Career Episode For Mechanical Engineer At Petrodar

Answer :

Introduction

Name of the project:  The Melut Oil Basin Development Project, Downstream Export Pipeline

Location:  Sudan Republic

Year of Commencement: 2004

Year of Completion:  2006 

Designation: Pipeline Operation Foreman

Project Owner: Petrodar Operating Company (PDOC) in Khartoum, Sudan 

My Role:

• To conduct diverse integrated operational tasks of pumping stations amenities as a pipeline operation foreman

Background

Nature of the project

In terms of the arrangement of the PDOC Downstream transportation system that is divided into two major components where one of the sections is associated with the capacity of Fields Processing Facility. The first field pipeline (that is the cardinal component of the entire pipeline arrangement) owns a diameter of 32-inch with a length of 242 km and appeared to be integrated with the Fields Processing Facility (FPF). The crude fluids, afterwards, are designed to be accumulated over there in order to facilitate the following partial treatment process with an optimum 10% of water-cut. Then the partially treated fluids are fed into the Central Processing Facility (CPF), which is prospectively aligned with the second component of the pipeline arrangement, which is a 32- inch export pipeline with a length of 1128 km. This component of the entire arrangement is fabricated with block valves, launching and receiving Networks and Storage tanks. Apart from the aforementioned arrangements, an ancillary unit composed of six pumping and heating stations with an optimum customized flow capacity of 200,000 BPD has been installed in the incipient phase of the project commencement. This ancillary arrangement has been installed near the export marine terminal of the Red Sea Coast.

Objective of the project

In an elaborative tone, this project appeared to be carried out chiefly to ensure safe, effective and seamless transmission of crude petroleum that are vulnerable to be produced at blocks 3E and 7E respectively located at the south east quarters of Sudan. The province is typical to be considered as renowned delivery point at Port Sudan marine terminal across the area of Sudan. Apart from the aspect of ensuring the seamless transmission of crude oil across the country, the project happened to contribute in improving the economy of the country. Furthermore, in terms of responding to gradually increasing demand of energy, this project is conditioned to serve the revival of the economy of the country while exercising the industrial sector capabilities. Apart from everything else, in this regard the country wished to introduce maiden technological expertise in the industrial sector in order to establish a new dimension of their prevalent workforce capacity. 

Nature of my work

The project is owned by Petrodar Operating Company, which is one of the major consortiums and appeared to be consisted of several production-oriented concerns prior to oil exploration. The current project is mainly oriented with construction of a pipeline composed of several integrated pipeline operations and amenities corresponding to pumping stations.  My job in this regard is to actively supervise the integrated operational tasks as a pipeline operation foreman. 

Organizational Structure:

Statement of Duties

As I mentioned previously, in the recurring project, I was liable to conduct the diverse integrated operation of the pumping station amenities. In this regard, my duties are as follows;

• I have ensured the requisite HSE standards to the desired extent in order to prevent any proportion of compromise. Further, I have implemented the desired docility regarding the QC/QA policies while discerning and devising the mitigation plan of every vulnerable risk.
• I have supervised all the incipient activities associated with on-site investigation regarding every incidents of ecological damages
• Since I was employed as an station operation staff, I used to supervise the everyday tasks associated with operational utilities and corresponding amenities
• I have critically examined and reviewed the regular functional performance statistics in order to frame the process layout and accessibility of work units
• I used to design procedures of operations and the subsequent maintenance in accordance with the quality and quantity requirement.
• I have carried out investigations in order to diagnose any operational plan prior to the plant in order to discern the embedded irregularities in the entire pipeline arrangement.   

Personal Workplace Activity

Knowledge and Skills involved

As I was employed to hold the responsibility of safe, effective and seamless maintenance of the operational activities and the facilities including Pumping and Metering stations, I have uncompromisingly maintained those as per the safety manual. In this regard, several engineering skills related to fluid mechanics with a comprehensive analogy of diverse types of pumps need to be incorporated as the requisite eligibility skills. Since the incipient supervision is included within my metric of duties, I have to cope with several pumps manufactured by Sulzer and advocated by dual fuel burning engine, which was customized by an integrated speed gearbox at 6:1 ratio. In this regard, I have to employ my rudimentary engineering skills regarding Bernoulli Equation, Single and Multiphase concept of flow pressure loss equation along with the aptitude to perform Nodal analysis or determining Reynolds Number. Apart from that, I have regularly studied the principles of Thermodynamics along with the principles of Heat & Mass transfer.     

Technical details of working

I have to deal with;

1. Three variable speed Centrifugal pumps driven by dual fuel burning engine
2. Power plant pertaining three 850 KW Rolls-Royce generators with a 80KW emergency generator
3. Engineering software fundamentals using SCS & SCDA system to ensure seamless crude oil transmission

Once I have came across a evident drop of fuel inlet pressure causing the running speed to fluctuate. It is imperative to set the booster pump output value at 4 bars while landing pressure should not exceed 2.2 bar with an inlet temperature of 80 in order to ensure proper combustion. However, the fluctuation is principally caused by the fact that inlet pressure is 1.4 bar.

Summary

Since the recurring project is one of the most largest and significant of the country and the corresponding construction was conducted in very difficult times stained with harsh ambience and equipment delivery delay and a miserably hectic schedule, as an operation foreman I have employed every acumen to ensure all the operational details as per the requisite standards.