When engineers at the Saras Refinery in Sarroch, Sardinia needed to replace two valves on a section of line, which operates at 235°C and is connected to the steam collector MP, they knew that a complex intervention would be necessary, especially because the work would have to be carried out without interrupting production.

The Saras Refinery refines approximately 15 million tons of crude oil into petroleum products each year, which accounts for approximately 15 percent of Italy's total refining capacity, so it’s crucial that it operates at optimum capacity year-round.

The intervention on the steam line would require a number of items in order that the operation would be successfully executed. The work scope featured the following:

A comprehensive risk analysis in compliance with HSE standards to ensure personnel safety and plant integrity. An on-site production structure to make certain that the plant would continue to operate throughout the intervention. A detailed engineering plan outlining the entire intervention process. A production schedule of all necessary work, including dates and time required for each task. Refinery operator Saras shares a long-term relationship with global pipeline services provider T.D. Williamson (TDW), which specializes in pipeline pressure intervention services and technology that make it possible to safely isolate a section of line while repair work is carried out, without shutting down production or operations. Because Saras and TDW had worked together in the past, they knew that they would each have to have a thorough understanding of the operation and site where the intervention would be carried out, as well as the specific sequence of necessary tasks.

Tags: TDW Offshore Services