Objective

The objective of this activity is to:

• Monitor the gas conditions and equipment operating parameters and ensure they are within the normal operating range
• Ensure plant operation procedures for start up and standard operation are implemented
• Carry out routine equipment monitoring as recommended in the equipment operation and maintenance manuals
• Optimise the asset
• Identify and implement new value creating opportunities

Major Deliverables

• Output parameters from monitoring system
• Periodic operational log reports.
• Periodic test run results
• Operational risk register
• Regular legislative review
• Benchmarking studies
• EH&S reviews
• Recommended changes to design or operating procedures
• Updated designs and operating procedures for booster plant

Tasks

Note that the operation of the booster plant is covered in operations stage.  Tasks in this activity include:

• Maintain contact with key suppliers to ensure that stocks of spare items for key equipment and consumables remain available
• Carry out regular periodic updates to the operational risk register
• Regularly run tests and calibrate instruments
• Regularly review requirements of transport and storage system.  This may include changes or updates to:
• CO₂ specification for entry into a pipeline network
• Maximum and minimum flow rates
• Limits on intermittency
• Vhanges to communication of projected flowrates
• Regularly review BAT available for booster plant
• Regularly carry out reviews to ensure operational procedures are being followed
• Regularly assess whether there are any changes that could be made to the booster plant or the operating procedures
• Regularly review legal requirements affecting booster plant.  This may include emissions and performance standards
• Ensure plant operation is in compliance with environmental, health and safety legislations
• Monitor equipment operating data/trend graphs and ensure that they are within the normal operating parameters
• Carry out routine walkdowns to collect operating data from local monitoring devices and look for any abnormalities in equipment (e.g. excessive noise, leak, vibration etc
• Keep operating procedures up-to-date to reflect any changes to set points, tag numbers, new equipment, new consumables etc
• Where information gathered identifies a need for improvement or an opportunity for improvement assess
• Driver for change i.e. regulatory, EH&S, risk reduction, profit improvement
• Extent / cost / benefit and risk of the change including downtime.
• Complexity and level of risk  associated with the change especially in relation to other affected systems or parties
• Length of time over which change will be effective.
• cost for non-mandatory potential changes, considering costs and benefits over the remaining lifetime of the plant and
• Compare with other potential changes and
• Decide on whether to implement change
• Determine whether a full gated project development and implementation process is warranted.  In which case the Identify, Evaluate, Define and Execute processes should be followed making due allowance that the change is now occurring within an operating brown fields environment.
• Specific tasks for modification to operating plant in a brown fields environment should include:-  
• Produce specification documents for change
• Produce design philosophy documents for change
• Assess impacts to all affected plant, utilities, systems and stakeholders
• Interact with affected stakeholders and ensure that changes are understood and endorsed.
• Develop construction procedures and safe work practices and perform job safety analysis prior to commencing any work on or near operating plant.
• Produce plans and procedures for pre-commissioning, commissioning,
• Update redundancy philosophy and design of associated systems and/or equipment
• Assess electrical systems and utilities to ensure that adequate capacity exists especially if additional large rotating machinery and or cooling loads are introduced.
• Review impacts and update design of the plant control system and safety instrumented systems
• Update design of  condition monitoring systems for new or modified rotating machinery such as the compression plant and equipment
• Prior to placing the changes into operation perform installation checks, mechanical and electrical checks and pressure tests.
• Inspection and testing of each new individual component of a subsystem prior to placing the subsystem into service
• Static tests to demonstrate interactive operation of components prior to charging or energizing the system for the first time
• Inspection and testing of each new or changed sub-system prior to placing the system into service
• Flushing of equipment and pipe work
• Proving the integrity of all connections (mechanical and electrical)
• Proving the integrity of all safety and emergency response systems such pressure relief valves and fire detection and protection
• Verification that all plant is functionally complete
• Verification of and checking of all protection settings
• Checking of plant inter-tripping circuits
• Cold (pre-) commissioning, i.e. electrical and control systems are energised, checked and tested to the extent possible, rotation checks are carried out on pumps etc instruments and control loops especially trip circuits tested to the extent possible
• Hot commissioning i.e. materials and utilities are introduced into the modified plant, systems cut-over and integrated operation is confirmed.  
• Ramp-up operation and run performance tests on changed plant to demonstrate the system and its components operate collectively as designed, that individual components operate at varying loads under steady state conditions with their stated operating parameters, and that the components and system respond correctly to transient and emergency conditions.  This may include:
• Testing for reliable start ups (this should include at least 3 starts)
• Testing for reliable controlled shut downs
• Testing for reliable continuous operation at no less capacity than that achieved in the performance test
• Testing for reliable output to correct specification
• Functional testing of all plant to confirm compliance with the design basis and operating criteria
• Update all affected documentation to as built status including
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID)s
• Equipment datasheets
• Buried services
• Operation and maintenance manuals and procedures
• Asset Register

Examples

Key Personnel

• Production Head
• Procurement Manager
• O&M Engineers
• Operators
• O&M Technicians
• HAZOP team