• Characteristics of the pipeline
• Type of fluid
• Type of pumps, valves, and fittings
• Inlet Stream data (Composition, Mass flow, Temperature & Pressure details)
• Valve datasheets
• Tank datasheets
• Pump datasheet and operating curve
• Operation philosophy for this facility
• Site conditions (Ambient pressure & temperature details)
• Piping material specification
• Battery limit conditions
• Piping GAD or Isometrics
• Report templates if any to be followed
• Other relevant data required for the project.

DEPCS Surge team will do the surge analysis (indicate the Hammer effects) in the pipeline in different Scenarios. Our team will also recommend valve closure time, Maximum flow rate, or surge capacity.

The simulation is performed by manipulating the parameters, like changing the flow rate, tripping off the control valves, operating conditions, closure of valves, etc., and studying its effect on the pipeline. Recommending Pilot-operated surge relief valves that are typically used to protect pipelines that move low-viscosity products like gasoline or diesel.

This style of valve is installed downstream of the pump/valve that creates the surge. The valve is controlled by an external, normally closed pilot valve.

Surge pressure, or “water hammer,” is a short-term pressure increase due to a fluid velocity change in a pipeline.

Hydraulic transients, or pressure surges, are created when sudden changes in flow rates occur in pumping and pipeline systems. The pressures created may be high enough to damage or even cause catastrophic failure of pipelines.

DEPCS Surge & Transient Analysis team completely runs the simulation on UniSim Simulation. Our team is currently working on projects such as Surge & Transient Analysis for the pipelines in the Tank farm area – Medina Airport Project and Surge & Transient Analysis for the Underground Gas pipeline for Oman Refinery.

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA):

QRA consistently analyses the risks from Process Diagrams. This analysis compares the anticipated risk levels against the QP (Quality risk criteria) and assesses their tolerability.

Acceptable risk levels are Important for any single or several facilities like chemical production and process facilities, high pipelines, or storage and transportation sites for gas/oil.

QRA will provide the relevant information to Operation & Design team to avert risk scenarios in the plant. The DEPCS team has a dedicated QRA team.

(Software: Risk Spectrum PSA) will run different Scenarios using the Event Tree Analysis, Failure Frequency Analysis, and ALARP (As low as reasonably practicable) Triangle study to find a decrease in risk with an increase in benefit scenario.

HAZID (Hazard Identification):

A HAZID Study is an assessment to find hazards and problems related to plant, system, operation, style, and maintenance. HAZID is employed as a part of a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA).
By distinctive these hazards are risks. Finding HAZARD/RISK during QRA analysis will guide actions that can be taken to eliminate the hazard (or) manage the effect of exposure.
Approach for HAZID Study:
Team Members required for HAZID Study

• Chairman (Facilitator)
• Operations Plant Manager
• Fire & Safety Team – Head of Department
• Director Members (Client & Contractor team)
• Project Manager
• Process Engineer
• Instrumentation Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Scribe – Official Representative that will write down the points during HAZID Meeting

The Chairman will be evaluating every process with a protocol step-by-step approach in the field. HAZID Study is crucial for finding out each Risk after the Design stage.

DEPCS team has Experienced Facilitators and Process Engineers that are capable of identifying each HAZARD/RISK that is crucial before conducting a HAZID meeting.

HAZOP (Hazard & Operability Studies):

HAZARD & OPERABILITY STUDIES (HAZOP) study is part of PHA Studies (Process Hazard Analysis). It is different from FMEA (Failure Mode & Effect Analysis). FMEA covers safety, as well as performance, quality, and reliability. Oil & Gas Projects mainly concentrate on HAZOP Studies. It enables the identification of corrective actions in the form of additional controls and recommendations to be put in place to either eliminate or mitigate hazards.
HAZOP has been developed to provide a structured method for identifying the causes and analysing effects of deviations from the design intent or from safe plant operations associated with an existing or new system, facility, or equipment and to identify the necessary control measures to safely manage any undesired consequential effects.
HAZOPs should be undertaken routinely, with a maximum periodicity of 5 years, to ensure that the critical mitigation measures applied at the previous review still apply and that no new hazard and operability issues have been introduced during future Tie-in taken from other contractors from the main header.

Approach for HAZOP Study:

Team Members required for HAZOP Study

• Chairman (Facilitator)
• Operations Plant Manager
• Fire & Safety Team – Head of Department
• Director Members (Client & Contractor team)
• Project Manager
• Process Engineer
• Instrumentation Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Scribe – Official Representative that will write down the points during HAZOP Workshop

Inputs Required for the HAZOP team:

• PFD (Process Flow Diagram)
• P&ID’s (Process & Utilities)
• Hydraulic Calculation Reports for Process lines
• Datasheets for Pressure Control Valve, Flow Control Valve, Level Control Valve, etc.
• Hydraulic Calculation reports from the Rotary team -Pumps, Compressors, etc.
• Operation & Control Philosophy
• Process Design Basis
• HSE Design Basis
• Cause and Effect Charts (for static interconnecting each rotary equipment)
• Material Specification & Selection Chart

The Chairman will be evaluating every process with a protocol step-by-step approach in the meeting. An official HAZOP Workshop will be held onsite with the multidisciplinary team along with the HAZOP Chairman and Scribe. The session will be discussed each node, deviation, and safeguards available, and mitigation measures & recommendations will be recorded with the help of the software PHA Pro Works by Primatech.

DEPCS team has Experienced Facilitators and Process Engineers that are capable of handling all the HAZARDS identified during the HAZOP Workshop. DEPCS team has supported companies with HAZOP Study in India, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Japan, Russia, and other countries.

SIL Study (Safety Integrity Level):

After the HAZOP Workshop. The Chairman will finalize all the “Trigger” or “HAZARDS” that will occur using certain guidewords like overpressure that lead to leaking fluid in the pipeline.

The SIL levels are determined using the following methods:

• Risk Graphs – qualitative technique, projected in IEC 61508
• Layers of protection analysis (LOPA) – various qualitative methodologies, widely employed in the method trade
• Fault tree analysis (FTA) / Event tree analysis (ETA) – quantitative strategies

Approach for SIL Study:

DEPCS has expert SIL Engineers that can handle the SIL=1 Nodes. The main goal for the SIL team is to handle SIL=1 Nodes to SIL=4 level of protection.

The layer of Protection Analysis could be a simplified form of quantitative risk assessment. in a very typical process plant, varied protection layers are added to lower the frequency of unwanted consequences.

The SIL classification proceeding will be recorded on SIL classification worksheets. After completion of SIL classification, SIL Verification calculations will be performed using the exSILentia software by Exida. This is often a tool to determine the SIL rating for each SIF by using Exida database for failure rates of system parts. The software additionally provides for analysis of study constraints to IEC 61508/IEC 61511.

Software in SIL Study:

• The software to be used for the SIL study is LOPA Excel Sheet (for Assessment)
• For SIL Verification – ExSILentia- (Exida)

Team Members required for SIL Study:

• SIL Study Chairman
• Loss prevention Engineer
• Operations Plant Manager
• Fire & Safety Team – Head of Department
• Director Members (Client & Contractor team)
• Project Manager
• Process Engineer
• Instrumentation & Control Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• SIL Study Scribe

International Standards:

• IEC 61508 – 2010 Edition – Functional Safety of Electrical / Electronics / Programmable Electronic safety-related systems
• IEC 61511 – 2004 Edition – Functional Safety: Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry Sector – I, II & III parts.

The SIL Study is generally classified under three stages as

• SIL Identification
• SIL Verification
• SIL Validation

Smoke & Toxic Gas Dispersion Analysis:

The Smoke and Toxic gas dispersion analysis study is used to evaluate the quantity of material released into the atmosphere and identify the risk and hazards associated with the dispersed material. Dispersion study is carried out for various purposes (Building Risk Assessment, Mitigated Risk Studies, Explosion Contour mapping, etc.

DEPCS Gas Dispersion Experts have experience in modeling gas leaks, Layers of Explosion Zones, the Impact of Explosion Zones with respect to Buildings, Contour mapping of mitigation zones, etc. Proper Transmitter locations will be then proposed to detect toxic leaks.

Toxic Gas Dispersion is done using Software Shell SHEPH(SHEPHERD). This is the most advanced tool in the market. Shell SHEPH is the combination of both Shell FRED and PHAST (Progress of a potential incident from initial release)

The Smoke and Toxic gas dispersion analysis study achieves the following:

• To evaluate Gas dispersion in the facility
• To identify Flame Geometry
• Evaluation of Thermal Intensity
• Overpressure magnitude identification and assessment
• Smoke or toxic cloud generation and engulfment
• Structural failure/damage
• Equipment damage
• Personnel evacuation
• Determination of the size of the hazard that is associated with the released fluid
• Comparison of the physical effects model with the impact criteria
• Evaluation of the effect distances of the released consignment from vent scenarios and their impact on dispersion

The Output of Smoke & Toxic Gas Dispersion Report Consists of the following:

• Isotherms for thermal radiation for each type of incident.
• Isopleths for flammable gas concentrations at various LFLs for each type of incident.
• Isopleths for blast overpressure events,
• Assessment of BLEVE-prone vessels comprising; their time to failure when subject to a jet fire; their time to failure when subject to a pool fire; consequence in terms of stored energy release, radiation of fireball, and explosion.