Facility Siting Study for PSM-Regulated Midstream Facilities
Client: Oil and Gas Producer with Regulated Midstream Plant
Challenge
Our client operates multiple midstream facilities regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements. A Facility Siting Study is a required component of the site Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and is used to evaluate and mitigate the potential risks that chemical process hazards may pose to occupied buildings and personnel.
While the client initially believed that occupied building locations provided adequate separation from process hazards, a formal evaluation was necessary to validate this assumption and ensure compliance with regulatory expectations. Additionally, the client did not have sufficient internal engineering resources to efficiently conduct the study. As a result, external support was required to perform a comprehensive assessment and confirm that facility siting risks were appropriately managed.
Solution
Potential process leak scenarios were initially identified and characterized using available process information, including process flow diagrams, heat and material balances and plot plans of unit operations. Leak characteristics included process phase, composition, temperature, pressure and elevation. Using recognized industry guidelines, including API Recommended Practices 752 and 753, the Facility Siting Study evaluated the potential impacts of the identified process leak scenarios.
Using the collected process information, licensed software was used to model physical effects associated with each potential process leak scenario, including blast overpressure, radiant heat and gas concentrations. The results were then plotted onto site plans to clearly illustrate the extent and severity of these hazards, enabling a direct assessment of their potential impact on occupied buildings and personnel.
Results
The study concluded that all occupied buildings at each plant were located at a safe distance from unit operations. As a result, no additional mitigation measures — such as increasing building blast resistance or reinforcing doors — were required. These findings provided the client with confidence that personnel working within these buildings would be adequately protected in the event of a process leak, explosion or fire. The study results were incorporated into the site PHA documentation and completed efficiently, requiring minimal involvement from site personnel.
For more information, please contact Jason McGinn or Michael Kennedy.
Jason can be reached at jason.mcginn@altamira-us.com & Michael can be reached at michael.kennedy@altamira-us.com
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