Marathon Oil Company - Indian Basin Gas Plant - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Risk Management Plan Indian Basin Gas Plant Marathon Oil Company Eddy County, New Mexico I. Accidental Release Prevention and Response Policies Marathon Oil Company (Marathon) has a long-standing commitment to worker and public safety, and to the environment. This commitment is demonstrated by the resources invested in accident prevention, such as training personnel and considering safety in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of the plant. Marathon's policy is to implement reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable releases of regulated substances. However, if a release does occur, trained personnel will respond to effectively control, contain and mitigate the release. II. Description of the Stationary Source and Regulated Substances The Indian Basin Gas Plant (IBGP), located in Eddy County, New Mexico, extracts natural-gas liquids from natural gas, manufactures sweet residue gas for sales, and manufactures sweet fuel gas for plant and fi eld consumption. The plant contains several regulated flammable substances including methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane. The plant does not have any regulated toxic substances with an amount greater than the threshold quantity specified in 40 CFR 68. III. Offsite Consequence Analysis Results The worst case scenario (WCS) associated with a release of flammable substances at the IBGP is a vapor cloud explosion (VCE) involving the full inventory of the largest storage tank. This scenario involves a release of 320,000 lbs of a hydrocarbon mixture consisting of 160,000 pounds of ethane, 64,000 pounds of propane, 64,000 pounds of butane, and 32,000 pounds of pentane. This inventory is assumed to release and ignite, resulting in a VCE. The maximum distance to the 1-psi endpoint for this WCS is 0.55 miles. Although there are numerous controls at the IBGP to prevent such releases and to mitigate their consequences, no credit for passive mitigation measures was taken into ac count in evaluating this WCS. IV. General Accident Release Prevention Program The accident prevention program in place at the IBGP is summarized in the following. Because this facility is also subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) process safety management (PSM) standard, this summary addresses each of the OSHA PSM elements and describes the management system in place to implement the accident prevention program. A. Employee Participation Marathon ensures its employees participate in all development, review and implementation aspects of PSM and accident prevention. Examples of employee participation include compiling and updating technical documents, chemical information and operating procedures; participating in and providing suggestions on the emergency response drills; and participating as a member of a process hazard analysis (PHA) team, an incident investigation team, or an audit team. Employees have access to all information created as p art of the gas plant accident prevention program. Specific ways that employees can be involved in the accident prevention program are documented in an employee participation plan that is maintained at the plant. B. Process Safety Information Marathon personnel maintain a variety of technical documents that are used to ensure safe operation of the processes. These documents address hazards of the highly hazardous chemicals at the plant, process technology, and process equipment. Specific personnel within the gas plant and at the Midland Region office are assigned responsibility for maintaining up-to-date process safety information. A PSM information reference form is utilized to document the location of this information. Chemical-specific information, including exposure hazards and emergency response/exposure treatment considerations, is provided in material safety data sheets (MSDS). Documents maintained on file include process flow diagrams, a description of the process, th e maximum intended inventory, safety-related limits for process parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures, flows, compositions), and an evaluation of the consequences of deviation from defined safe operating limits. Trained Marathon operating personnel ensure that the process is maintained within these limits using process controls and monitoring instruments, and protective instrument systems (e.g., automated shutdown systems). Technical documents that provide information about the design and construction of process equipment are also maintained. This information includes materials of construction, piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical classification, relief system design and design basis, ventilation system design, design codes and standards, and safety systems (e.g., interlocks, detection and suppression systems). This information, in combination with written procedures and trained personnel, provides a basis for establishing inspection and maintenance activities. A ll changes to the process chemicals, technology or equipment are subject to the Management of Change program (Item J below) to ensure that safety features in the process are not compromised. C. Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) Marathon has a comprehensive program to ensure that hazards associated with the processes at the plant are identified and controlled. Within this program, the process is systematically examined to identify hazards and ensure that adequate controls are in place to manage these hazards. The Hazards and Operability (HAZOP) and "what-if" analysis techniques are primarily used to perform these evaluations. The analyses are conducted using a team of people who have operating, maintenance, engineering, and safety expertise. This team identifies and evaluates hazards of the process as well as accident prevention and mitigation measures, and the team makes recommendations for additional prevention and/or mitigation measures when the team believes such measures are necessary. The PHA team findings are forwarded to local management for resolution. All approved mitigation options in response to PHA team findings are tracked until they are completed. The final resolution of each finding is documented and retained. To ensure that the process controls and/or process hazards do not eventually deviate significantly from the original design safety features, the plant periodically updates and revalidates the hazard analysis results. These periodic reviews are conducted at least every five years and will be conducted at this frequency until the process is no longer operating. The results and findings from these updates are documented and retained. Once again, the team findings are forwarded to local management for consideration, and the final resolution of the findings is documented and retained. D. Operating Procedures Marathon maintains operating procedures and manuals that address various modes of process operations, such as unit startup, n ormal operations, normal shutdown, temporary operation, emergency operations, emergency shutdown, and initial startup of a new process. The procedures and manuals include operating limits that outline consequences of process deviation and steps required to correct or avoid deviations. They also include safety and health considerations, and safety systems and their functions. These procedures and manuals can be used as a reference by experienced operators and provide a basis for consistent training of new operators. The procedures are periodically reviewed and annually certified by the Process Supervisor as current and accurate. The procedures are kept current and accurate by revising them as necessary to reflect changes made through the Management of Change process. In addition, safe work practices have been developed and implemented for employees and contractors to control hazards during operations (e.g., lockout/tagout, confined space entry, opening process equipment or piping ). This information, along with written operating procedures, is readily available to operators in the process unit and for other personnel to use as necessary to safely perform their job tasks. E. Training To complement the written procedures for process operations, Marathon has implemented a comprehensive and effective training program for all employees involved in operating a process. The program, including initial training, refresher training and documentation, is intended to help employees understand the nature and problems arising from process operations and increase employee awareness with respect to the hazards particular to a process. Each new employee and each employee operating a newly assigned process is trained in an overview of the process and in the operating procedures for the unit. The training includes emphasis on the safety and health hazards, emergency operations, and safe work practices applicable to the employee's job assignment. In addition, all operator s periodically receive refresher training on the operating procedures to ensure that their skills and knowledge are maintained at an acceptable level. This refresher training is conducted at least once every three years. All of this training is documented for each operator, including the means used to verify that the operator understood the training. F. Contractors Contractors are used to supplement the work force during periods of increased maintenance or construction activities. Procedures are in place to ensure that contractors hired can accomplish the desired job tasks without compromising the safety and health of Marathon employees, contractor employees, or the facility. The contractor is required to ensure that its employees are trained on performing the job safely, of the hazards related to the job, and applicable provisions of the emergency action plan. This is accomplished by hiring only contractors on the Approved Contractor List. To be kept on such list, the contra ctor must be familiar with the facility processes, information about safety and health hazards, emergency response plan requirements, and safe work practices. The contractor is also required to document the training, to advise Marathon personnel of hazards found by the contractor employees, and to report all accidents, injuries, illnesses and near misses to plant personnel. Each contractor working at the facility is monitored and evaluated at least annually to ensure that the contractor fulfills the safety obligations. G. Pre-Startup Safety Review (PSSR) A PSSR is conducted for any new facility or facility modification that requires a change in the process safety information. The purpose of the PSSR is to ensure that safety features, procedures, personnel, and equipment are appropriately prepared for startup prior to placing the equipment into service. This review provides one additional check to make sure: 1) that construction is in accordance with the design specificatio ns; 2) that safety, operating, maintenance and emergency procedures are in place and are adequate; 3) that, for a new facility, a PHA has been performed and recommendations resolved; 4) that, for a modified facility, the requirements of the Management of Change program have been met; and 5) that training of each employee involved in operating an affected process has been completed and documented. The PSSR team uses a pre-approved checklist to verify all aspects of readiness. H. Mechanical Integrity Marathon has a well-established program to ensure that equipment such as pressure vessels and storage tanks, piping systems, relief and vent systems, controls, pumps and compressors, and emergency shutdown systems is designed, constructed, installed, and maintained to minimize the risk of accidental releases. The program primarily consists of developing written procedures, conducting maintenance training, performing inspections and tests, identifying and correcting de ficiencies, and applying quality assurance measures. Marathon management has chosen to follow the guidelines set forth in the Marathon Oil Company Worldwide Production Corrosion Monitoring Program, American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice 510, and applicable standards set forth by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Maintenance personnel receive training on 1) an overview of the process and its hazards, 2) applicable maintenance procedures, and 3) certification for employees conducting nondestructive testing, welding, etc. Written procedures ensure that work is performed in a consistent manner and provide a basis for training. Inspections and tests are performed and documented to help ensure that equipment functions as intended and to verify that equipment is within acceptable limits (e.g., adequate wall thickness for pressure vessels). If a deficiency in equipment is identified, it will be corrected before further use. Another integral part of the mechani cal integrity program is quality assurance. Marathon incorporates quality assurance measures into equipment purchases, installation and repairs to assure consistency with design specifications and manufacturer's instructions. This practice also applies to contractor supplied equipment and parts. I. Safe Work Practices Marathon has long standing safe work practices in place to ensure worker and process safety. Examples of these include: 1) control of the entry/presence/exit of support personnel, 2) a lockout/tagout procedure to ensure isolation of energy sources for equipment undergoing maintenance, 3) a procedure for safe removal of hazardous substances before process piping or equipment is opened, 4) a permit and procedure to control spark producing activities (i.e., hot work), and 5) a permit and procedure to ensure that adequate precautions are in place before entry into a confined space. These procedures, along with training of affected personnel, form a system to ensure t hat operations and maintenance activities are performed safely. J. Management of Change Marathon has a comprehensive system to manage changes to all covered processes. This system requires that changes to items such as process equipment, chemicals, technology, operating procedures, and other changes be properly reviewed and authorized before being implemented. The system not only addresses the permanent changes, but also includes emergency and temporary changes. All these changes are reviewed to ensure that adequate controls are in place to manage any new hazards and to verify that existing controls have not been compromised by the changes. Affected chemical hazard information, process technology, equipment information, and procedures are updated to incorporate these changes. A Management of Change Request form is used to facilitate the necessary reviews, approvals, and updates. K. Incident Investigation Marathon has established and implemented a procedure to investigate all incidents that resulted in, or reasonably could have resulted in, personal injury or death, significant property damage, or release of contaminants which caused or could have caused significant environmental damage. The investigations are initiated as promptly as possible, but no later than 48 hours following the incident. The goal of each investigation is to determine the root cause of the incident and to develop corrective actions to prevent a recurrence or a similar incident. The investigation team documents its findings, develops recommendations to prevent recurrence, and forwards these results to management for resolution. Corrective actions taken in response to the investigation team's findings and recommendations are tracked until they are complete. The final resolution of each finding or recommendation is documented and the investigation results are reviewed with all affected employees (including contractors). Incident investigation reports are retained for at least f ive years. L. Compliance Audits Marathon conducts audits to determine whether the procedures and practices required by the PSM and accident prevention programs are adequate and being implemented. Compliance audits are conducted at least once every three years. The audit team develops findings that are forwarded tomanagement for resolution. Corrective actions taken in response to the audit team's findings are tracked until they are complete. The final resolution of each finding is documented, and the two most recent audit reports are retained on file. V. Chemical-Specific Prevention Steps Facility processes have hazards that must be managed to ensure continued safe operation. The following is a description of existing safety features applicable to prevention of accidental releases of regulated substances in the facility. A. Universal Prevention Activities The accident prevention program summarized previously is applied to the entire facility. Collectively, these preventi on program activities help prevent potential accident scenarios that could be caused by equipment failures and human errors. B. Specialized Safety Features The facility has safety features in many areas to help: 1) quickly detect a release, 2) contain/control a release, and 3) reduce the consequences of (mitigate) a release. The following types of safety features are used in the plant: a. Release Detection Hydrocarbon detectors with alarms Fixed hydrogen-sulfide monitors with alarms b. Release Containment/Control Atmospheric relief devices Process relief valves that discharge to a flare to capture and burn episodic releases Manual and automatic valves to allow isolation of the process Automatic shutdown systems Plant emergency shutdown and blowdown system Secondary power source Emergency power Excess flow device Redundant equipment and instrumentation c. Release Mitigation Fire suppression and extinguishing s ystem Dikes to contain liquid releases VI. Five-year Accident History The facility has an excellent record of accident prevention over the past five years. There have been no accidental releases of regulated substances with off-site impacts in the past five years. VII. Emergency Response Program Information Emergency response activities at the IBGP are coordinated with the Eddy County local emergency planning committee (LEPC), which consists of local emergency response officials, state and local government officials, and industry representatives. The facility has around-the-clock communication capability with appropriate LEPC officials and emergency response organizations (e.g., fire department). This provides a means of notifying the public of an incident, if necessary, as well as facilitating quick response to an incident. In addition to meetings with the LEPC, the facility conducts periodic emergency drills that involve the LEPC and emergency response organizations. VI II. Planned Changes to Improve Safety All findings from the previous PHAs, incident investigations, and safety audits have been successfully resolved. Marathon personnel will continue to conduct PHAs, safety audits, and incident investigations as applicable to continuously improve the worker and public safety. |