PREP Ledger of Experience

EXPERIENCE

1. AREA/EQUIPMENT : OFFSITES OWS SYSTEM

OBSERVATIONS
OWS system of offsites area could not be completed before commissioning of DHDT
and HGU under phase –1.

CAUSE
There was substantial time gap between mechanical completion of LSTK units and
conventional offsite facilities, readiness of OWS system.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Temporary pumping facilities for pumping effluent from PREP units ( HGU, DHDT
Flare , Pump House-12 and feed tanks area ) to PR-WWTP net work was provided
near tank-306. PR-OWS manhole no. 260 near tank-401 was chosen for this
purpose. Two pumps were provided for continuous pumping of PREP effluent to
nearest existing OWS network.

2. AREA/EQUIPMENT : HOOK UP OF OFFSITE OWS SYSTEM WITH PREP

WWTP

OBSERVATIONS
PREP-WWTP mechanically completed on 26.2.06 and due to flushing and other
activity within the battery limit of WWTP, it was planned to receive raw effluent
on 29.03.06 by breaking concrete seal between MH-260 and PREP-WWTP. As DHDS
and HGU were in full swing, the breaking of manhole seal was a Herculean task.

CAUSE
There was no scope to stop incoming effluent flow from running units.

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SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Two diesel pumps were kept beside MH-260 for continuous pumping of incoming
effluent from MH-260 to PR existing manhole to maintain effluent level at bare
minimum. Fire tender was kept standby nearby for any emergency. All units were
informed to minimize draining in OWS system. Contractor people with oxygen
canister were allowed to enter into MH-260 and the seal was broken safely. Raw
effluent routed to PREP-WWTP.

3. AREA/EQUIPMENT : OWS

OBSERVATIONS
The height of Chequered plate was only about 1.0 meter. In case of high inflow or
downstream restrictions (constraints), the electric poles, level transmitters fitted
on the Chequered plate may be submerged in hydrocarbons.

CAUSE
The height of Chequered plate was very less.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
The Chequered plate was lifted to the top of OWS, thus increasing the capacity of
OWS but to avoid any disaster due to submerging of electric poles, level
instruments in hydrocarbons.

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4. AREA/EQUIPMENT : OWS/REGN TK

OBSERVATIONS
High level in OWS due to high inflow & d/s processing restrictions of equalization
tanks.

CAUSE
Down stream processing restrictions of equalizations tanks.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
A facility has been taken in the Ex TPI transfer pump Discharge to regeneration
tanks (two nos. of 2500 m3 capacity) to store the effluents. However due to
processing limitations this is to be used in emergency only. Regeneration
processing rate via pumps is only 2.5 m3/hr but via OWS drain it can be processed
up to 25-30m3/hr.

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5. AREA/EQUIPMENT : GRIT CHAMBER

OBSERVATIONS
Very less flow to TPI despite the fact those two nos of Archimedean pumps were
running.

CAUSE
Foreign material plugged the grit.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Grit manually cleaned to overcome the problem.

6. AREA/EQUIPMENT : SAT.VESSEL

OBSERVATIONS
Poor saturation in DAF &water in in Air compressor line.

CAUSE
In case of stopping of Air Compressor due to pump discharge pressure water ingress
in the air compressor d/s line & thus plugging the SOV & no air supply to sat.
Vessel due to malfunction of SOV & no air supply to sat. Vessel due to malfunction
of SOV.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
NRV put in the D/S of SOV near sat vessel to overcome this problem.

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7. AREA/EQUIPMENT : DAF

OBSERVATIONS
Poor skimming of floating sludge on the surface of DAF.

CAUSE
Poor quality of skimmer rubber pad supplied of only 6 mm thickener.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Skimmer rubber pad replaced with 10mm pad for effective sludge skimming.

8. AREA/EQUIPMENT : BT FEED PUMP & DAF RECIRCULATION PUMPS

OBSERVATIONS
Continuous jamming of pumps due to scaling in the NRV, impeller.

CAUSE
High salts of sulphates, chlorides etc.

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SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
After successive investigations with lab results & experiments, dosing of Alum in
Flash mixing tank stopped without affecting the results of treated water quality
which was found well under MINAS the jamming of pumps vanished out.

9. AREA/EQUIPMENT : AERATION TANKS

OBSERVATIONS
Boiling actions/uneven surface of water or dead spots, violent turbulence at
aeration tank surface, large air bubbles, 1/2’’or greater apparent.

CAUSE
1. Clogging of diffusers
2. Dislocation of diffuser sat bottom of aeration tanks

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
About 160 nos. SS clamping done at the bottom of aeration tanks to reduce
/overcome of dislocation of diffusers.

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10. AREA/EQUIPMENT : AERATION TANKS

OBSERVATIONS
The air supply hose pipe to diffusers at top dislocates & submerged in Aeration
Tanks.

CAUSE
Poor clamping of air hose & high air flow to diffusers.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
1. Clamping at top of air hose pipe tightened.
2. Extra PVC rope provided to lift the air hose & avoiding any submerging air
hose pipe.

11. AREA/EQUIPMENT : AERATION TANKS

OBSERVATIONS
(2+1) Air blowers for each Aeration Tanks A & B provided to maintain DO level in
Aeration Tanks .However with 2 nos. aeration blowers, DO level was maintained
around 3 to 3.5 whereas process requirement was only 1.5 to 2 mg/lt

CAUSE
If we run only one aeration blower to each Aeration Tanks; difficulties in
maintaining the DO in Aeration Tanks. So on/off starting of 2nd aeration blowers
was not advisable due to high kilowatt (132KW each).

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Modifications done in the D/S of Aeration blowers with a gate valve. So we had to
run only 3 nos. aeration blowers to maintain the required level of DO in the
Aeration Tanks resulted in energy saving .

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12. AREA/EQUIPMENT : CHEMICAL SLUDGE THICKENER

OBSERVATIONS
Zero/no draining from chemical thickener to thickened chemical sump

CAUSE
Blockage in the drain line from chemical thickener to thickened chemical sump.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
A globe valve was provided in the drain line .Due to over tightening of Globe valve,
the rubber sheet of the globe valve got damaged. Globe valve replaced with gate
valve to over come this problem.

13. AREA/EQUIPMENT : CHEMICAL SLUDGE TRANSFER PUMP P-13

A/B

OBSERVATIONS
No or poor discharge towards chemical thickener.

CAUSE
11.1 Air blockage/plugging

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11.2 Damaging of stator of the pumps due to over heating without proper
suction.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Air vent provided in the suction line of both the pumps with a service water hose
connections facilities to remove any air in the suction line.(pumps run on negative
suction)

14. AREA/EQUIPMENT : SLOP TRANSFER PUMPS P-18 A/B

OBSERVATIONS
Poor or no discharge

CAUSE
12.1 Very fine mesh provided in the stainers.
12.2 Damaging of mechanical seal

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Fine mesh replaced with big size mesh to over come these problems.

AREA/EQUIPMENT
Coker Spent Caustic

OBSERVATIONS
Variable sulphide loads in sulphidic Coker spent caustic effluents which leads to
frequent adjustment of H2O2 dosing rate.

CAUSE
Variable sulphide load in the Coker spent caustic effluents

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SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Facility has been provided to process the Coker spent caustic effluent via OWS
(through drain of effluents without pumps).

AREA/EQUIPMENT
Sulphidic Spent Caustic Processing

OBSERVATIONS
Sulphidic Spent caustic can be processed via Flash mixing tank i.e. eq. tank O/L
processing with variable process parameter of sulphide in the processing eq. tank
effluents

CAUSE
1. Sulphidic load in the sulphidic spent caustic may vary & we don’t have any
facility for measurement of sulphide in the existing spent caustic tank.
2. Not able to use the existing facility of Oxidizing vessel of spent caustic.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
1. Provision was taken with a modification to process the sulphidic spent
caustic via OWS & thus sulphide load will be in equilibrium in Eq. Tanks.
2. Provision was taken with a modification of 1 ½ “isolation valve to process
the sulphidic spent caustic after oxidizing vessel.

15. AREA/EQUIPMENT : SULPHIDE ANALYZER AT FLASH MIXING

TANK

OBSERVATIONS
Sharp fluctuations in sulphide reading by analyzer & thus frequent adjustment of
H2O2 dosing.

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CAUSE
As the sample tapping has been taken from Flash mixing tank where the H2O2
dosing is going on, the sample taken at different interval will give different results
by analyzer.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
Sample tapping location changed from Flash Mixing tank to Eq. Tk. O/L pump
discharge line to get uniform sulphide results & thus frequent adjustment of H2O2
dosing vanished.

16. AREA/EQUIPMENT : HIGH –HIGH LEVEL ALARM IN EX. TPI

TRANSFER SUMP

OBSERVATIONS
Due to malfunction of instruments, the 2nd or 3rd pumps will not take start, then
overflow of TPI may take place.

CAUSE
Not starting of 2nd or 3rd pump automatically due to mal function of
equipments/instruments logic.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
A high –High Level Alarm has been provided to alert the panel operator, which was
not there earlier to start 2nd or 3rd pump manually to avoid any overflow of
hydrocarbons in open areas/surface.

17. AREA/EQUIPMENT : HIGH –HIGH LEVEL ALARM IN EX. SLOP

TRANSFER SUMP

OBSERVATIONS
Due to malfunction of instruments, the 2nd or 3rd pumps shall l not take start,
which in turn caused overflow of Ex. Slop Transfer sump.

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CAUSE
Not starting of 2nd or 3rd pump automatically due to malfunction of
equipments/instruments logic.

SOLUTIONS/REMEDIES
A high –High Level Alarm has been provided to alert the panel operator, which was
not there earlier to start 2nd or 3rd pump manually to avoid any overflow of
hydrocarbons in open areas/surface.

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