Hazard and Operability Study of Gas Exploration Field Located in Pakistan

Abstract

Daily huge amount of oil and gas (O&G) is consumed around the world which is mainly transported and distributed through pipelines. The integrity and safety of these pipelines is of primary interest for Oil & Gas companies, consultants, Government agencies, and other stakeholders due to adverse consequences and heavy financial losses in case of operational failure. HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) is a widely used technique for the identification of process hazards in the design and operation of a facility. The main objective of this work is to analyze the hazards of existing gas & oil transportation plant located in a rural area of Pakistan. A detailed study was conducted by a team of 4-5 professional Engineers and identified the hazards by using specific guide words afterward, proper safety measure was suggested. The whole study was carried out in 6-9 months. After detailed HAZOP study in gas processing unit about 14 risks were identified. Out of which only 01 risk is unacceptable and 03 are undesirable that should be mitigated to risk rank 3, the others are acceptable with controls. Based on which about 13 safety measures were recommended and most of them about 53% include regular or periodic checkups and maintenance. This article presents the cause and work stream of HAZOP and gives real case study for the utilization of HAZOP in gas processing fields. This study reveals the deviation occurs in the incoming gas flow pipeline which causes the plant to shut down and increases the downtime in production.