Hot surface pose hydrocarbon ignition risk
Offshore oil and gas facilities typically have power generation and processing equipment that will generate or contain significant heat, and consequently hot surfaces. An exposed hot surface can be an ignition source if there were to be a leak of flammable hydrocarbons. This could potentially lead to a major accident event such as fire or explosion and loss of life. The risk of such a catastrophic event is real, significant, and cannot be ignored.
NOPSEMA has received multiple notifications of dangerous occurrences from hot surfaces associated with equipment including turbines, steam systems, and boilers. Each occurrence was unique due to the specific type, design, and layout of equipment, as well as the design standards applied and the types of hydrocarbons at the facility. The risk of a major accident event was the common factor.
To ensure the risk of hydrocarbons igniting from exposure to a hot surface can be managed, duty holders should, at the design phase of their facility, determine the maximum surface temperature of equipment during normal and abnormal conditions. Hotter-than-expected surface temperatures may occur during operational life for several reasons, for example due to degradation of insulation material.
In this case, duty holders must have performance standards in place that define the assurance activities that will control, manage, and monitor the risk of hydrocarbons igniting from hot surfaces.
Where a hot surface exceeds the maximum temperature specified in the performance standard, in line with the safety case or an industry standard, the duty holder must immediately take steps to mitigate or reduce the risk of ignition. This could include shutting down the equipment, reducing production, delaying or suspending any high risk activities, undertaking a formal risk assessment, more dispersion modelling, increasing the frequency of assurance activities, and/or reengineering the equipment.
In May, NOPSEMA released a draft information paper to raise awareness and highlight appropriate approaches to managing the risk of hydrocarbons igniting from exposure to hot surfaces. The paper presents our observations and expectations around general risk management approaches, based on industry standards and relevant good industry practice to ensure that equipment at a facility is safe and without risk to health.
The draft Management of hot surface information paper is available on our website. Currently, NOPSEMA is considering feedback provided by industry and other stakeholders in finalising the paper.