Lining up of agency for revisiting HAZard and OPerability (HAZOP) study at Paradip Refinery

The Paradip Refinery is Indian Oil’s 11th Refinery with a total Capacity 15 MMTPA. Envisioned as the energy gateway to Eastern India, the most-modern refinery of the country has a 10.7 complexity factor (Nelson Index). The refinery is configured to process high-sulphur crude oils with major secondary processing units such as Naphtha Hydrotreating Unit, Continuous Catalytic Reformer, Diesel Hydro-treatment Unit, VGO Hydrotreatment Unit, INDMAX Unit, Delayed Coking Unit, Alkylation unit, Merox, etc.

Paradip Refinery has adopted the INDMAX technology developed by Indian Oil’s R&D Centre that can produce upto 44.15% LPG, the highest possible yield in such plants.The other unique technological features of Paradip Refinery include Flue Gas Desulphurisation facilities, Vapour Recovery System from South Oil Jetty and an Alkylation Process to produce octane-rich low-benzene MS blend component, etc.

A HAZOP Study is a systematic and qualitative way of performing Process Hazard Analysis, which aims to stimulate the imagination and field experience of HAZOP team members to identify potential hazards and any operability problems to suggest suitable remedies wherever necessary.

iFluids’ in-house team of technical experts and SME’s have been entrusted in carrying out the HAZOP Study for the facility which included the review of over 200 P&IDs across various units.

The HAZOP Study has been carried out to scrutinize the Paradip Refinery in order to identify and evaluate hazards that may present risks to personnel or equipment and the operability issues. This technique is employed by breaking the overall complex design of the process into a number of elementary sections called the “NODE” which are then individually reviewed.

The analysis is intended to identify the need for action which is decided semi-quantitatively based on the team’s experience and judgment of the seriousness of the consequences, together with the expected probability (frequency) of the occurrence. In addition to its open-ended approach, a fundamental strength of HAZOP study is the brainstorming and thinking together among members of the study team. It’s success depends on the degree of co-operation among individuals, their experience, competence, and the commitment of the team as a whole. (Hans J. Pasman).

The HAZOP study was carried out for the following units

S.NoDESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT
1Atmospheric & Vacuum Distillation Unit (AVU)
2SR LPG Treatment Unit
3ATF/KERO Treatment Unit (KTU)
4Diesel Hydrotreater Unit (DHDT)
5Vacuum Gas Oil Hydrotreater Unit (VGO-HDT)
6Hydrogen Compression & Distribution
7Indmax Unit
8FCC LPG Treatment Unit
9FCC Lt. Naphtha Treatment Unit
10Delayed Coker Unit (DCU)
11Sour Water Stripper Unit (Train1 & Train-2)
12Amine Regeneration Unit (Train1 & Train-2)
13FGD(Absorption & Regeneration Units)
14Sulphuric Acid Regeneration Unit
15Intermediate tanks
16Propylene Recovery Unit
17Sulfur Recovery Unit (Common,Train1 & Train-2 and Tail Gas Treating Unit)
18Alkylation & Butamer unit
19Naphtha Hydrotreater Unit (NHU)/CCR Units
20Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)
21Captive Power Plant (CPP) & Utilities
22Off sites
23Poly Propylene unit

The results of the HAZOP Study is further produced into a comprehensive HAZOP Report that includes a comprehensive list of issues along with recommendations covering safety, health, community, and environmental issues which are to be resolved during the project.