Critical High Risk Sour:

Emergency Planning Zone Implementation

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Emergency Planning Zone Agenda
• What is an EPZ?
• Why the EPZ?
• EPZ Sizing
• The Zones
• The Requirements

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What is an Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)

An EPZ is an area around a facility or wellhead where high

levels of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) are contained within the
process fluids.

In the very unlikely event of a large leak, it is possible, that

H2S could be present in the EPZ.

Contingency Plans are in place to ensure that affected

parties would be notified in case of a large leak of H2S.

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 Why an Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)

Implementation of an EPZ is in line with worldwide best

practice for managing H2S facilities
• Manage planning activities and emergency response
required due to presence of Hydrogen Sulphide gas
• Establish who is in the area
• An information and training zone for those already within
the area
• Further settlements in the area are strongly discouraged,
but no forced re-settlements shall be required

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 Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) 1

• Many engineering activities have been implemented to

reduce the residual risk
– All trunk lines and many flow lines are buried and provided with
wind rows to reduce accidental impact
– Wells, flow lines and trunk lines are provided with safety
shutdown valves to limit release volumes
– All equipment designed to international codes and standards

• Likelihood of a large toxic gas release is extremely low,

the EPZ is being put in place to address worst case leak

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 Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)
• The EPZ Sizing
In a worst case release, there may
be levels of H2S at 100 ppm at the
edge of the clouded area on the
following slides. Closer to the
release source levels of H2S will be
higher

• Warning signs are being

erected
• EPZ is an option on PDO
Earth

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What does 100ppm H2S Mean?
• Coughing, eye irritation, and loss of sense of smell after
3 to 15 minutes.
• Altered breathing, pain in the eyes, and drowsiness after
15 to 20 minutes,
• Throat irritation after one hour.
• Prolonged exposure results in gradual increase in the
severity of these symptoms

Greater Birba fluids range: 10,000 - 100,000 ppm H2S

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 Overall Area
Al Noor

Birba

Harweel Marmul

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 The Zones
Birba

Al Noor

Harweel
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 Requirements for working in the EPZ
There are 6 cornerstone principles of the EPZ:
1. Separation
– Work which can be conducted outside EPZ shall be
2. H2S Training
– All workers shall have H2S training and valid card
3. Detection
– All workers shall have H2S Detectors
4. Communication
– Any work party shall have viable communication
5. Protection
– All workers shall have filter type escape hood
6. Evacuation
– Vehicle shall be available within walking distance
PTW required for work within EPZ
Demonstration of the above for all PDO / Contractor controlled access
 The Camp Requirements
New camps / offices shall be located outside of the EPZ.

Existing camps and offices inside the EPZ

• Conduct a detailed risk assessment.
• Develop an ERP that meets the expectations of 6 cornerstone principles.
– Appropriate H2S training
– Reliable H2S detection which may be from the host facility, and camp / office alarm
– Reliable means of communication
– Emergency Response scenario descriptions
– Personnel Protection facilities such as suitable building for shelter in place, or a stock of
chemical escape hoods
– Sufficient evacuation means that can respond in timely fashion.

Existing camps and offices do not need to relocate, unless assessed risks
are deemed to be intolerable in line with PDO risk acceptance criteria

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 Plants/Construction sites

Preferred that new plants are not located within an existing EPZ.

• Construction in an existing EPZ:

– Risks are managed to ALARP,
– Principles of the EPZ are satisfied for all phases of plant operation

• Overlapping EPZ’s:
– Appropriate communication
– Emergency Response Plans, possibly joint ERP

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