Risk level Assessment of the Desalter and Preflash Column of a Nigerian Crude Distillation Unit

Abstract

A study of operability and assessment of the safety level of a crude distillation unit in a Nigerian refinery has been carried out. In a crude distillation unit of a refinery, the desalter and preflash column, as well as their associated pipe works and pumps, are considered to have high-risk factors that can present operability problems and possibly hazardous conditions. Applying the HAZOP methodology, a total of 25 guide words were suitably applied on 4 nodes to study the possible deviations that may occur. The 89 causes of these deviations identified in the study could be classified under human errors and equipment malfunctioning. From the nature of the 46 consequences identified, the plant is likely to experience more of operability problems and less of deadly hazardous scenes. Suitable recommendations that will improve the operability and safety levels of the plant were however presented in the study and presented in tables. If the 61 recommendations given in this study can be incorporated into the design with the few safeguards already present in the original design of the plant, the operability problems of the plant will be greatly minimized and safety level will improve drastically.

HAZOP Analysis in Terms of Safety Operations Processes for Oil Production Units: A Case Study

“…As a consequence, the fracture of the line, oil spill, risk of fire and release of H 2 S. To mitigate the possible problems, H 2 S alarm and fire alarm were proposed to safeguard the installation of the PSV [16]. For Kletz [26] and Cozzani [27], these deviations may be caused by a failure in the pressure valve manometer, failure of the pressure sensors, error in the safety circuit or calibration error of the manometers. As a safeguard, it is suggested to install a pressure control valve, installation of pressure alarms, periodic inspections and maintenance of valves and sensors [18,28].…”

“…Benedetti-Marquez [10] and Cozzani [27] stated that these operational errors cause line clogging, delay in starting, economic loss, damage to the pump, heating and/or decomposition of the oil into lighter fractions that can lead to the explosion. To minimise these risks, Kletz [26] and Orugba [30] recommend inserting protections such as low flow alarm, as well as turning off the suction pump if low amperage, low vibration, high temperature or low/high pressure are detected in the pump discharge.…”

Sustainable faecal sludge management in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) settlements in tropical climate: A review

“…Furthermore, faecal sludge contains a large amount of organic matter, which causes offensive odour during the degradation process and further worsens the environmental condition. Faecal sludge also generates a high volume of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which have a harsh impact on the environment and the natural ecosystem [17][18]. Nsiah-Gyambibi et al [19] reported that the disposal of untreated faecal sludge into the environment generates about 40% of the total GHGs.…”

Safeguard and mitigation of hazard and operability during simultaneous production and drilling at oil and gas platform

“…For a SIPROD mode, a unique engineering design modification needs to be performed on the SIPROD platform to accommodate the rig [18,19]. It ensures that all safety and production systems are upgraded to manage the risks due to simultaneous activities on the platform [7,20]. As in the article by Diego [21], a SIMOP risk assessment is conducted during commissioning at a new petrochemical plant in numbers of the workshop, attended by multidisciplinary participants to ensure all risks are appropriately managed concerning 2-phases activities.…”