HAZOP Study at IOCL Missamari Depot | Risk Assessment & Safety Optimization
What is HAZOP?
A hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) is a structured approach developed in the 1970s to identify dangers in process plants caused by deviations from standard operating parameters. It involves a multidisciplinary team with in-depth knowledge of design and maintenance operations to brainstorm potential deviations using guide words like “More,” “Less,” and “No”. to identify meaningful deviations that could pose a threat and lead to consequences.
Overview of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited Missamari Depot
Objective of the Study
The Missamari Depot handles and stores various petroleum products, including:
✅ Motor Spirit (MS)
✅ High-Speed Diesel (HSD)
✅ Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO)
✅ Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF)
Core Operations at Missamari Depot
- Receipt of petroleum products from Guwahati Refinery, Betkuchi, and Lumding terminals via road tank trucks.
- Storage of petroleum products in designated tanks.
- Distribution of petroleum products through filling tank trucks.
HAZOP Study at Missamari Depot
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has awarded iFluids Engineering to carry out a Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study for the IOCL Missamari Depot.
The objective of the HAZOP (Hazard & Operability) study
- Identify the hazards inherent to the proposal.
- Identify the credible human and/or equipment instrument failures likely to lead to accident scenarios/hazards/operability problems.
- Qualitatively assess the risk and provide recommendations to overcome the hazards if required.
- In addition to these issues, HAZOP occasionally identifies items that could improve unit operations and efficiency.
P&ID, and Cause & Effect diagrams. For example, the HAZOP study of unloading for products is reproduced below in the table
Recommendations and Safety Learnings
After identifying hazards and operability issues, iFluids proposed 07 recommendations to either
- Reducing the likelihood of a hazardous event occurring or
- Minimize the severity of the consequences if such an event occurs
Impact of the recommendation summarized for one recommendation below
Pump Protection via Low Low-Pressure Interlock
Cause: Pumps running under low suction pressure could lead to cavitation and pump damage
Recommendation: Install a low-pressure interlock & trip (PALL) for the Transfer pump to automatically shut down under low-pressure conditions
Impact:
- Prevents Pump failure, reducing downtime
- Extends pump lifespan by preventing cavitation
Conclusion & Learnings
This HAZOP study of INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LIMITED MISSAMARI DEPOT highlighted critical safety gaps and recommended effective measures to enhance operational reliability. Implementing these recommended changes will enhance process safety, mitigate risk, and improve operational efficiency at the depot.
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