Salient features of the project ‘Installation of LPG bullets at ONGC, Plant, Uran”

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), is engaged in Exploration & Production of hydrocarbons. ONGC is operating its oil and gas processing complex for processing of offshore production at Uran Plant, Uran. Uran falls in close to Navi in the state of . It is situated east of Mumbai across the Creek is well connected by road/rail.

The following facilities/capacity are installed at Uran Plant:

1. Slug Catchers 16 MMSCMD 2. Gas Sweetening Units (GSU I, II & III) 15 MMSCMD 3. Condensate Handling Units (CHU2,3, &4) 160 TPH 4. Condensate Fractionation Units (CFU 1,2 &3)200 TPH 5. Value Added Products (LPG 1,2 & 3) 16.9 MMSCMD 6. C2-C3 Recovery Unit 9.57 MMSCMD 7. Gas Turbine along with HRSG 60 MW power

The plant is designed to process, store and dispatch the Natural gas received from offshore platforms, basins & oil /gas fields. The plant has three LPG processing plants (i.e LPG I, II, III) of total processing capacity of 16.9 MMSCMD.

At present 4 nos. of LPG spheres Tanks with cumulative capacity of 4500 M3 is available at Uran Plant along with 3 nos. of LPG transfer pumps for storage and dispatch of LPG. The LPG is transported through pipeline to BPCL.

In order to upgrade the storage facility of LPG, M/s ONGC is intending to install 03 nos. of LPG mounded bullets (each of 1500 M3 capacity) i.e 4500 m3 in total along with three LPG loading pumps for receiving, storage and dispatch of LPG. The LPG mounded bullets will be constructed by dismantling of old Low Aromatic Naphtha (LAN) Tanks in the plant and no additional land is to be procured or acquired.

The total cost of the project is ` 84.27 Crores. Scheduled completion is 24 months from date of issue of Letter of Award (LOA)/ Notification of Award (NOA)

Study by IEOT: Consequence analysis study for the existing LPG storage has been carried out by ‘Institute of Engineering & Ocean Technology’, ONGC Complex, Phase- II, (IEOT, Panvel) in March-2009. IEOT, ONGC has utilized state-of-art and worldwide accepted onshore Risk Analysis software tool called “SAFETI Professional Version-6.51” for carrying out consequences analysis study.

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IEOT, ONGC has given recommendations which interalia suggested to follow OISD standard -150 which suggested to use mounded bullets for LPG storage because of their intrinsically safe design which eliminated the possibility of BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion). The same is quoted below:

“The mounded storage of LPG has proved to be safer compared to above ground storage vessels since it provides intrinsically passive and safe environment and eliminated the possibility of BLEVE. The cover of the mound protects the vessel from fire engulfment, radiation from a fire in close proximity and acts of sabotage or vandalism. The area of land required to locate a mounded system is minimal compare to conventional storage.”

As per current industry practice, all industries in the LPG storage are going for mounded LPG storage to avoid possibility of BLEVE/fireball.

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