PROJECT
PROFILES

ExxonMobil Chemical DBIII Debottleneck Project

This project won an ABC Pelican Chapter Award of Merit in 2000.

ExxonMobil Chemicals authorized the DBIII Debottleneck Project in September of 2000. ISC (ISC) was awarded a $4,700,000, cost- reimbursable contract to provide all electrical and instrumentation services. The two-year project included upgrading compressors and acid gas removal systems, as well as replacement of gas dryers, a chill train/cold box, demethanizer, acetylene converters, C2 splitter, and propylene and ethylene refrigeration equipment. ExxonMobil Chemicals provided the engineering services during the project.

An average of 60 ISC associates were onsite for the pre-turnaround phase, which consumed 60% of the project's 93,000 total man-hours --- careful planning was critical. Although more than 50 plant systems were affected, ISC prevented disruptions in facility operations by coordinating work during scheduled system downtime --- without compromising safety, quality or productivity.

ISC was selected by ExxonMobil Chemicals for the DBIII Debottleneck Project due primarily to ISC's ability to provide competent management, supervision, coordination and quality craftsmen at competitive cost, and an unsurpassed overall company safety record.

Project Side – ISC replaced 3 existing compressor control systems with new Mark VI controls. The work required 400 feet of cable tray; 80,000 feet of instrument wire and roughly 10,000 terminations; as well as a new compressor control house 20 feet above ground.

Maintenance Side – ISC replaced control valves, vibration sensors and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) on two compressors. ISC performed all maintenance during the turnaround, including instrument reconnections for approximately 40 vessel and drum entries, reinstallation of vessel and drum instrumentation, and disconnection of 40 valves that were sent out for refurbishing and later reconnect.

Towers – Electrical and instrumentation systems on two new towers required 20,000 feet of conduit; 100,000 feet of wire and 6,000 feet of stainless steel and copper tubing. ISC completed roughly 60% of this task pre-turnaround.

Drums – During drum replacement, ISC relocated existing loads off an existing metal- clad substation, allowing the substation feeder to supply a new switch rack, which in turn supplied a new heat-trace panel. This took 15,000 feet of conduit and about 80,000 feet of wire and cable.

Mercaptan Injection Facilities Drum – The new ethyl-mercaptan storage drum required 4 new diaphragm pumps and controls, new HVAC/pressurization units and more than 300 terminations.

Analyzers – ISC installed twelve new analyzers requiring roughly 1,500 feet of tubing and 1,200 feet of conduit.

Control Room – Due to the large number of loops associated with the ethylene venture project, approximately 4,000 terminations were required within the control room, all of which were completed without disrupting plant operations.

Although the plant continued to operate and much of the work took place in highly congested areas, the project was completed on time, under budget and with a perfect safety record.