Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) has developed a high performance centrifugal compressor with the capacity to provide a high discharge pressure of 450 ata, or 44.1 mega pascals (mpa).

Until now, such high-pressure centrifugal compressors have rarely been manufactured in Japan, says MHI.

MHI started the development of this high performance compressor in 2001 with the aim of entering the gas injection equipment market.

The demand for this equipment has been steadily increasing due to recent trends in injecting gas into below ground oil and gas fields.

MHI intends to actively market this equipment by targeting energy development companies, including major oil companies as well as domestic and overseas engineering companies.

The new compressor has a discharge pressure capacity of 450 ata and suction pressure capacity of 205 ata.

Gas injection compressors are used to collect crude oil from aging oil fields through injecting compressed natural gas or inert gases below the ground.

Natural gas can also be stored below ground in oil and gas fields using these compressors.