2. Introduction to Pakistan Petroleum Limited
The pioneer of the natural gas industry in the country, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has been
a frontline player in the energy sector since the mid-1950s. As a major supplier of natural
gas, PPL today contributes over 20 percent of the country’s total natural gas supplies besides
producing crude oil, Natural Gas Liquid and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
The company’s history can be traced back to the establishment of a public limited company in
June 1950, with major shareholding by Burma Oil Company (BOC) of the United Kingdom for
exploration, prospecting, development and production of oil and natural gas resources. In
September 1997, BOC disinvested from the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector worldwide
and sold its equity in PPL to the Government of Pakistan (GoP).
Subsequently, the government reduced its holding through an initial public offer in June 2004,
which was further decreased with the initiation of the Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme
(BESOS) in August 2009 when PPL employees were allotted 12 percent shares from the
government’s equity. More recently, GoP further disinvested its 5 percent shares, around 3.55
percent of the total paid-up capital, in PPL through Secondary Public Offering in 2014.
Currently, the company’s shareholding is divided between the government, which owns about
68 percent, PPL Employees Empowerment Trust that has approximately 7 percent — being
shares transferred to employees under BESOS — and private investors, who hold nearly 25
percent.
PPL has acquired 100 percent shareholding of MND E&P Limited, a company incorporated in
England and Wales. The name of the subsidiary has been changed to PPL Europe E&P Limited.
Over the years, PPL has developed a reliable foundation and infrastructure for providing clean
and safe energy through sustainable exploitation of indigenous natural resources while adhering
to best practices of corporate governance and employee health and safety and constraining the
ecological footprint of its operations.
PPL operates six producing fields across the country at Sui (Pakistan’s largest gas
field), Adhi, Kandhkot, Chachar, Mazarani and Hala and holds working interest in fifteen partner-
operated producing fields, including Qadirpur the country’s second largest gas field.
3. PROCESSES BEING CARRIED OUT IN PAKISTAN PETROLEUM LIMITED
Exploration Department: This department is comprising geologists which explore different parts
of the Dera Bugti district for possible sources of gas. They test different types of area and if there
is any possible chance of discovery of a well then forward it to SUI Development. Exploration
department is the upstream process in PPL.
Sui Development: The purpose of this department is to handle the drilling operations on the
marked positions which the exploration department has suggested. Drilling operations will be
performed on the marked spots and then when the gas has been extracted then the workforce
seals the well and hands it over to the production department. There 3 sites from which gas is
being extracted. Sui Main Limestone (SML) supplies most of the gas of around 400 mmcfd, Sui
Upper Limestone (SUL) supplies around 40 mmcfd and Habib Raheel Limestone (HRL) is used
rarely for extraction. All the wells comprise of these 3 main supplies.
Production Department: This department is responsible for supplying the raw gas fromthe wells
to the plants. To setup distribution pipelines from the wells is the purpose of this department.
Perfect working condition, maintenance, monitoring and control of the wells and their pipelines
is the objective of this department. Engineers on daily basis visit wells to check for any problems
and make a report on them. SUL, SML and HRL all have different properties of gas, so they are
sent to different plants to be converted in to usable gas.
De-Hydration Plant: Raw gas coming from Sui Upper Limestone does not have any toxic gases,
so it is considered as Sweet Gas. But it still has moisture content in it, due to which, it is sent to
the de-hydration plant for releasing the moisture content the gas is then made into usable or
sales gas.
Sui Field Gas Compression Station (SFGCS): This plant was commissioned in 1985 because with
the passage of time the pressure of raw gas coming from the wells had reduced from what it was
in 1952. As the purification plant, in which gas is purified of impurities, requires a pressure of at
least 65 bar, the SFGCS project was commissioned. The main purpose of this plant is to compress
the incoming gas so that the design parameters of the equipment in the purification plant can be
satisfied.
Purification Plant: The purpose of this plant is to purify the raw gas coming from Sui Main
Limestone (SML), as the raw gas has impurities such as Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S), Carbon Dioxide
(CO2) and Water (H2O). For the gas to be used as a source of energy it should not possess such
impurities. This plant does the downstream processes and provides sales gas according to the
customer’s specifications. PPL’s customers are Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGPL) and
Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGPL).
4. Sales Gas Specifications:
H2S --- Hydrogen Sulphide --- Not more than 16 ppm
CO2 --- Carbon Dioxide --- Not more than 3 mole %
Oxygen --- O2 --- Not more than 0.2 Mole %
Calorific Value --- CV --- Not less than 950 BTU/SCF
Water --- H2O --- Not more than 7lbs/ MMscf
Temperature --- T --- Not more than 130 F
Pressure --- P --- Maximum 1050 PSI G
5S Methodology being followed in PPL:
Seiri Sorting
Seiton Set in Order
Seiso Shining
Seiketsu Standardize
Shitsuke Sustain
Systems, Administration and Planning (SAP):
SAP ERP has been implemented in the entire organization of PPL since 2004. Due to which the
office environment quite much of a paper free environment. If any purchase requisition from the
store or any maintenance work order needs to be made then it can be done easily and in a quick
manner.
SAP is an enterprise resource planning tool with which each procedure for any type of work order
is followed through a systematic set of steps. With the SAP software, a track of the entire supply
chain is maintained and information is easily shared in the entire network of PPL.
Stores Department:
An organized category wiseindexing systemis being observed for the storage items which makes
it very easy to trace any item required. Whenever any item is required then a Purchase
Requisition is generated which fulfills the requirement of products. There are 2 types of items
ordered, one is Non-scheduled item (ND) which is only ordered when someone gives a request
for something. The other is Periodic scheduled item (PD) of which a quantity has to be maintained
always and is ordered on schedules. There are 5 stores in the entire Sui Field situated at different
locations.
5. Quality, Health, Safety & Environment Department (QHSE):
The QHSE department is responsible for the implementation and guidance of safeworking habits
for the employees in the Purification Plant and Sui Field Gas Compression Station. To provide
each and every employee Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ensure that they are being
used by everyone inside plant premises, is the sole purpose of this department.
Emergency evacuation plans,emergency preventive plans and assemblypoints are alldecided by
the QHSE department. Training of employees is being done by the Health & Safety engineers to
ensure that chances of accident occurrences are reduced. Each and every person has to go
through an induction by the QHSE department whenever a person visits the plant for the first
time, so that the person has an understanding of how to move about in an industrial area and
does not get harmed in any way.
Personal Protective Equipment that is provided by the QHSE department are Coverall, Safety
Helmet, Safety Shoes and Ear plugs.All these equipment are compulsory for everyone to be worn
while working on the plant premises. Hazardous zones are defined in the plant premises
according to the hazard levels of the area. Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and gas detectors
are installed for prevention and handling of emergencies. Pakistan Petroleum Limited is OHSAS
14001 certified due to the compliance of such HSE policies.
Planning Department:
The purpose of the planning department is to make annual work plans for the maintenance of
machinery equipment installed in the plant. Preventive maintenance schedules are made
according to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Standards.
According to operating hours the machines are maintained whenever they reach their
maintenance time periods as they operate 24 hours per day. Contracts are awarded by the
planning department whenever there is maintenance to be done on any machine equipment.
When the planning department receives information that the operating hours of a machine are
to be fulfilled then a work order is generated which is then sent to the maintenance department.
An annual budget is also generated by this department for the maintenance expenses on the
particular machines and then it is sent for approval on a yearly basis. If the maintenance costs of
any equipment exceeds its capital value then a request for new equipment is generated.
6. Administration Department:
The administration department is responsible for dealing with the labor force and all the petty
issues that are involved with the work force. Issuing security passes, forwarding leave
applications, dealing with the security force of the plant are some of the daily work assignments
of the administration department.
This department is also responsible for messes in the Sui Field and the related work procedures
taking place in the messes. The maintenance of the messes, the issuance of salaries to the work
force at the messes, the provision of essential items and equipment that are used on a daily basis
at the messes.
It is a form of co-ordination center for all the departments situated in the plant premises. The
administration department of the Sui Purification Plant and Sui Field Gas Compression Station
usually work in the same way. This department serves as an administrator for all related-to-work
and not related-to-work issues.
Laboratory of Purification Plant:
To maintain the required standards of processed gas and assurethe quality of process auxiliaries,
this department performs a series of different tests on daily basis such as analysis of treated
water and processed gas.
The purpose of this department is to check for impurities in the incoming gas and alsothe purified
gas that is being sent to our customer. Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) is the bi-product of the
purification process of the gas so it is to be checked that traces of this toxic gas do not remain in
the gas that is being transmitted to our customer.
It is this department’s responsibility to check that the gas is purified according to the given
parameters as also there are other acidic gases coming along in the pipelines. A daily analysis of
the gas is done and the information is then kept in a folder by the name of “Sui Gas Purification
Plant Laboratory Analysis & Operational Information” which is available in soft copies as well as
a hard copy.
Testing is being done of the percentage amount of Mono-Ethanol Amine (MEA) and Tri-Ethylene
Glycol (TEG) present in the sales gas.
7. Technical Services and Inspection:
The main purpose of technical services is to observe and follow through with the operational
inspections of the equipment in the plant. The Inspection section’s responsibility is to follow
through with the maintenance inspections. This department generates reports accordingly as
problems arise and are being solved. The purpose of this work method is for sectional activities
so that proper system can be made for organizing, collecting data.
Water Treatment Plant:
The purpose of the water treatment plant is to provide de-mineralized water and also soft water
for use by the boilers installed in the boiler area. The de-mineralized water hence does not
damage the boiler lines and prevents it from rust and corrosion which will reduce the life of the
boilers.
This water treatment plant is assigned to reduce the conductivity of water which is done by the
de-mineralization process. Short-term shutdown take place in this plant for 30 to 40 minutes
after every 24-48 hours for the change of filters.
The process of de-mineralization is being done by a Reverse Osmosis plant EU ICR system which
is designed to purify water by the process of reverse osmosis with which 97-98 % of the dissolved
ions and approximately 99% of contaminants are removed.
All machines are equipped with Grundfos Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pumps. These pumps are
designed to deliver consistent high-pressure flow ideal for membrane system operation.
A neutralization pump is installed which is used to mix the acidic liquids, coming out as the bi-
product, with caustic acid so that the drained out liquid is neutralized and then drained out.
Power House of Purification Plant:
The power house is responsible for providing electrical power to the entire Purification Plant, the
residential messes and also to the entire Sui Gas field which includes the main offices.
Gas turbine generators are being used to provide electricity to the field. Steam turbine
generators are being used to provide electricity for plant operations. Most of the turbines are
axial-flow single shaft.
Diesel generators are used for stand-by in case that one of the gas turbine generators does not
work. 4000 hours is usually the operating time of a generator after which the generator is then
shut-down for maintenance. After 32000 hours the generator is completely overhauled and the
engine is replaced.
8. Electrical Department of Purification Plant:
The purpose of the electrical department is the maintenance of electrical components fitted in
the power house with the generators. It is this department’s responsibility to ensure proper
efficient working of the transmission lines which are providing power to the Sui Field and also to
the purification plant.
This department is divided in 2 sections, one is electrical maintenance and the other is electrical
works. When overhauling of generators is needed to be done then the electrical department has
to isolate the generator and provide electrical assistance when overhauling is being done and
completed.
Un-interrupted Power Supply (UPS) is also under the responsibility of this department, as it
cannot be afforded for the plants electricalequipment to be shut down for even a minute as then
it would make a problem in the gas supply for the entire country.
Instrumentation Department:
The instrumentation department is responsible for providing equipment for the trouble-shooting
of the electrical department.
Control panels installed in all the departments are for monitoring and control of performance
parameters so that the process operations can be kept within optimum performance zone.
Commissioning of control panels for the power house, process area and boiler area are all done
by the instrumentation department. Their main objective is to keep all instruments (like
temperature control valve, pressure control valve, level transmitters etc.) in perfect working
condition.
Boiler Area of Purification Plant:
The boiler area consists of 14 boilers, out of which 6 are in operation, 2 are on standby and 1 is
being overhauled. The purpose of the boiler area is to provide steam to the steam generators in
the power house for the generators to function properly and provide electricity to the plant. The
boiler’s maintenance is done once a year when the chief boiler inspector comes and examines
the boilers and then the boiler is overhauled accordingly.
Process Description: The demineralized water coming from the water treatment plant is fed to
de-aerators by means of transfer pumps. The water flow rate is controlled by level controls
installed on steam condensate surge tanks. Then the flash condensate is fed to the condensate
run down vessel.
The demineralized water pumps are designed to pump demineralized water from surge tanks to
de-aerators.
9. Process Area of Purification Plant:
The process area has 8 purification banks and 6 de-hydration units which are to be monitored
and controlled. This department hold the authority to authorize any services for the Purification
banks and also the de-hydration units. Shift engineers on every 8 hour shift inspect the units
physically and accordingly authorize the maintenance and service departments to take
preventive actions. Performance parameters of the units are displayed on screens inside the
process area control room.
This department is responsible for the entire operations and analysis of the Purification banks
and de-hydration units. This department is the main station where acidic gases and water are
separated from the raw (sour) gas. The monitoring of parameters and controlling of the required
S.O.Ps for the sales gas is the responsibility of the process area engineers. The production of sales
gas on average is 350 Million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd).
Workshop of SFGCS:
Purpose of the workshop is to repair any problematic parts which arise from the equipment
installed for the processes of SFGCS. It is a manufacturing shop which does different functions
such as welding, machining, shearing, fabrication and maintenance activities. Some of the Major
Machines installed are: lathe machine, rolling machine, guillotine machine, heavy duty lathe,
water distillation plant, metal degreaser, hacksaw machine and hydraulic press unit.
Instrument Department of SFGCS:
Electronic instruments for monitoring and control of operations of SFGCS compressors are
commissioned by the instrument department. Control panels have been installedfor SUL line and
SML line which monitor different performance parameters. All types of sensors that are installed
in offices, equipment and on pipelines are centrally monitored in the control room with the help
of the control panels. Pressure transmitter, pressure differential transmitter, flow transmitter,
level transmitter and pressure control valves are some of the sensors which are installed and
maintained by the instrument department.
10. Electrical Department of SFGCS:
The main purpose of the electrical department is to monitor and control the power generators
and its power distribution system in SFGCS. There are 9 sub-stations which are controlling and
monitoring the parameters of the different generators. The power is transmitted to 14
transformers which then transfer power to the different auxiliaries of the SUL and SML
compressors. The generators are producing 6600 volt which is then stepped down to 415 volt for
use by the motors.
4 gas turbine generators are installed of 3.2 Mega Watt each. 7 gas turbine compressors of 6.2
Mega Watt each, are installed for compression of gas coming from the SML pipeline, of which 5
are operational at one time. Then there are 3 motor driven compressors for the SUL line, which
were installed in 1995 and have power rating of 2.2 Mega Watt. The auxiliaries that are installed
for the gas turbine compressors, in total require 400 KW load.
Installation and maintenance of anti-explosive emergency lights is also the responsibility of the
electrical department.
Operations Department:
The purpose of the operations department is to monitor and control the performance
parameters of SUL and SML gas headers, the turbo compressors, turbo generators, and SUL
compressors.
The operations department works inside the control room where the workforce is managing the
entire operational procedures. Fuel gas for the gas turbine generators is being provided from the
SUL gas header which is coming from the de-hydration plant directly to the gas turbines. There
are 7 units installed for the monitoring of SML compressors and 4 units installed for the
monitoring of SUL motor driven compressors. The auxiliaries that are installedfor the generators,
compressors are also being monitored by the operations department.
