GMS Interneer oil & gas equipment users in Thailand

[wm5398]

LNG Plant Safety

The use of natural gas as a cleaner-burning alternative to other fossil fuels is becoming more popular as the globe works toward decarbonization. Natural gas may be converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for storage and transportation purposes, which is safer. Facilities that handle LNG, such as liquefaction plants, regasification plants, and storage facilities, are still connected with the possibility of injury or death from the gas. Understanding these dangers is critical to putting in place the required preventative and mitigation measures to protect people and property.

When it comes to LNG plants, an uncontrolled leak of a cryogenic, poisonous, or combustible fluid is a major concern. Releases of this kind might originate in a variety of locations within the industrial system. When these releases occur, the consequences are determined by what they expose and whether or not they are ignited. For the sake of simplicity, the most significant LNG plant risks may be divided into seven categories.

Natural gas liquids (LNG) take up just 1/600th of the volume of natural gas in its gaseous condition, but they maintain all of the energy potential. As a result, the energy potential of a certain volume of LNG is much larger than the energy potential of a same amount of natural gas in its gaseous condition. The intrinsic features of LNG, as well as the design and operation of LNG facilities and transportation modes, are all taken into consideration when addressing the safety of LNG facilities.

Land-based LNG facilities use impoundment structures surrounding LNG tanks and pipes, which are intended to limit the spread of LNG in the event of an accidental leak. When a release occurs, fire and vapor suppression devices are installed in order to limit the repercussions of the event. Automated fire suppression and vapor suppression systems are activated by gas detectors, fire detectors, temperature sensors, and other sensors. Firefighters may employ water spray to cool heat-affected exposures, or high-expansion foam to lessen the effect of radiant heat on certain exposures in the case of a fire. Vapor fences are constructed at certain sites to prevent fumes from escaping and spreading to neighboring property boundaries. In addition, vacuum jacketed pipe offers an extra layer of protection in the event that the inner pipe ruptures. When operating parameters exceed the usual range, emergency shutdown mechanisms are activated to prevent further damage. The operator of an LNG plant must establish and adhere to thorough maintenance protocols in order to maintain the integrity of the facility's different safety measures.

Prior to beginning operations, the LNG plant operator must develop precise operating procedures that outline the usual operating parameters for all of the facility's machinery. Any time a piece of equipment is upgraded or replaced, all associated processes must be examined and, if required, adjusted in order to maintain the system's integrity. All staff are required to undergo training in operations and maintenance, security, and firefighting before they may begin working. Coordination with local authority and informing them of the sorts of fire control devices accessible inside the facility are essential tasks for an owner or operator. Aside from that, federal requirements need a high level of security for the facility, which includes access control systems, communications systems, enclosure monitoring, and patrolling.

Risks associated with LNG installations include:
Temperature
           - It is possible to have cryogenic liquid releases that induce embrittlement if they come into contact with materials that are not intended to manage such releases, and freeze burns if they come into contact with persons.
           - Turbines, boilers, and engines generate electricity and heat by releasing hot vapor into the atmosphere.

Toxic
           - gas emissions such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or ammonia are a concern.

Asphyxiation
           - Releases of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or sulfur dioxide that replace oxygen in an area and may result in asphyxiation are classified as asphyxiation.

Pool Fire
           - Liquid discharges that collect in a pool on the ground or in water and ignite, resulting in a pool fire that might burn for hours or days.

Jet fire
           - Pressurized gas or liquid is released and ignites, resulting in a high heat flux jet fire with a fast rate of spread.

Vapor dispersion/flash fire
           - Gas or liquid discharges that cause a flammable cloud to build in an open area and then ignite, resulting in a brief and powerful flash fire that is hazardous to the surrounding environment.

Explosion of a vapor cloud (VCE)
           - An explosion and pressure wave are caused by the discharge of gas or liquid, which causes a flammable cloud to build in a crowded or confined region and then ignites.

Research and Studies about LNG Safety
Through its Pipeline Safety Research and Development programs, the Federal Highway Administration (PHMSA) sponsors LNG research. The following LNG projects are underway:
           - DTRS56-04-T-0005, Modeling and Assessing a Spectrum of Accidental Fires and Risks in an LNG Facility.
           - DTPH5615T00005, Comparison of Exclusion Zone Calculations and Vapor Dispersion Modeling Tools.
           - DTRS56-04-T-0005, Modeling and Assessing a Spectrum of Accidental Fires and Risks in an LNG Facility.
           - DTPH5615T00008, Statistical Review and Gap Analysis of LNG Failure Rate Table (Statistical Review and Gap Analysis of LNG Failure Rate Table)

An Overview of the History of Vapor Cloud Explosions (VCE)
The recent availability of domestic shale gas has resulted in the construction of LNG export facilities that will be able to liquefy massive amounts of natural gas. When it comes to liquefying natural gas, these facilities need substantially bigger volumes of refrigerants than are generally required in peak shaving or small-scale operations. ethane, propane, ethylene, and iso-butane are among the heavy hydrocarbons found in most refrigerants gases and mixes used in export facilities, and they are referred to as heavy hydrocarbons. These gases are comparable to gases that have caused VCEs at petrochemical sites in the past. However, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is not aware of any valid reports of outdoor natural gas vapor cloud explosions and does not think that there is a danger of vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) owing to the emission of methane in an open area.

The Review of Vapor Cloud Explosion Incidents report was sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) with the primary goal of improving scientific understanding of vapor cloud development and explosion in order to more reliably assess hazards at large liquid natural gas (LNG) export facilities. We must emphasize that the LNG export facilities in operation today have several levels of security in place that were not in place at the sites described in the study. Many of the lessons learnt from these incidents have resulted in the implementation of safety measures that are now needed in LNG installations. Specifically, the purpose of reviewing the specific incidents in this report is to examine the extensive forensic evidence that is available, which provides the information necessary to investigate how the vapor cloud formed and ignited, the amount of overpressure exerted, and other information about the mechanism of VCE.
https://www.gmsthailand.com/blog/lng-plant-safety/

[wm5398]

LNG Plant Commissioning Process

Commissioning
What is the process of commissioning?
In some ways, the commissioning process may be seen of as a quality assurance procedure that allows the construction project teams to produce a building that is fully operational and meets all of the specifications. This is a critical contrast between the delivery of a physical structure and the delivery of a facility in complete operating order that is really functional for persons, companies, and the environment as a whole.

The idea of full functioning order necessitates the completion of a number of goals, and there are several elements that influence the performance of a structure and its engineering services in general. Design characteristics that will allow for verification activities such as functioning, pressure testing, and flow regulation are included into the process in general. Procedures that will cover prescribed settings to work, system regulation, and performance testing are also included. The commissioning process must also include user and operator training, as well as the creation of critical system documentation, in order to properly support building operation and usage in the future.

Stages of the commissioning process
In the commissioning process, there are eight steps, which are as follows: preparation, design, pre-construction, construction, commissioning of services, pre-handover preparation, first occupation preparation, and post-occupancy care.

A building's actual energy consumption in the first year might be up to 25 percent greater than the estimate made during the design stage, and this is ascribed to insufficient commissioning and handover procedures during construction. doing the task successfully

All of the steps listed above, as well as beginning the commissioning process as soon as feasible, assure cost-effective project completion while also allowing the building's inhabitants to optimize equipment utilization long after the construction process is complete, according to the manufacturer.

The following is a summary of the actions that were carried out at each stage:
Stage 1 – Planning and Preparation:
         - Assemble the commissioning team.
         - Examine lessons learned and experiences gained from similar buildings and projects.
         - Clearly define the performance outcomes expected by the client and the end user.
         - Contribute to the development of a design brief that accurately represents the required performance

Stage 2 – Design:
         - Review the performance results with the client
         - Ensure that the commissioning process activities have been clearly established
         - Ensure that the performance outcomes reflect any modifications to the system/project design

Stage 3 – Pre-Construction:
         - Ensure that the contractors understand the performance requirements.
         - Verify that the trade contractors have the capability to satisfy the requirements of the commissioning process.

Stage 4 – Post-Construction:
         - Develop a thorough commissioning program.
         - Carry out pre-commissioning work, which includes checking the installation work and running static tests. Verify and record that the desired performance objectives have been met.
         - Ensure that progress on the creation of the O&M manuals is made on a consistent basis.


Stage 5 – Commissioning of Engineering Services:
         - Perform the initialization of systems and ensure that they are operational.
         - Verify that the necessary performance and outcome objectives have been met or exceeded.
         - Performance testing of the building, equipment, and engineering services should be carried out. Make that the specified performance levels have been met and record this in writing.
         - Include members of the facilities management team in the commissioning process.
         - Gather all of the commissioning checklists and test papers in one place.

Stage 6 – Preparation for Handover
         - Examine the quality of the documentation evidence gathered throughout the commissioning process's activities.
         - Maintain completeness and accuracy of all necessary statutory paperwork.
         - Provide users and operators with instruction and guidance.
         - Create and distribute user manuals for the building.
         - Examine the needs of the customer and respond to any discrepancies.

7. Initial Occupation:
         - Introduce the user to their equipment or premises and demonstrate how it works.
         - Assist the facilities management team with the earliest phases of the building's operation
         - Refresh commissioning records in line with and after approval of any revisions
         - Update the operation and maintenance manuals to reflect any modifications that have been authorized.

Stage 8 – Post-occupancy care
         - Seasonal commissioning.
         - Fine tuning of the building and its engineer services.
         - Building performance evidence is collected and reviewed.
         - Commissioning records and operation and maintenance manuals are updated in accordance with seasonal commissioning and fine-tuning work.
         - Lessons learned are produced by comparing building performance to design intent, client stakeholder expectations and industry benchmarks.

Documentation for the commissioning and transfer of services
Building handover information is incomplete without the inclusion of commissioning process verification and test records, which are crucial components of the handover information. It is not only important to have proof that the desired performance objectives have been reached, but it is also important to have knowledge about the method in which the system has been configured for operation in case any enhancement, modification, or fine-tuning work is needed after handover.

The summary commissioning process is the post-installation procedure that occurs prior to the start-up and operation of the system. It assures that the equipment that has been installed and linked will operate at peak efficiency from the beginning, while also validating that the performance of the LNG equipment has been reached. It is possible to complete this procedure on site at the client's option, and it includes a complete system assessment and optimization, as well as staff training and demonstration, as well as supporting documentation to support equipment usage now and in the future.

Starting up and commissioning your natural gas processing facility is a time-consuming process.
Start-up and commissioning are the last stages of preparations required before a natural gas processing plant or comparable processing facility can be put into production. The operations carried out throughout the start-up and commissioning phases should guarantee that the facility will function safely and in accordance with its design specifications and specifications.

The majority of EPC turnkey contracts include this phase as part of the overall package. Engineers, field technicians, and operations people will comb over every inch of the plant, inspecting hundreds of connections, instruments, valves, and other pieces of equipment. This time- and labor-intensive procedure will take many months. Depending on how sophisticated the facility is, it might take weeks or even months to finish.
https://www.gmsthailand.com/blog/lng-plant-commissioning-process/

[wm5398]

LNG Plant Maintenance and Integrity

What does the term "asset integrity" means in oil and gas industry?
Asset integrity, also known as asset integrity management systems (AIMS), is the term used to describe an asset's ability to operate efficiently and accurately while also protecting the health and safety of all personnel and equipment with which it interacts – as well as the measures in place to ensure the asset's long-term availability. Throughout the life cycle of an asset, from its conception through decommissioning and replacement, asset integrity must be maintained.

Asset integrity management consists of a number of components
Much of the oil and gas industry's infrastructure is already nearing or has already reached the end of its operational life expectancy, if not already beyond it. Because the cost of replacing assets, as well as the resulting turnaround time, has become unacceptably expensive for so many facilities, asset integrity has now surpassed concepts such as OPEX and Agile as the watchword on everyone's lips, according to a recent study.

There is an increase in challenges such as vessel inspection, which is a significant contributor to production downtime; and corrosion under insulation, which is a frequent cause of sudden shutdowns; and taking the step to employ new solutions is becoming a necessity in many locations, particularly offshore.

The importance of the human factor
Asset integrity is based on the assumption that the vast majority of people within the organization will carry out their responsibilities correctly. However optimistic this may sound, the vast majority of maintenance, inspection, and data management activities are carried out with the best of intentions. Things, on the other hand, are not always accomplished completely or in the shortest amount of time available. It is unlikely that simple measures, such as increased inspection frequency, can uncover every overlooked problem. It is also unlikely that employees, who are required to increase their inspection labor or who are involved in missed problems, will be enthused about the task at hand.

Some indicators that everything is not well in the field of asset integrity management and inspection include the following:
          - Teams believe that any concerns they have regarding health and safety, or the condition of equipment are not taken seriously, resulting in an atmosphere where errors are not even reported as a result of this perception.
          - Any modifications to asset integrity plans, or even the fundamental operation of the facility, are only implemented after a large-scale event.
          - An inability to distinguish underlying causes from basic defect reports, which often leads to personnel being lulled into an unwarranted feeling of security and overstating the extent to which the facility is safe and operating.
          - Tactic knowledge, rather than a physical and immediately available set of rules, is relied upon in the context of AIM and reporting problems.
          - In the world of maintenance contractors, there is a "lowest bidder" mentality that prevails, and knowledge of and passion for asset integrity are not highly rewarded.

The very real outcome of this kind of environment is that nothing occurs in any meaningful way. Till a significant occurrence forces an organization to adjust, which is typically at tremendous expense, asset integrity is seen as a barely acceptable inconvenience, a type of obstacle to getting the job done properly.

Identifying and filling up the gaps in asset integrity management systems
Despite the fact that there are more AIM systems on the market now than at any previous time in history, there are still no one-size-fits-all solutions available. Although no inspection plan or database can possibly address all of the AIM concerns that might occur, integrity systems are nevertheless seen as distinct from the rest of the organization's activities. Employees may be reluctant to accept responsibility for their actions, seeing the suite of AIM packages as an effort by the corporation to police them rather than as an intrinsic part of their job description.

The holes in AIM packets must be filled with the vigilance of the same persons from whom they are intended to protect, but a creative strategy may be required to guarantee that this message is received by the intended recipients.

What is the significance of asset integrity management?
A leak from the Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea occurred over the period of 22 minutes on July 6, 1988, causing an explosion that killed 167 of the rig's 229 employees. The leak occurred over the length of 22 minutes. Among other things, this accident is seen as a watershed point in the development of current approaches to both EH&S and AIM in the oil and gas industry, not least because it resulted in each offshore operator investing £1 billion in safety measures.

The United Kingdom government subsequently launched a public enquiry, which was completed in 1990 and made 106 recommendations on how to implement HS&E and AIM initiatives more effectively in the future –  all of which were approved by the oil and gas sector. So, given that we are living and working in an era when significant AIM attempts are being made, what areas should individuals be concentrating their energies on?

Developing a strategic approach to AIM
According to research performed by Oil & Gas IQ, oil and gas operators are increasingly pursuing price-responsive strategies as well as the optimization of existing assets in order to remain competitive. These enterprises, particularly those operating in the North Sea, are now re-evaluating their business processes in order to stay afloat. 51 percent of oil and gas experts are now working on installations that are more than 20 years old and have been in service for more than a decade — with fewer than a third working on installations that are in their first ten years of operation.

More than half of asset integrity professionals have had their budgets reduced, and the average grade given to those professionals' own firms' asset integrity management (AIM) rating was 5.4 out of a possible 10. Only 52% of respondents believed that their job load was manageable in terms of achieving objectives and preserving safety –  despite the fact that the vast majority worked with a meager budget of less than £250,000. Unsurprisingly, asset integrity professionals report that the two most pressing concerns they face are keeping assets under budget and the age of the assets themselves. The lack of communication between departments in oil and gas businesses is by far the most serious fault that has been identified, followed by a lack of a safety culture in the industry. There is definitely work to be done.

RBI: Risk-Based Inspection
It is now more necessary than ever to ensure that an effective system of identification is in place, especially since the industry's infrastructure is rapidly aging and becoming one of its key issues. For example, more than half of pipelines in the United States are at least 50 years old, with 3,300 incidents, including the worst spill in US pipeline history, eighty fatalities and almost 400 injuries in only the last five years. Despite the fact that it may seem apparent, maintaining integrity, preventing corrosion, and repairing damage is similar to seeing an iceberg from a distance.

It is nearly impossible to implement damage mitigation techniques without the assistance of dedicated and experienced professionals. For every readily apparent symptom of corrosion or asset instability, there are dozens of hidden issues: hydrogen attack, high-temperature tempering, thermal fatigue, metallurgy issues, internal system corrosion, and so on. Once it has been determined that a comprehensive examination is required, the following step is to put it into effect.

Among the methods available are risk-based inspections (RBIs), which demand that the risk be reduced while putting in the least amount of work possible in order to expedite the process and free up more time. The problem is that there are an almost limitless number of methods in which we may carry out our maintenance – and with so many hazards (such as calibration uncertainty or equipment accessibility), quantification is just not viable. In order to determine where on the quantitative/qualitative spectrum a corporation is located, it must first choose whether it will depend more heavily on specialists or on data.

Companies will operate in either a reactive or a proactive mode, depending on how effectively or poorly they foster their dependability cultures. It goes without saying that you want to be proactive. Because of a failure to foresee and monitor for hidden difficulties, you will only be able to respond after problems have developed, which will cost you significantly more money in the long run and reward those who have shown the ability to react swiftly. Instead of enhancing the culture, this positive reward serves to promote the tendency to react rather than act.
https://www.gmsthailand.com/blog/lng-plant-maintenance-and-integrity/

[wm5398]

Energy Development: Oil & Gas from start to finish

Due to their position as the world's principal fuel sources, oil and natural gas are important sectors in the energy industry and have a significant impact on the global economy. The processes and systems involved in the production and distribution of oil and gas are very complicated, capital-intensive, and reliant on cutting-edge technology to function properly. History has shown that natural gas is closely associated with oil, mostly due to the production process or the upstream part of the industry. Natural gas was seen as a nuisance throughout most of the industry's history, and it continues to be flared in huge amounts in various regions of the globe, notably the United States, even now. Natural gas has risen to a more significant position in the world's energy supply as a result of the shale gas production in the United States, as previously noted, as well as the fact that it emits less greenhouse gases when combusted as compared to other fuels such as oil and coal.

There are three main segments in the industry, which are as follows:
         - Upstream – refers to the business of oil and gas exploration and production, as opposed to downstream.
         - Midstream process – Transportation and storage
         - Downstream – activities include refining and marketing.
With an estimated $3.3 trillion in revenue generated yearly, the oil and gas business is one of the world's biggest industries in terms of monetary value, ranking second only to manufacturing. Oil is critical to the global economic framework, particularly for the world's top producers, which include the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, and China, as well as other countries.
If you are an investor seeking to get into the oil and gas business, you may be intimidated by the intricate vocabulary and specific measurements that are utilized across the industry. This introduction is intended to assist anybody interested in learning about the foundations of organizations operating in the oil and gas industry by introducing essential ideas and measurement standards used in the industry.

About Hydrocarbons
Crude oil and natural gas are made up of hydrocarbons, which are naturally occurring compounds found in the earth's crust and rock formations. They are formed by the compression of plant and animal remnants in sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, limestone, and schist. These organic raw materials are used in the production of plastics and other manufactured products.

As a result of sedimentary rock formation in ancient seas and other bodies of water, the sedimentary rock itself may be described as follows: The rotting carcasses of plants and animals were incorporated into the developing rock when layers of silt were formed on the ocean bottom. After being subjected to appropriate temperatures and pressure ranges deep under the earth's crust, the organic material finally converts into oil and gas.

Being lighter in weight than water, oil and gas move more quickly through permeable sedimentary rock toward the earth's surface than water. The formation of an oil and gas reservoir occurs when hydrocarbons are trapped behind less-permeable cap rock. We get our crude oil and natural gas from these oil and natural gas resources.

Drilling through the cap rock and into the reservoir is used to bring hydrocarbons to the surface. A profitable oil or gas well may be created after the drill bit has reached the reservoir and the hydrocarbons can be brought to the surface by pumping them up to the surface. The well is classed as a dry hole if the drilling effort does not result in the discovery of economically viable amounts of hydrocarbons. A dry hole is normally closed and abandoned.

Methods of Exploration
The presence of visible surface characteristics such as oil seeps, natural gas seeps, and pockmarks (underwater craters formed by escaping gas) serve as the most fundamental evidence of hydrocarbon formation in the environment (be it shallow or deep in the Earth). The majority of exploration, on the other hand, is dependent on very advanced equipment to discover and estimate the extent of these deposits, which is done via the use of exploratory geophysics. Localized gravity surveys, magnetic surveys, passive seismic surveys, and regional seismic reflection surveys are used to discover large-scale characteristics of the sub-surface geology in areas suspected of containing hydrocarbons in the first instance. Features of interest (known as leads) are subjected to more detailed seismic surveys, which are based on the principle of the time it takes for reflected sound waves to travel through matter (rock) of varying densities, and which use the process of depth conversion to create a profile of a substructure's structure. Finally, when a prospect has been found and analyzed, and if it meets the oil company's selection criteria, an exploratory well is drilled in an effort to ascertain definitely whether or not there is oil or gas there. The use of electromagnetic technologies may help to lessen the danger of accidents on the ocean floor.

Oil exploration is a costly and high-risk process that requires extensive capital investment. Offshore and remote region exploration are often only performed by major enterprises or national governments with significant financial resources. Deep sea oil wells may cost up to US$100 million or more, whereas shallow shelf oil wells (such as those in the North Sea) can cost as little as US$10 million. The hunt for onshore hydrocarbon reserves is carried out by hundreds of smaller firms throughout the globe, with some wells costing as little as US$100,000.

Aspects of a petroleum exploration potential
A prospect is a prospective trap that geologists feel may contain hydrocarbons and so should be explored. First and foremost, a large amount of geological, structural, and seismic study must be conducted in order to transform the probable hydrocarbon drill site from a lead to an actual prospect. For a prospect to be successful, four geological elements must be present, and if any of these factors are absent, neither oil nor gas will be present.
           - Source rock – When organic-rich rock such as oil shale or coal is subjected to high pressure and temperature over an extended period of time, hydrocarbons form.
           - Migration – The hydrocarbons are expelled from source rock by three density-related mechanisms: the newly matured hydrocarbons are less dense than their precursors, which causes over-pressure; the hydrocarbons are lighter, and so migrate upwards due to buoyancy, and the fluids expand as further burial causes increased heating. Most hydrocarbons migrate to the surface as oil seeps, but some will get trapped.
           - Reservoir – The hydrocarbons are contained in a reservoir rock. This is commonly a porous sandstone or limestone. The oil collects in the pores within the rock although open fractures within non-porous rocks (e.g., fractured granite) may also store hydrocarbons. The reservoir must also be permeable so that the hydrocarbons will flow to surface during production.
           - Trap – The hydrocarbons are buoyant and have to be trapped within a structural (e.g., Anticline, fault block) or stratigraphic trap. The hydrocarbon trap has to be covered by an impermeable rock known as a seal or cap-rock in order to prevent hydrocarbons escaping to the surface

Exploration carries a risk
Because hydrocarbon exploration is a high-risk venture, conducting a thorough risk assessment is essential for effective project portfolio management. It is difficult to quantify exploration risk, but it is often characterized as the degree of trust that can be placed in the existence of the critical geological elements, which were addressed above. Based on data and/or models, this level of confidence is often shown on Common Risk Segment Maps (CRSM) (CRS Maps). High confidence in the existence of critical geological causes is often represented by the color green, whereas low confidence is represented by the color red. The maps are also known as Traffic Light Maps, and the whole method is referred to as Play Fairway Analysis in certain instances (PFA). The purpose of such processes is to compel the geologist to conduct an objective evaluation of all relevant geological parameters. Furthermore, it produces straightforward maps that can be understood by non-geologists and managers, which may be used to inform exploration choices.
https://www.gmsthailand.com/blog/oil-gas-from-start-to-finish/