HAZOP Study for a Petrochemical Processing Facility
Overview
Mayford led a comprehensive Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study in accordance with IEC 61882 for a petrochemical facility preparing to commission a new ethylene derivatives processing unit. Over a 12-week engagement, a multidisciplinary team of 8 engineers systematically reviewed 48 process nodes across the facility's reaction, separation, and storage systems. The study identified 127 actionable recommendations covering equipment design, alarm management, and emergency shutdown logic — enabling the client to proceed with a safer, more reliable startup.
The Challenge
A petrochemical operator in the Middle East was preparing to integrate a new derivatives processing unit into an existing plant operating at 85% capacity. The new unit introduced high-pressure reaction systems, cryogenic storage, and new utility tie-ins. The facility had no prior HAZOP documentation for the existing interconnected systems, and the client needed to satisfy both internal corporate risk governance and local regulatory requirements (OSHA PSM equivalent) before commissioning could proceed. With a tight 6-month commissioning window, the study had to be completed without delaying the project schedule.
Our Solution
Mayford assembled a team of process engineers, instrumentation specialists, and operations leads to conduct a structured HAZOP workshop over 15 facilitated sessions. Using a node-by-node analysis approach per IEC 61882, each process section was examined for deviations in flow, temperature, pressure, level, and composition. The team reviewed over 60 P&IDs, cross-referencing cause-and-consequence chains against the facility's Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) design. All findings were risk-ranked using a 5×5 risk matrix aligned with the client's corporate risk criteria, and each recommendation was assigned to a responsible party with a target closure date.
