An Integrated EPC-Operational Process Safety Lifecycle Model: Coupling HIRA, FMEA, and Quantitative Risk Assessment for Explosion and Fire Disaster Prevention in Hydrocarbon Facilities
Aug 2026· International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology· pp. 69· 0 citations· 11 references
Abstract
The Oil and Gas (O&G) and downstream petrochemical industries handle massive volumes of volatile hydrocarbons under extreme thermodynamic conditions, making them exceptionally vulnerable to catastrophic loss-of-containment events. Historically, safety management strategies have operated in silos: occupational safety dominates the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) phase, while Process Safety Management (PSM) and Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) govern the operational phase. This fragmented paradigm overlooks a critical reality: procedural and mechanical deficiencies during EPC (e.g., inadequate weld fusion, improper flange torqueing, incorrect valve selection, and deficient pre-commissioning testing) represent the latent pathogens that directly trigger major operational disasters. This research presents an integrated, closed-loop process safety lifecycle model that bridges this divide by systematically coupling Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) during EPC execution with QRA thermodynamic and blast consequence modeling. Utilizing rigorous forensic case studies of landmark disasters—including the IOCL Jaipur terminal fire (2009), the ONGC Hazira gas terminal leak (2020), and the IOCL Mathura refinery incident (2020)—we establish direct causal links between construction QA/QC failures and operational vapour cloud explosions (VCE) and boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions (BLEVE). Mathematical consequence modeling utilizing the Roberts fireball formulation for a 3,602,137 kg gasoline inventory yields a maximum fireball diameter (D_max) of 889.09 m, a duration (T_max) of 68.98 s, and an active surface emitting power (SEP_max) of 333.98 kW/m2, producing lethal thermal radiation (>63 kW/m2) even at 500 m standoff distances. TNT-equivalency modeling of a 450,000 kg vapor cloud generates a blast yield of 169,188 kg TNT, establishing peak overpressure contours via Hopkinson-scaled distance (R_bar). Furthermore, a quantitative FMEA framework establishes a strict threshold (RPN > 100) mandating automated safety instrumented systems—specifically Remote Operated Shut Off Valves (ROSOVs) and emergency depressurization interlocks—prior to mechanical completion. The proposed framework provides an empirical, standards-compliant methodology for EPC contractors and plant operators to eliminate latent hazards at the build stage, ensuring inherent process safety across the entire asset lifecycle
Process Safety Management (PSM) is a critical framework for preventing major accidents and ensuring operational integrity in offshore oil and gas facilities. Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, such as FPSO XYZ, present unique challenges due to their complex systems, harsh environmental conditions, and high-risk operations. This paper assesses the effectiveness of PSM implementation on FPSO XYZ by evaluating compliance with key elements such as hazard identification, risk assessment, mechanical integrity, and emergency response planning. Using a mixed-method approach that combines quantitative performance indicators (incident rates, audit scores) and qualitative insights from workforce interviews, the study identifies strengths and gaps in the current PSM framework. Findings reveal that while regulatory compliance and technical safeguards are robust, areas such as management of change and competency assurance require improvement to mitigate human-factor-related risks. The paper concludes by recommending a risk-based performance monitoring system and digital integration of PSM elements to enhance real-time decision-making and operational resilience. This case study provides actionable insights for improving process safety in offshore operations and contributes to industry best practices for FPSO safety management.
D. Abia, D. Kalu, M. Iwegbu· SPE Nigeria Annual Internati...· 0 citations
Oil and gas construction projects present a compound risk environment in which conventional construction hazards interact with hydrocarbon-process interfaces, temporary works, lifting, excavation, electrical activities, hot work and simultaneous operations (SIMOPS). This paper develops and demonstrates an integrated risk-prioritization framework that retains the practicality of a conventional probability–severity risk matrix while adding failure-mode analysis, explicit multi-criteria weighting and barrier-based Bow-Tie analysis. A case-based analytical study was undertaken using hazard and control information contained in supplied Oil and Gas infrastructure Limited HIRA and process-safety documents, together with publicly disclosed company safety information. Twenty major hazard scenarios were structured into a comparative dataset. Traditional risk was calculated as probability multiplied by severity. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was then applied using severity, occurrence, frequency and detectability, followed by an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighting scheme of 0.40, 0.25, 0.20 and 0.15 respectively. The resulting normalized integrated index, termed the Fuzzy/FMEA-AHP-inspired Risk Priority Index (FRPI), was used to rank hazards and guide Bow-Tie barrier selection. The analytical results placed excavation collapse, suspended-load struck-by, SIMOPS/communication failure, work at height/man basket and buried-utility strike among the highest priorities. Illustrative control scenarios reduced the baseline P×S scores by approximately 33–67%, depending on the hazard. The study demonstrates that an integrated approach can discriminate between hazards that receive similar traditional risk scores and can translate risk ranking into auditable preventive and mitigative barriers. The numerical expert-rating dataset is explicitly treated as an analytical demonstration dataset where authenticated field ratings were not present; therefore, the paper does not claim that these illustrative values are measured site observations. The framework is intended for validation through an authenticated project HSE expert panel before operational adoption.
Naresh Kumar and Dr. Neeta Banger· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations
Nigeria's midstream and downstream petroleum sector continues to face recurring process safety incidents characterized by loss of containment events, asset failures attributable to aging infrastructure, and emergency responses to scenarios that were foreseeable at the design stage. The predominant safety paradigm across this sector remains reactive, emphasizing procedural controls, add-on engineered safeguards, and emergency response capability rather than the systematic elimination or reduction of hazards inherent to the process. This paper addresses a critical and underexploited dimension of process safety management: the integration of inherent safety (IS) principles across the full asset lifecycle, from conceptual design through to decommissioning.
Drawing on the four core IS strategies—Minimize, Substitute, Moderate, and Simplify—this paper develops a structured seven-phase lifecycle framework that maps IS interventions across the Concept, Design, Construction and Fabrication, Pre-commissioning/Commissioning, Operations, Maintenance/MOC, and Decommissioning phases of asset development and operation. The framework is evaluated against industry-representative scenarios including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage, gas processing, and pipeline systems, with semi-quantitative risk assessment illustrating the risk reduction achievable through deliberate IS integration. Results demonstrate that IS application at the design stage can shift risk profiles from HIGH to MEDIUM-LOW without reliance on Safety Critical Elements (SCEs), while brownfield IS implementation during modification can meaningfully reduce both incident frequency and consequence severity.
The paper further addresses the Nigerian regulatory context, critically examining gaps in current enforcement under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) and the NMDPRA's Midstream and Downstream Safety Regulations (2023) with respect to design-stage IS requirements. A structured implementation roadmap is presented for operators, regulators, and industry collectively. The paper argues that inherent safety is not a supplemental tool but a foundational design philosophy whose systematic adoption is essential to achieving durable, lifecycle-resilient process safety performance in Nigeria's petroleum sector.
B. A. Sayyadi, O. K. Nwankwo· SPE Nigeria Annual Internati...· 0 citations
The chemical process industry is indispensable to modern society but involves inherent risks associated with toxic,
flammable, reactive and corrosive substances, high pressures and temperatures, complex process interactions and large
inventories. Although major accidents are relatively infrequent, their consequences may extend beyond the plant boundary
and affect workers, emergency responders, communities, infrastructure and the environment. This review re-examines
chemical-industry safety and security from an integrated process-safety and disaster-risk-management perspective, using
the author's earlier article as its foundation while substantially rewriting and expanding its content. The review covers
hazard identification, HAZOP, What-If analysis, FMEA, fault-tree analysis, Layer of Protection Analysis, quantitative risk
assessment, inherently safer design, management of change, safety instrumented systems, mechanical integrity, human
factors, emergency planning and community preparedness. It also considers natural-hazard-triggered technological
accidents, the Indian regulatory framework and international approaches including OSHA Process Safety Management and
ISO 45001. Recent developments in digitalization, sensors, predictive analytics, digital twins and artificial intelligence are
examined as opportunities for early warning and decision support, together with their cybersecurity and human-factor
implications. The review concludes that effective chemical safety cannot depend on a single safeguard. It requires a
continuously verified system integrating safer design, reliable equipment, competent people, strong safety culture,
emergency preparedness, physical and cyber security, and organizational learning.
Ashok Agarwal· International Journal of Inn...· 0 citations
The relentless expansion of the Chemical Process Industry (CPI) necessitates the implementation of rigorous and comprehensive safety evaluations. This research manuscript presents an extensive Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) conducted on a major petrochemical refinery, specifically targeting the hazards associated with the storage and processing of highly volatile and toxic substances. Integrating Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), this study establishes a robust methodological framework for assessing industrial risk. A systematic screening process utilizing IPO (Inter Provinciaal Overleg) A-factor and S-factor metrics was deployed to isolate the most severe major accident hazard (MAH) installations, culminating in the selection of pressurized Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Propylene Horton spheres, large-scale Naphtha storage tanks, and Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) transfer pipelines. Advanced mathematical consequence modeling was executed, comprising TNT equivalency methods for Vapour Cloud Explosions (VCE), semi-empirical thermodynamic models for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions (BLEVE), and the Pasquill-Gifford dispersion model for toxic gas plumes. The consequence analysis revealed that a catastrophic failure of a 1,200 MT LPG Horton sphere generates a fireball 616.3 meters in diameter, emitting lethal horizontal thermal radiation fluxes (109 kW/m²) that extensively impinge upon vulnerable off-site residential boundaries. Furthermore, the synthesis of FTA-derived failure frequencies (3.6E-7 per year for Horton spheres) with local demographic data demonstrated that the societal risk (F-N curve) breaches the universally accepted ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) thresholds. The findings underscore the acute vulnerability of densely populated regions adjacent to legacy pressurized storage facilities. The manuscript concludes by presenting concrete, inherently safer design recommendations, advocating strongly for the phase-out of above-ground spheres in favor of mounded bullet technology, alongside the enhancement of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and stringent land-use zoning.
Devesh Dixit and Dr Neeta Banger· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations
Petroleum hydrocarbon releases from storage facilities represent a major environmental risk, particularly under harsh operating conditions where corrosion can compromise asset integrity. Our study presents an integrated framework combining hazard analysis and Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) to improve the environmental safety of petroleum storage tanks. The methodology was applied to the SP1/RTI storage terminal operated by SONATRACH-TRC (National Company for Research, Production, Transport, Transformation, and Marketing of Hydrocarbons) in In-Amenas, Algeria, which comprises ten atmospheric storage tanks with a documented operational incident history. First, a systematic hazard study conducted by INERIS identified and ranked the hazardous phenomena associated with storage operations, providing an objective basis for equipment prioritization. Based on the resulting risk ranking, Tank A12 was selected as the most critical asset, and a routine visual inspection confirmed degradation mechanisms consistent with the identified hazards. Subsequently, an RBI assessment was performed using complementary non-destructive testing techniques, including Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) and Ultrasonic Testing (UT). The inspection revealed severe corrosion damage that substantially reduced the remaining service life of the tank and increased the likelihood of hydrocarbon leakage with potentially significant environmental consequences. Based on these findings, corrective maintenance was implemented in accordance with API 653 requirements, restoring the tank to safe operating conditions. Our proposed framework demonstrates that integrating systematic hazard analysis with RBI enables objective asset prioritization, improves inspection planning, and supports proactive integrity management. This approach provides a practical strategy for reducing environmental risks and enhancing the long-term safety and reliability of petroleum storage facilities operating under severe environmental conditions.
Hafida Kahoul, Mohamed Seddik Hellas, H. Zerrouki et al.· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
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