Refinery turnarounds are major events that involve years of planning and large teams to execute. Proper planning and execution can have a major impact on the turnaround itself and the future operation of the unit. Best in class delayed cokers can operate 7+ years between turnarounds. With that amount of time and rapid industry staff turnover, it is entirely possible that the team of people planning and executing your delayed coker turnaround have little or no experience with the aspects of your unique unit that are commonly encountered during a turnaround. Couple batch processing with solids, liquids, and gas processing equipment, the optimization opportunities in any delayed coker turnaround plan and execution can be significant.
Coking.com’s team of experts can help. We can:
- Assist during the development of the work scope through site audits, risk based inspection (RBI) system reviews, and formal work scope reviews based on industry best practices.
- Prepare your operations, maintenance, and technical staff through training on what to expect and look for during the turnaround.
- Provide hands-on field support during the execution phase of the turnaround by experts who can provide real-time feedback and solutions to equipment findings as they develop.
During a recent turnaround, a number of the large steam purged ball valves (SP valves) were removed for service during the turnaround. While removed, the piping shifted and caused significant line stress when the valves were reinstalled. The line stress caused binding in the valve. When the line expanded during startup, the SP valves would not move and the unit had to be shutdown for an additional week to resolve the issue. This issue has been seen at a number of sites and could have been prevented. By elevating operator and maintenance awareness of this issue, they could have raised the risk before startup. Expert oversight during the turnaround should have caught the issue during re-installation. Prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you would like to know more about turnaround support services, please contact us at info@coking.com for more information.
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