RMC-16-42 Practical Joint Integrity during a TAR at a Petrochemical Complex

Description:

The presentation advises and outlines deliberate, sequential steps to take when creating processes and procedures, as they relate to flange joint integrity with a case study from a sixty-day turnaround at a Port Arthur Chemical Plant. The presentation will engage the audience by drawing on their experiences with new bolted flange joint assembly standards and best practices. The presentation will also outline the series of guiding principles that align, meet or exceed joint integrity management practices detailed in current U.S. standards and requirements by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and will assist in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) performance rules. The presentation will explain how the Petrochemical plant in Port Arthur, TX saw a need to incorporate a Joint Integrity Program to help their turnaround in 2015. The petrochemical plant faced challenges with bolted flange joint assembly and inefficiencies in planning for bolting work in the past. The plant wanted to improve the safety and efficiency of the turnaround and turned to Hydratight for assistance. Both companies worked together to ensure joint integrity assurance was followed throughout the turnaround and after the startup. A joint integrity program allows companies to not have to worry about rework costs, schedule delays, second tests, test and fix costs, operational issues, but have full and traceable QA/QC documentation, assured permanent process containment, and the lowest cost leak free plant.