MSL Engineering Ltd. - Case Study Major Shutdown / Turnaround Contract

Refinery Turnaround

MSL’s work scope for the Phillips66 Whitegate Refinery Turnaround 2014 involved eight months of planning, preparation, constructability walkdowns, pre-turnaround fabrication of pipe-work, hydrostatic pressure testing and painting culminating in an ambitious four week scheduled Refinery Turnaround. Both day and night work shifts were required during the four week turnaround to destruct existing pipe-work, install and test pre-fabricated pipe-work, successfully reinstate, and present to the client with a Mechanical QA/QC Handover by process system incorporating an extensive piping test-pack format and associated radiographs for the 100% NDE of all tie in welds.

Project Description: Turnaround
Client: Phillips 66, Whitegate Refinery, Cork, Ireland
Contract Value: €2,000,000
Contract Duration: 9 months

Key features included:

• • Off-site Workshop Fabrication: A total of 440 isometric drawings were site checked and measured, logged, priority sequenced and grouped by plant area. These isometrics were then engineered, fabricated, subjected to NDE and transported to site over an eight month period.
  • On-site Pre-Turnaround Activities: Upon delivery to site all isometrics were dimensionally checked, hydrostatic pressure tested, painted, tagged and set down in several lay down areas, local to points of installation. This involved compiling 300 test-packs and signing off pressure tests prior to the turnaround.
  • On-site Turnaround Activities: The following scope of work was successfully completed over a pre-agreed challenging 4 week shutdown schedule:
    • Install 1,500 Process Positive Isolation Spades.
    • Destruct Existing Pipe-work local to 1,000 tie-in points, each of which had its own individual ‘permit to work’ in place.
    • Install New Pipe-work between these tie-in points.
    • Conduct 100% Visual Examination, Magnetic Particle Inspection and Radiography of every welded tie-in point, 375 in total.
    • Hydrostatic Pressure Test every welded tie-in point, 375 in total.
    • Reinstate each of the 1,000 tie-in points, and return to the client with a Mechanical Quality Handover Dossier incorporating an extensive piping test-pack format and associated radiographs for the 100% NDE of all tie in welds.
    • The majority of pipe-work was Carbon Steel, but the Turnaround also included some Chrome-alloy pipe-work subjected to Pre and Post Weld Heat Treatment, (P11 and P22).
    • Careful co-ordination with all other disciplines, incorporating Scaffolding, Insulation, NDE, Painting, PWHT and Civil contractors was essential in ensuring the successful completion of the Turnaround within the specified schedule.

On-site Manloading: 165 MSL personnel.
Direct Site Labour Hours: A total of 50,000 direct labour hours were expended on the project.