(32dv) Fast-Tracking Success: Ensuring Process Safety in Expedited Oil Production Projects

Due to the high demand for rapid oil drops opportunity of a very optimistic reservoir that often conflict with the rigorous timeline and safety standards required for new production facilities. Engineering team were up to the challenge of designing a temporary (2 years) early production facility within a tight project timeframe yet ensuring operational excellence, process safety and integrity. This paper will focus on the design process safety compliance to the company stringent standards to fast-track project, and touch basis on the technical aspect of how non compliance were handled and brought to ALARP like underrated pumps’ suctions, slop requirement in flare header, and tank over pressurization due liquid overflow.

Reverse flow in pressurizing equipment, such as pumps and compressors operating in a (1 running + 1 standby) configuration, presents a significant risk that can lead to severe casualties, asset damage, and potential fatalities, with severity governed by the rate of pressure escalation. Recognizing the global importance of mitigating such risks, companies around the world implement measures to prevent these scenarios, drawing on lessons learned from past incidents. For instance, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has adopted a design standard that ensures both the suction and discharge sides of pressurizing equipment are equipped to withstand maximum expected discharge pressure or are provided with appropriate overpressure protection.

In the case of this early production facility project, however, a unique challenge arises: the pumps are installed as pre-configured skids designed for quick deployment, which restricts the feasibility of modifying skid suction pipe or incorporating mechanical protection in underrated section. Consequently, the team explored alternative solutions to prevent reverse flow without modifying the pump skids, aiming to maintain operational continuity and mitigate risk to bring it to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) by leveraging the presence of 24-hour operators, the solution involved deploying valves locking mechanism (LO/LC) to secure the standby pump against reverse flow, relying on operator intervention and running pump working status alarm for timely cutover.

Another significant challenge is meeting the slope requirements for the flare header towards the Knock Out Drum (KOD) to prevent corrosion caused by fluid stagnation in low points and to avoid intermittent flow. For a temporary facility with a two-year operational lifespan, achieving the necessary slope is CAPEX-intensive, requiring substantial construction and structural modifications. Consequently, the decision was made to install a low-point drain valve that can be periodically operated by personnel on a regular schedule or in response to any relief valve (RV) activation. This design approach fulfills the intent of the slope requirement in a conventional manner while ensuring that the risk remains as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

The last critical process safety related design matter is the tanks overfilling and protentional of over pressurization. The concern was identified during the HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) analysis conducted for this fast-track project. The scenario considered the possibility of transfer pump trips, leading to a continuous increase in tank levels and eventual overflow through the flare system. This situation call for an assessment of the potential for tank over pressurization due to liquid overfilling.

Understanding the design requirements, protection measures, and risk implications is essential. In this case, the tank mainly handles water with a low oil-in-water (OIW) percentage, making the worst-case scenario an overflow of water through the flare tip and the station, potentially filling the entire flare system. To mitigate this risk, the tanks are equipped with multiple safety alarms and trips, including high-level alarms (LAH), high-high level trips (LZHH) that shut down the station, high-level alarms (LAH) in the flare KOD, and high-high level trips (LZHH) that trip the station. These alarms are designed to operate independently of the initiating event. Additionally, the design considerations ensure that operators have adequate response time to take appropriate action upon alarm activation, allowing for a mindful and timely intervention which reflects in PVRV(Pressure Vacuum Relieve Valve) design and Vent size.

In conclusion, this abstract highlight the adaptive and fit for purpose design strategy that meets with the company stringent process safety requirement without missing the expedited timeframe of an temporary early production facility. Faced with various design challenges like under-designed of non-flexible pump skid, flare system slope constraint and tank over pressurization. This was accomplished by prioritizing stringent safety standards in design by applying pragmatic ALARP approach backboned by operator intervention , enhanced alarm system and mechanical protections in order to achieve a balance of safety, operation efficiency and expedite timeline.