Abstract
Assessing the effectiveness of a fire and gas detector installation is critical in enhancing safety in oil & gas industrial environments, but currently there are limited software tool to effectively perform such function. Traditional methods of ascertaining fire and gas detector locations currently leverage on rules-of-thumb or estimates which would result in either over or under-engineering. Often, these guidelines were established without any proper validation of their effectiveness. An innovative methodology has been developed which coupled with simulation software called fire and gas mapping in determining placement of detector in systematic and effective ways meeting international safety standard.
Mapping studies has been deployed to more than 30 Oil and gas brown field sites as well as new projects. The application of fire and gas mapping has resulted in the optimization of fire and gas detectors at facilities where over-engineering was seen. At the same time areas with insufficient coverage were prescribed with additional detection. Engineering companies which has applied such methodology and conducted the mapping studies recognized the benefits of such structured risk based evaluation of fire and gas detectors. This new approach has gained popularity and rapidly becoming the best practices adopted in the industry.
