REQUIRED READING FOR THE GLOBAL OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY SINCE 1975

www.of fshore-engineer.com

DECEMBER 2005

Marine seismic on a high Ormen Langes wideband win Fire protection in the frame

Deep compression

PLUS: PROSPECTS MATT STRAW OFFERS CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD SPOT

safety

Fire protection adds value to offshore project planning

by Larry Watrous of Mustang Engineering, Houston. Abstract
The importance of fire protection in the design and construction of offshore structures can be a critical factor in the success of todays offshore oil and gas projects. Integrating this component into the planning of a production facility is taking on increasing importance. This article addresses the changing needs and expectations, scope of equipment and services, and regulation in the fire protection discipline, as well as the capabilities and roles of the fire protection professional. The article further emphasizes the timing necessary for implementing a formal fire protection program in the design and construction of new offshore structures or the revamping of existing facilities, and the need for the expertise of a trained fire protection engineer to be involved with the development of all phases of these projects.
LARRY WATROUS

ince the earliest days of offshore oil and gas exploration, when small platforms or barges were used to drill in less than 20ft of water and well within sight of land, there have been industry and governmental regulations that addressed fire protection and prevention. They were usually adapted from onshore facility standards. The application of passive protection was minimal, and water sprinkler or deluge water spray systems were used only when required and then on a limited basis. Equipment technology was slow to change as the industry moved farther from shore during the subsequent four decades. Specialists in fire protection were generally used only to consult on equipment layout and process controls, but the industrys fire prevention and protection standards were not generally applied. The Piper Alpha catastrophe in the late 1980s which killed 167 workers, and the subsequent findings of Lord Cullens inquiry into the tragedy had an almost immediate impact on the industry , including fire prevention and protection standards in the North Sea. The oil industry at that point recognized that the way they were using the existing fire detection and fire extinguishing techniques, emergency shutdown systems (ESD), and passive protection methods was not adequate and that even some of the fire-rated materials were not capable of performing adequately in pressurized, high-temperature hydrocarbon fires. That is, while the fire protection that was provided met the codes, it did not meet the expectations imposed upon it by the facility . A 7000psi jet fire exposing two-hour fire proofing materials yielded poor results because of the erosive effects of the jet and the high thermal energy posed by the severe fire. Today floating structures are operating worldwide in water , depths exceeding 5000ft and hundreds of miles from shore. They

are considerably larger than previous generation facilities and many like floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) , vessels, contain a significant hydrocarbon storage capacity . Systems and equipment are tightly spaced on these new facilities because of the cost of providing space on floating structures. These congested spaces lend themselves to greater fire exposure and higher explosion pressures should an event occur. Asset values of the structures can exceed $1 billion and take years to construct. The challenges to life safety and asset protection are far greater than they were when offshore facilities were smaller and closer to shore. Fire suppression and protection systems now have to be able to deal with much larger releases in very congested spaces, resulting in pool fires of standing or free-flowing liquids. The higher pressures from todays deepwater formations can result in significant jet fires that can effect equipment for several hundred feet in any direction. With a solid deck, a release from a 1/2in weld-o-let failure can exceed 230gpm. This release rate will cover 732ft2 of deck every minute with a burnable liquid. Multiple escape routes and technologies are imperative for personnel protection. More robust and redundant fire protection equipment and systems are required to protect the facility and allow personnel time to escape. While the basic equipment types have not changed significantly fire size and duration potentials , are continually increasing and require alterations to traditional fire protection selection, equipment sizes and choices. Redundant fire protection systems are provided to offer protection in the event of damage to or the failure of the primary systems. The use of fire protection systems is also being extended to provide several forms of protection from a single system. As a consequence of these changing conditions, operating companies are becoming extremely proactive in the application of fire protection during topsides production facilities design and integration. Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) involving formalized analysis procedures (HAZOPs, What If, etc) are playing a more significant role during the design of these facilities. Increasingly they are relying on the fire protection engineer resident in the engineering and construction firms to design these sophisticated systems.
w w w. o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e e r . c o m

About the author

Laurence D Larry Watrous, Mustang Engineerings HSE manager, has more than 35 years industry and association experience in fire protection engineering, training and project management. He holds a BS degree from the University of Maryland in fire protection engineering.

42 |

OFFSHORE ENGINEER

december 2005

safety
Who are those guys?
Todays fire protection engineer has to incorporate multiple engineering disciplines and must be conversant on a broad spectrum of issues and abatement techniques. Many have formal education as graduates of fire protection programs at major universities, combined with significant hands-on experience. Not only does this individual need to know how to identify potential fire sources, recognize how specific combustible materials burn and understand how to deal with them expeditiously he/she needs , to interface with other engineering disciplines responsible for project design. For instance, fire protection engineers must be able to discuss fireproofing with the structural engineer to determine what level of passive structural protection is needed based on fire size and generated heat potential. They work with architects to plan efficient and viable escape routes from quarters and control buildings on the structure. Fire pump design, sizing, hydraulic pressures and sequencing are determined through interaction with mechanical and piping engineers. Instrument and automation engineers are consulted with respect to operation of the ESD, alarm and detection systems, and interface with electrical engineers is necessary for preparation of the projects electrical classification drawings and emergency power systems. The fire protection engineer also works with process engineers on process isolation and de-inventory systems and their effect on fire size and duration. The integrity of systems during fire or explosion exposure is also addressed to lessen the probability of event escalation.

Codes play a role

The nature of the fire protection plan and the permitting of the project can be influenced, to a large extent, by the geographic location of the structure. For projects operating in US waters, agencies such as the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the Coast Guard (USCG) have developed specific regulations that must be followed and incorporated into the project planning. In designing a recent offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, Mustang noted that requirements from federal agencies including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were involved as well. Classification agencies, such as Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Lloyds Register and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) are commissioned by certain operators and in specific areas of the world. National regulations can also be present when operating on many international projects. Overlaying these regulations are standards of The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API). They impose levels of controls based on their standards for fire protection acting as design minimums. These codes, regulations and standards must be met; however, they are only the starting point for the development of an effective fire protection design. Code compliant protection would require the equivalent of two garden hose streams for the protection of a device that could yield a release resulting in a 400-500ft jet fire. Performance fire protection provided a much higher rate, the equivalent of 16 fire department hose streams, designed to control the release and subsequent fire.

Fire protection workscope

At a projects pre-conceptual phase, the fire protection engineer assists with the initial technology choices and proposed layout of the facilities. Evacuation studies, routes and related escape equipment are evaluated. The engineer assists with the permit application, making certain that applicable regulations and standards are followed. During the front end engineering design (FEED) process, he/she helps in solidifying the layout and interfaces with the operator on formulating technology decisions, specifying equipment that will function throughout the life of the facility without requiring considerable maintenance, developing emergency response plans and interfacing the safety fire , protection systems and equipment with these plans. Equipment selection, sizing, design, layout and operation are important decisions made by this engineer, utilizing specialized computer software programs that model potential fire size and duration. The fire protection engineer can provide designs for: Fire water pumps, controls and distribution systems Fire fighting hardware including monitors, hose, reels, turnout gear Fire systems including water spray foam, sprinklers, water , mist, CO2 or dry chemicals Detection for smoke, flame and heat Gas detection and control devices for the detection of toxic or combustible gas or low O2 Heating, ventilating & air conditioning (HVAC) and smoke control systems In the detail design stage, the fire protection information gathered in the FEED process is refined into the final design. This final design brings together in a seamless fashion the emergency response plans, evacuation plans, the active and passive fire protection systems and equipment along with the process controls and emergency shutdown systems. All of these activities are balanced together to prevent and mitigate potential releases, and fires. Supervision and commissioning of equipment and systems in the field are also within the scope of the fire protection engineer. Application of foam solution at water spray rates yields two levels of protection from one system. Exposure protection for equipment and fire extinguishment of formed liquid pools.

Timing and design

The discussion about fire protection should, ideally start at the , pre-concept stage of an offshore production facility Often at this . early stage, an understanding can be developed of potential hazards that will affect the layout of the facilities and the size and kind of the fire protection equipment. Fire protection, to be effective, must be designed with the end use and expectations in mind. One owner may want to protect an asset as well as his people while another may want to provide protection to allow only the evacuation of the facility and not the protection of the facility itself. One level of protection might be used for a quiescent combustible liquid pool fire, while a different level would be required for a flammable liquid or gas jet fire. A combination of active and passive protection systems may be required to meet the demands of significant fire exposure. The protection must be designed to meet the postulated fire size and duration to be effective, not just meet the code required minimums. North Sea weather conditions, for example, dictate a vastly different criteria for fire protection than do Gulf of Mexico conditions. Giant deepwater platforms and floating facilities, similarly require a different approach toward fire protection than ,
LARRY WATROUS

w w w. o f f s h o r e - e n g i n e e r . c o m

OFFSHORE ENGINEER

december 2005

43