(0d) How to Safely Overcome Commissioning Mega Project Challenges in the Refineries

Alyousef has joined Kuwait National Petroleum Company, KNPC in 2005 in Operations Department. He specialized in H-Oil Units, Hydorocraker Units, Hydrotreaters Units, Sulfur Recovery Units and Utilities Units. Currently he is a Commissioning Team Leader and responsible for Utilities and SRU units in the clean Fuel Project. This project is a mega project in Kuwait that covers local and international requirements from various oil products and maintains the highest standards for both environmental performance and safety. This paper speaks about "How to Safely Overcome Commissioning Mega Project Challenges in the Refinery".

The paper speaks about the challenges that we faced during commissioning clean fuel project. Contractor failed to submit the Utilities units to KNPC (company) as full PTOP ( provision of turnover of a portion) which means a complete unit that is ready for startup as per plan. The consequences on that was a delay on commissioning and our commitment with the consumers got affected.

We came into a decision to study how to start the Units Partially while maintaining all safety standards. In addition to the need for continuing pre commissioning activities like pipe rack steam blowing activities, supplying the steam for turbine equipment for mechanical run test (MRT), etc. and compensate the contractor’s delay.

After all Risk analysis and risk assessment workshops, we have decided to proceed for safe starting 2 boilers out of 6 boilers and allowing the contractor to work on the other 4 boilers to continue his construction activities, pre commissioning activities in order to hand over the remaining boilers to company.

This is a big achievement which allow us:

1- starting the unit partially in abnormal condition with mitigating the high risk

2- allowing the contractor to continue mechanical construction and pre-Commissioning activities on the same time

3- supplying the steam for pre commissioning activities and starting other units. Ex Diesel Hydotreater unit ( DHT unit)

The above startup was abnormal startup in addition to risk involvement to this activities.

The same challenges were applicable at all Utilities units as we started them partially as well.