application-specific valve packages, which include all the necessary accessories, pre-assembled.
In this video, we look at what producers find so useful about these valve packages and explore a few of the most popular and versatile product options.
Kimray High Pressure Control Valve packages perform the same functions as Back Pressure and Pressure Reducing Regulators, but at higher working pressures—from 300 PSI to 4000 PSI, depending on the model.
A High Pressure Back Pressure Package will hold a pressure set point on a vessel and aid the moving of the resources from one process to another. Without this pressure being held on the vessel, the liquids can’t be forced out of the vessel.
A High Pressure Pressure Reducing Package will hold a consistent set point downstream of the valve on high pressure flow lines.
A High Pressure Control Valve package can also be used in a low pressure application. For example, if the Cv requirement of the application is lower than achievable with an integrated regulator, a package with an ounces pilot and small trim can be used.
When you purchase a High Pressure Control Valve to use in either a back pressure or pressure reducing application, you need several additional components to make that valve function. Producers can order application-specific valve packages rather than ordering multiple parts to assemble themselves.
When you order from Kimray, we’ll help you spec your package, and it’ll be delivered fully assembled and ready to install. We strategically build these packages with the components closer together, facing the front of the valve and on the upstream side. This way they’re all accessible to the user, with less tubing used.
However, if you already have components or just need to swap out something to function for a different application, the parts are available individually and can easily be assembled with common tools and various tubing connectors.
We have also have step-by-step videos available for how to assemble High Pressure Control Valve Packages.
Now let’s go over the key components that will be needed for almost all valve packages.
The first item is the High Pressure Control Valve body which comes in a variety of end connection sizes and types, all rated for pressure over 500 PSI.
Valve bodies for control valve packages come standard with equal percentage trim. Various trim sizes and material options are available depending on your specific production conditions and all are easily replaceable for regular maintenance.
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The Pilot tells the valve what to do. There are two main options:
The Bellows Controlled Pilot also allows for a package to control liquid pressure in high pressure conditions.
All pressure pilots on a valve package can optionally operate with zero emissions with no conversion or additional parts by using compressed air rather than supply gas from your production vessel.
Supply Gas Regulators reduce unregulated pressure to supply the pilot with constant reduced pressure.
Sense Line Protectors protect the pilot from over pressurization by blocking the supply pressure when it exceeds the adjustable limit.
The Drip Pot removes moisture from natural gas or compressed air before it flows into instrumentation where dry gas or air is required.
Operators can install product repair kits, which are available for most components on the package. Establishing a consistent valve maintenance routine of examining and replacing key components is a cost-effective way to keep them running longer.
To save time on this process, Kimray offers Field Services that can perform maintenance and repairs on-location.
Manufactured and assembled in the USA, our High Pressure Control Valve Packages are certified for use in North and South America, and most areas around the world.
A pressure reducing valve holds a consistent set point downstream of the valve. For reducing pressure in high pressure application, you can use a High Pressure Pressure Reducing Package.
These packages can be set up with either a Diaphragm Controlled High Pressure Pilot or a Bellows Controlled High Pressure Pilot depending on your site conditions.
In this example, the downstream pressure will hover around 99 PSI, where the valve is barely open, to 100 PSI, when the valve is closed. This can also be seen on the travel indicator as it only moves between the lower two marks.
As this cycle repeats, liquids continue to fall out of the supply gas into the drip pot where it will need to be drained regularly, depending on the conditions.
Next we’re going to look at the production flow through a High Pressure Pressure Reducing Package configured with a Bellows Controlled High Pressure Pilot.
The rapid but stable repositioning of the pilot plug produces a throttling action, and the valve will open and closed by only a small percentage to maintain the set point.
As this cycle repeats, liquids continue to fall out of the supply gas into the drip pot where it will need to be drained regularly, depending on the conditions.
In this video, we look at gas flow through a High Pressure Back Pressure Package controlled by a Diaphragm Controlled High Pressure Pilot and then with a Bellows Controlled High Pressure Pilot.
Both are in the standard configuration as pressure-to-close (also called fail-open) and with equal percentage trim.
Note: The amount of movement shown in this animation is exaggerated to demonstrate the working concept.
First, we’ll look at a High Pressure Back Pressure Package with a Diaphragm Controlled High Pressure Pilot. This pressure pilot controls between 10 and 300 PSI.
The valve begins in an open position and the adjusting screw unthreaded. Zero pressure is maintained on the upstream side. The upstream pressure begins to flow—in this example, up to 50 PSI. No supply pressure is available yet to close the valve.
Upstream pressure flows into the drip pot and the sense line protector at the same time.
The sense line protector blocks pressure to the pilot when it exceeds the working pressure, which is 300 PSI. When upstream pressure is below 300 PSI, it enters under the pilot diaphragm assembly.
Meanwhile, the drip pot knocks out liquid from the supply gas, which could be detrimental to other instruments. Over time, liquids accumulate in the drip pot and will need to be drained regularly.
Next, the dry gas flows into the supply gas regulator. The upstream pressure is reduced to 30 PSI, which is the required supply pressure for the pilot. Before entering the pilot, it moves through a filter to remove debris.
The supply pressure is blocked by the pilot plug. When the adjusting screw is threaded into the bonnet, the spring puts pressure on the diaphragm assembly.
When this assembly is pushed down, it unseats the pilot plug and allows the flow of supply pressure to continue into the control valve actuator.
This supply pressure pushes down on the diaphragm assembly. This closes the valve and allows upstream pressure to increase.
With the set point at 150 PSI, this pilot will keep the valve closed until 150 PSI is reached. As the set point is approached, there is enough pressure pushing up the pilot diaphragm assembly to move it up and reposition the pilot plug.
Supply pressure is now blocked from entering the control valve actuator and is instead rerouted and vented out through the pilot.
Without pressure pushing down on the actuator diaphragm, the valve returns to its fail-safe position, which is open.
Once there is no longer enough upstream pressure to overcome the pilot spring tension, the pilot diaphragm assembly will move back down.
This will seat the top of the pilot plug and unseat the bottom, allowing supply pressure back into the control valve actuator, closing the valve.
If flow conditions are consistent, the valve will throttle open and closed by only a small percentage to maintain the set point. This is achievable because of the equal percentage trim.
Now, we’ll look at the gas flow through a High Pressure Back Pressure Package configured with a Bellows Controlled High Pressure Pilot. This pressure pilot controls between 75 and 2,500 PSI, depending on the model.
The valve begins in an open position and the adjusting screw completely unthreaded. Zero pressure is maintained on the upstream side. The upstream pressure begins to flow – in this example, up to 75 PSI.
No supply pressure is available yet to close the valve.
Upstream pressure flows into the sense line protector. This device allows pressure below the maximum set point to pass through.
It then flows into the pressure pilot where it encounters the bellows. The bellows is the pressure sensing element of the pilot.
Upstream pressure then flows into the drip pot, which knocks out liquid from the supply gas that could be detrimental to other instruments. Over time, liquids accumulate in the drip pot and will need to be drained regularly.
Next, the dry gas flows into the supply gas regulator. The upstream pressure is reduced to 30 PSI, which is the required supply pressure for the pilot.
This supply pressure moves into the pilot where the flow is blocked by the pilot plug.
When the adjusting screw is unthreaded, there is no downward pressure on the pilot diaphragm assembly. Once the adjusting screw is threaded into the bonnet, the spring puts pressure on the assembly, which positions the pilot plug to open the flow of supply pressure into the control valve actuator.
This supply pressure pushes down on the control valve diaphragm working against the tension of the spring. This closes the valve and allows upstream pressure to increase towards the set point.
With the set point at 400 PSI, this pilot will keep the valve closed until 400 PSI is reached.
As the upstream pressure (sense pressure) increases above the set point, it compresses the bellows, actuating the bellows stem to move the diaphragm assembly up.
Supply pressure is now blocked from entering the control valve actuator and is instead rerouted and vented out through the pilot.
Without pressure pushing down on the actuator diaphragm, the valve returns to its fail-safe position, which is open.
As upstream pressure (sense pressure) decreases below the set point, the bellows uncompresses. This allows the pilot spring tension to reposition the diaphragm assembly and unseat the lower pilot plug.
Supply pressure can now enter the actuator to close the control valve.
If flow conditions are consistent, the valve will throttle open and closed by only a small percentage to maintain the set point. This is achievable because of the equal percentage trim.
To speak with an expert about High Pressure Back Pressure Packages or the pilots that control them, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
You may be at an early stage in your oil and gas automation journey. You know exactly how to use conventional controllers, and you’re comfortable with them. But you’ve also heard about the advantages of being able to see your site conditions from one central place without driving your route. Sounds interesting, but you’re not sure where to start.
Or, maybe you’ve already incorporated some automation at your facilities. You know how remote communication works, but you wonder if the initial cost of programming and parts is really worth it.
In this video, Kyle introduces a solution that addresses both of these concerns: The Electric Valve Controller.
The Electric Valve Controller is a compact, easy-to-use solution for oil and gas automation, including remote monitoring and control of your production.
The controller is a package of six components:
Let’s walk through what each of these parts does:
Producers who use the Electric Valve Controller have reported four key advantages:
Examples of a discrete override include:
You can use the Electric Valve Controller in the following applications:
It can handle higher pressure applications than most pilot-operated pneumatic packages.
At Kimray we help energy producers solve their biggest control challenges. To speak with an expert about how to get started automating your valves, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
High Pressure Control Valve Learning Path
Installation, Repairs & Conversions
