Managing Asset Integrity and Safe Operations at the Bahrain Petroleum Company: Operational Assets in Unfenced/Unmanned Areas

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Managing operational assets outside the Refinery, in unfenced/unmanned areas is of paramount importance for the successful and safe operations of the company. Operational assets include gas, oil and utility pipelines, distribution and metering stations, valve stations, power distribution cables and such other assets. These assets are ‘on land’ inside populated urban areas, desert locations and sub-sea installations. Primarily, company’s operational assets are protected by constant patrolling by the nation’s public security agencies and also by the company security department. However risks to the company’s operational assets arise from Contractors engaged by the company to perform any work on the asset or near the asset or other agencies including ministries or utility companies or authorities engaging their Contractors in carrying out new installation or maintenance work of their own assets located in and around company assets. In the context of Bahrain as a nation, the oil and gas industry contributes substantially to the economy and hence it is very important that all necessary processes are established to protect operational assets. When work is performed by Contractors not directly within operational control i.e. taking place in remote, normally unmanned or minimally manned facilities the inherent risk is high and has to be managed through legally mandated processes. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Bapco has an established ‘Process Safety Management’ (PSM) system accepted and implemented in the company. The ‘Safe Work Permit’ system is a very critical control system/measure to ensure Contractor compliance when performing any work. Coupled with the effectiveness of PSM and Contractor Safety process the Government of Bahrain mandated legally binding process of the ‘Wayleave’ system along with other processes such as Planning Permission, helps in enforcing control of company’s operational assets in company’s unfenced or remote areas with minimal or no manning. A procedure for ‘Processing of Planning Permissions and Wayleave pertaining to BAPCO’s Unfenced Areas’ has been developed based on engineering design requirements basis international design codes and best professional practices. Details of these practices will be described and illustrated in the detailed presentation. PRESENTATION/CONCLUSION: Bapco has over the past years developed procedures and processes to manage operational assets/ areas within the Oil and Gas Fields, Oil transmission pipelines and the ‘Right-of-Way’, Gas Distribution Network and the ‘Right-of-Way’, Refinery, Tank Farms and its own Shipping Wharf Operations in keeping with the highest engineering standards, safety and quality requirements. Purpose of this presentation is to list and explain the adaptation of these procedures and processes coupled with pragmatic solutions that forms the basic architecture that aids in controlling the safety and operability of assets in ‘Unfenced/ unmanned Operating Areas’. This ensures generating positive economics and aiding in the growth of the nation’s economy.