Design Implications Associated with the Addition of Hydrogen at Upstream and Midstream Facilities
Posted on March 22nd, 2021
Posted in Newsletter Volume 1 Tags: Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a growing subject matter not just in the oil and gas industry but in the energy conversation. It is a clean fuel that does not contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere when burned / reacted. While there are oil and gas facilities, such as refineries, that are familiar with the design requirements related to hydrogen, it will be unfamiliar to many upstream and midstream operators. If hydrogen is being evaluated as a new fuel source at an oil and gas facility, there are design requirements that must be considered during the project to ensure a safe and successful execution.
Electrical area classifications are assigned to places where a fire or explosion potential may exist, as electrical equipment installed in such locations could provide an ignition source. Area classifications are based on the flammability and auto-ignition temperature of a hazardous material, as well as the likelihood of the hazardous material to be present in a flammable concentration. A majority of upstream and midstream oil and gas facilities are designed for Class 1, Division 2, Groups C and D. The Class 1, Division 2 assignments designate that ignitable concentrations of flammable substances are not likely to exist under normal operating conditions. The group designations are related to the specific chemical properties of the materials present, such as minimum ignition energy and upper and lower explosive limits. Group D includes propane and methane, and Group C includes ethylene. Hydrogen is included in Group B due to its wide flammability range, so the area classification, and thereby design requirements, become more stringent when hydrogen is present.
Vendors use to providing equipment and instrumentation for the typical oil field Class 1, Div 2, Groups C/D area classification can easily overlook the Group B requirement. Oftentimes equipment and / or instrumentation with the additional rating requirements will be more expensive, making it easier to select cheaper, but deficient, units. Lead times for equipment / instrumentation may be similar with a Group B designation, but if selections are made that are not suited to the requirements, this could lead to project delays once the deficiencies are uncovered. In some instances, the operator’s preferred vendors may not be able to provide equipment and/or instrumentation to meet the more stringent area classification.
There may be difficulty in getting instrumentation with the right area classification, necessitating the addition of purge boxes which introduces another opportunity for increased cost and schedule delay. In other cases, vendors may propose “explosion proof” instrumentation to satisfy the requirement, but “explosion proof” does not necessarily mean the units are rated for Group B.
In conclusion, owners and designers should be mindful that the addition of hydrogen introduces complexities in project execution. The increased opportunity for error associated with the addition of hydrogen to an oil and gas facility means that all RFQs and bids must be conditioned especially carefully when selecting equipment and / or instrumentation. Owners should consider if a more nuanced Area Classification Study is warranted, which could add some complexity to the facility but possibly simplify overall project execution if hydrogen won’t be present site-wide. If hydrogen is being added to an existing facility, the operator must also review the existing equipment / instrumentation on site to determine if any modifications are required to meet the requirements of the Group B designation. Operators can expect some increase in cost and possibly lead time with the addition of hydrogen.
Austin Dean graduated from Colorado School of Mines in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. He has experience in engineering design projects for well pad facilities, gathering systems, and midstream natural gas facilities. Starting his career at Halker in 2014, his roles and responsibilities have spanned Process Engineering, Project Engineering, Project Management, and Facilities Engineering. He specializes in jet pump artificial lift surface facilities and dynamic hydraulic modeling. Austin brings an E&P perspective to the Halker team, with a focus on project economics and larger implications of design decisions.
Emily Strengers graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1998 (Hookem’ Horns!). She has over (20) years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry, has been involved in projects ranging from offshore platforms to onshore crude units, LNG facilities, gas plants, cokers, and polyethylene units, and has worked in 6 different countries around the world. As a member of the Halker team since 2019, she has brought her extensive experience to aid in project management, client and staff training, FEED studies, construction support, and facilities operation for both upstream and midstream projects.
Jeff Wellen graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in business and economics in 2002. Jeff is a licensed professional engineer with over 19 years of project management, project engineering, and mechanical engineering experience. Most of his professional career has been in the Oil & Gas industry with a wide range of experience across various types of projects including gas treating, LNG, well pad sites, cryogenic processing, biofuels, and more. He has also worked as a field engineer to support construction, as well as in a fabrication shop to oversee module/pipe-rack assembly. As a member of the Halker team since January 2018, his breadth of involvement in various projects provides Jeff a strong basis to lead a project management team through the trials and tribulations when executing any type of project ranging from technical studies to full EPC projects in the rapidly evolving midstream and upstream industry sectors. Jeff was named an Engineering News Record (ENR) Top Young Professional in 2018 for the Mountain States Region.
Paul Brennan is an industrial automation specialist, PLC programmer, business manager and product development professional. He graduated from Colorado Mesa University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Paul now has over 25 years of experience providing industrial automation solutions and large-scale automation integration projects for oil & gas, water/wastewater, irrigation, and greenhouse industries in the US and Eastern Europe. Paul’s career has been spent developing leading edge, revolutionary automation products, and in the process, he has obtained several US Patents. Paul has notably designed products such as PADPro, PADManager, PROView and QLogiX for upstream oil & gas facilities, utilizing state of the art technologies with PLC’s and high-powered single board computers to provide advanced data collection and data processing at the well head.
Jeremy Montoya graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with an Electrical specialty focus in 2010. Jeremy is a licensed professional engineering in multiple states and has over a decade of experience in consulting engineering and has working in nearly every sector or the business, from oil and gas to food and beverage, mining, pharmaceuticals, commercial and residential applications. Jeremy started his own company, Selah Engineering and Design, in 2020 amidst the global pandemic and created a successful business that supported clients in a variety of sectors. Jeremy longed for a true multidisciplinary team through this time, which opened the door in 2021 for a partnership between Selah and Halker. In this partnership, Jeremy stepped into being the EI&C director at Halker, while continuing to support existing clients via Selah. As director, Jeremy brings a passion to build up and support staff as they provide quality engineering and design services to every client we have the opportunity to work with. With an eye for detail, value and confident support- our EI&C group will continue to grow and be recognized for their expertise, attentiveness, and quality deliverables in every project. Jeremy has also volunteered engineering services abroad, helping with the design of water/wastewater treatment facilities in Kenya, as well as master plans for facilities in Mexico.
Dan Grant has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Northern Arizona University. He is a licensed professional engineer in 22 states and brings over 30 years of experience to projects and clients. Dan completed his PMP and has worked as an engineer and project manager. His diverse career spans numerous market sectors, including energy, oil & gas (upstream, midstream, downstream, and water disposal processing), pipeline and terminals, mining (above ground and underground), chemical and pharmaceutical, water and wastewater and pumping stations, industrial manufacturing, clean rooms, 24/7 and mission critical operations, data centers and control facilities, and power (substations and transmission & distribution). In the renewable energy sector, Dan’s experience covers client-side and utility/grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated PV power generation sites. At Halker, Dan previously served as the EI&C Director and now supports clients and projects as a team and technical resource. He’s knowledgeable in wide aspects of electrical design and engineering, including power system analysis, motors and VFDs, harmonics, grounding and bonding and lightning protection, cathodic protection, heat trace, relay protection schemes, electrical area classification and API RP500, and power generation.
Andrew Depperschmidt is a graduate from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He has experience in a variety of construction and facilities projects including both upstream and midstream natural gas and crude oil processing. He joined Halker in January of 2015 as the Mechanical Department Manager and has since taken on several different responsibilities with the firm, including General Manager and Vice President. Over the course of his time with Halker, he has overseen the company’s growth, helped develop the management team, and helped structure operational processes around project execution for maximum quality. He’s inspired by Halker’s outstanding team daily and takes pride in being people-focused while driving the company’s progressive and forward-looking culture.