PETRONAS TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Fire and Gas Detection Mapping

14.33.01
September 2013

© 2013 PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD (PETRONAS)

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the permission of the
copyright owner. PETRONAS Technical Standards are Company’s internal standards and meant for authorized users
only.
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FOREWORD

PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS) has been developed based on the accumulated knowledge,
experience and best practices of the PETRONAS group supplementing National and International
standards where appropriate. The key objective of PTS is to ensure standard technical practice
across the PETRONAS group.

Compliance to PTS is compulsory for PETRONAS-operated facilities and Joint Ventures (JVs) where
PETRONAS has more than fifty percent (50%) shareholding and/or operational control, and includes
all phases of work activities.

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Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers who use PTS are solely responsible in ensuring the quality of

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work, goods and services meet the required design and engineering standards. In the case where
specific requirements are not covered in the PTS, it is the responsibility of the

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Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers to propose other proven or internationally established
standards or practices of the same level of quality and integrity as reflected in the PTS.

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In issuing and making the PTS available, PETRONAS is not making any warranty on the accuracy or
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completeness of the information contained in PTS. The Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers shall
ensure accuracy and completeness of the PTS used for the intended design and engineering
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requirement and shall inform the Owner for any conflicting requirement with other international
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codes and technical standards before start of any work.

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PETRONAS is the sole copyright holder of PTS. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, recording
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or otherwise) or be disclosed by users to any company or person whomsoever, without the prior
written consent of PETRONAS.
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The PTS shall be used exclusively for the authorised purpose. The users shall arrange for PTS to be
kept in safe custody and shall ensure its secrecy is maintained and provide satisfactory information
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to PETRONAS that this requirement is met.

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Please be informed that the entire PTS inventory is currently undergoing transformation exercise
from 2013 - 2015 which includes revision to numbering system, format and content. As part of this
change, the PTS numbering system has been revised to 6-digit numbers and drawings, forms and
requisition to 7-digit numbers. All newly revised PTS will adopt this new numbering system, and
where required make reference to other PTS in its revised numbering to ensure consistency. Users
are requested to refer to PTS 00.01.01 (PTS Index) for mapping between old and revised PTS

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numbers for clarity. For further inquiries, contact PTS administrator at

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[email protected]

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1.0 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................5

1.1 SCOPE ...................................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERMS ............................................................................................................... 5

1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES .......................................................................................................... 6

2.0 FIRE AND GAS DETECTION MAPPING .....................................................................7

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3.0 FIRE DETECTION MAPPING METHODOLOGY ..........................................................9

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3.1 DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................................... 9

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3.2 HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION & RISK QUANTIFICATION ............................................................. 10

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3.3 DETECTOR COVERAGE TARGETS SETTING ............................................................................... 10

3.4
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GRADING ASSIGNMENT ......................................................................................................... 12
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3.5 PERFORM MAPPING .............................................................................................................. 13
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3.6 REPORTING ............................................................................................................................ 16

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4.0 COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTION MAPPING METHODOLOGY.................................. 17

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4.1 DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................................. 17

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4.2 TARGET GAS CLOUD SIZE IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................. 18

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4.3 DETECTION COVERAGE TARGETS SETTING ............................................................................. 19

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4.4 PERFORM MAPPING .............................................................................................................. 19

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4.5 REPORTING ............................................................................................................................ 20

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5.0 TOXIC GAS DETECTION MAPPING ........................................................................ 21

6.0 ULTRASONIC MAPPING METHODOLOGY.............................................................. 22

6.1 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 22

7.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR FGDM ASSESSMENT TOOLS................................................. 23

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8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 24

APPENDIX 1: NOTES ON FIRE SIZES ................................................................................. 26

APPENDIX 2: NOTES ON THE USE OF FUSIBLE PLUG LOOPS AND SIMILAR METHODS OF
FLAME DETECTION. ........................................................................................................ 27

APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE OF A FLAME DETECTION MAPPING ASSESSMENT: ......................... 29

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APPENDIX 4: SAMPLE OF A GAS DETECTION MAPPING ASSESSMENT: ............................. 30

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APPENDIX 5: FLAME DETECTION GRADING FOR TYPICAL DOWNSTREAM HYDROCARBON
PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ............................................................................................... 30

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

There has been an increasing awareness regarding the importance of the effectiveness of a
Fire and Gas System (FGS) in recent years. This is due to a large number of fire related
events occurring worldwide. While an ESD System is meant to prevent such an event from
happening, the FGS functions as the mitigation action after the preventive safeguards have
failed.

The effectiveness of a FGS is measured in three parts. The first part is the Safety Availability
of the system. This portion measures the probability that the system will trigger as required
when there is a demand. An IPF Study is required to obtain these values. The second part is

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the Mitigation Effectiveness of the executive action. These values are difficult to quantify as

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there is no industry consensus on how such performance is measured. The third and final

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portion is the Coverage Factor. This is measured by means of Fire and Gas Detection
Mapping (FGDM).

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There are four assessments involved in a FDGM study. Depending on the hazards present

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and detection technologies being used in the facility studied, not all four may be applicable.
The four assessments are Fire Detection Assessment, Combustible Gas Detection
Assessment, Toxic Gas Detection Assessment and Ultrasonic Gas Detection Assessment
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The adequacy of detector coverage is vital to ensure the integrity of the system and shall be
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achieved by fire and gas mapping study. This PTS provides the technical requirements on the
methodology and implementation of the mapping study.
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1.1 SCOPE
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This PTS covers the methodology used for FGDM which is applicable for both Greenfields
and Brownfields. This PTS does not cover adequacy of smoke, heat and gas detection
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installations of safe areas. For the appropriate selection of detectors, voting strategies and
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initiating actions, refer to PTS 14.33.02 – Fire, Gas and Smoke Detection Systems.
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1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERMS

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1.2.1 General Definition of Terms & Abbreviations

Refer to PTS Requirements, General Definition of Terms, Abbreviations & Reading Guide PTS
00.01.03 for General Definition of Terms & Abbreviations

1.2.2 Specific Definition of Terms

None
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1.2.3 Specific Abbreviations

No Abbreviations Description

1 FGS Fire and Gas System

2 FEED Front End Engineering Design

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3 ESD Emergency Shut Down

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4 HSC Heat Sensing Cables

5 LOS
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Line of Sight
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6 IPF Instrumented Protective Function
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7 SIL Safety Integrity Level

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8 QRA Quantitative Risk Assessment

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9 FGDM Fire and Gas Detection Mapping

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Table 1: Specific Abbreviations

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1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES

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This is a new PTS

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2.0 FIRE AND GAS DETECTION MAPPING

The purpose of FGDM is to ascertain the adequacy of coverage provided by a detection

system installed in potentially hazardous areas within a facility. The mapping shall cover
major hydrocarbon bearing equipment such as vessels, tanks, pumps and compressors
which pose possible fire, combustible and toxic risk to the operating unit.

This standard is not applicable to a facility which is covered by other standards such as
building fire protection, analyser house and living quarters as the fire protection for these
areas are mainly based on prescriptive method and shall be referred to standards such as

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the NFPA 72 and UBBL.

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The effectiveness of a FGS installation is highly dependent on the detector installation

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location. Thus FGDM studies shall be carried out to ensure that the equipment in hazardous
zones is sufficiently covered by the installed FGS.

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Amongst the benefits of Fire and Gas Detection Mapping studies include the following:

i.
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A quantitative means to determine area coverage for detector installed.
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ii. A structured approach to produce consistent engineering design
iii. Fit for purpose design to avoid over and/or under Engineering
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FGDM shall be applied at various stages in the lifecycle of a facility. For a new project FGDM
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shall be carried out during FEED stage to minimise change of design in project execution
phase. For an existing facility which has an installed FGS, the mapping study shall also be
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executed to verify if the existing installation provides sufficient coverage.

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After FGDM has been completed at a site, a review shall be carried out every five (5) years.
This review is to ensure that any plant modifications or changes in operating philosophy
which may have an impact to fire and gas detection is accounted for, and the appropriate
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detection coverage is achieved.

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Fire and as detector selection depends on the hazards present in the facility. Typical
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detectors that are utilized for FGDM are, but not limited to, optical flame detectors (IR,
Triple-IR, UV, UV/IR), point type gas detectors (IR or catalytic) and open path detectors.
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Fusible loops and fusible plugs may be given credit for detection however considerations
such as detection time and installation adequacy have to be taken into account. For the role
of fusible plugs and tubing in a FGS and the consideration taken for its contribution to
detection during mapping, please see Appendix 2.

Notes on Offshore vs Onshore Sites:

i. A distinction has to be made between Offshore and Onshore sites before grading is
assigned to equipment. This is because the consequences of a fire on an Offshore site is
different compared to an Onshore site.
ii. Offshore sites are generally more congested and thus risks more severe consequences
in terms of economic, personnel and infrastructure losses when compared to onshore
sites. Hence it is practical to have a more conservative approach when prescribing flame
and gas detection coverage for offshore sites.
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iii. A less conservative approach is adopted for onshore facilities. The large geographic area
of an onshore site shall be a consideration when prescribing detector coverage, as not
to excessively prescribe detectors.

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3.0 FIRE DETECTION MAPPING METHODOLOGY

The workflow of a typical Fire Detection Mapping is as follows:

Data Collection

Hazards Identification and Risk Quantification

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Detector Coverage Targets Setting

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Assign Grading

Perform Mapping (Software) lU

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Reporting
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Figure 1: Workflow for a typical Fire Detection Mapping study

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3.1 DATA COLLECTION

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Before any work can begin, relevant information has to be obtained regarding the site.
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Information in the form of documents from previous studies, drawings, incident reports as
well as interviews with site operators is beneficial in identifying the hazards present.
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The documents relevant to Fire Detection Mapping are:

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i. Piping and Instrumentation DiagramsProcess Flow Schemes

ii. Stream Compositions from Heat and Material Balance.
iii. Plot Plans
iv. Equipment Layout Drawings
v. Fire and Gas Detector Location Layout Drawings
vi. Fire and Gas Detection Cause and Effect Matrices
vii. Fire and Gas System Philosophy
viii. Elevation Drawings (Overall and Equipment)
ix. Hazardous Area Classification Drawings
x. QRA Report and Failure Case Report
xi. FRA, HAZID, HAZOP, PHA, CIMAH Reports
xii. Regulatory reports relevant to fire and gas protection and detection system.
xiii. 3D Model of Plant (if available)
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For Brownfield projects or existing facilities, a site visit shall be conducted to identify any
possible obstructions not visible in the drawings as well as to obtain historical hazard events
related to fire and gas mapping.

3.2 HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION & RISK QUANTIFICATION

Information obtained from the documentation and/or the site visit will allow for the
identification of possible hazards at site. The basis for location and quantity of the fire and
gas detector shall be based on potential leak source, leak release frequency, likely major
hazards and fire frequency. This information is available from from fire risk assessment and

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QRA studies conducted by HSE or process safety disciplines.

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3.3 DETECTOR COVERAGE TARGETS SETTING

The Detector Coverage Targets (DCT) are a set of detection goals to be met by the FGS being

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assessed. The DCT are to be agreed upon with the site owner before commencement of the
software simulations. These targets define (i) The thresholds of detectable fire sizes, (ii) The

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response time for detection and (iii) The coverage of the FGS system in terms of %.
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As different equipment pose different fire risks, separate grades have to be assigned
accordingly. I.e. A diesel storage tank poses less of a fire risk compared to a fuel gas
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compressor. As such, the Table 2 & 3 as below shows the relationship between the assigned
grades and the target fire size. How these grades are assigned will be covered in Section 4.4,
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and how these grades influence the mapping assessment is covered in Section 4.5.
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Grade (Risk) Fire Size for Alarm Action Fire Size for Trip Response Time
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(RHO) Action (RHO) (s)

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A (High) 50kW N/A 10

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B (Med) 100kW N/A 10

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C (Low) 500kW N/A 10

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S Special – To be defined if Special – To be defined 10

none of above are suitable if none of above are
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Table 2: Grades for Hydrocarbon Risk Areas and Associated Fire Sizes for Onshore
Installations.
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Grade (Risk) Fire Size for Alarm Action Fire Size for Trip Action Response Time (s)
(RHO) (RHO)

A (High) 10kW 10kW 10

B (Med) 50kW 50kW 10

C (Low) 250kW 250kW 10

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S Special – To be defined if Special – To be defined if 10
none of above are suitable none of above are suitable

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Table 3: Grades for Hydrocarbon Risk Areas and Associated Fire Sizes for Offshore
Installations.

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3.3.1 Alarm Action & Trip Action for Flame Detection
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Alarm Action coverage for flame detection is the coverage provided by a single detector for
the purpose of alarming upon detection of flame. In terms of voting architecture, this is
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defined as 1ooN coverage.

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Should it be necessary for the FGS to initiate automated trip actions ranging from simple
actions of starting the fire water pump to complex actions such as a total platform
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shutdown, it is recommended that the initiators be voted to increase availability and reduce
spurious tripping. Trip Action coverage involves the coverage provided by two or more
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detectors. In terms of voting architecture, this is defined as 2ooN coverage.

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3.3.2 Alarm Action Coverage Targets

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Targets also have to be set in terms of the amount of coverage desired for Alarm Action. The
coverage targets listed in Table 4 shall be applied for flame detection mapping as a
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minimum requirement for the relevant risk grades; Grade A, B & C.

Grade Detection Coverage (%)

A 90%

B 85%

C 60%

Table 4: Hydrocarbon Risk Areas and Required Coverage Targets

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3.4 GRADING ASSIGNMENT

An assessment shall be conducted to categorize equipment based on their flammability risk.

This ensures that the appropriate and adequate coverage is provided to the site.

For grading methodology involving PETRONAS upstream facilities, PETRONAS Carigali Sdn
Bhd Guideline for Fire & Gas Mapping (see References Section) shall be applied.

For other locations, grading assessment shall be established by the Equipment Flammability
Risk (EFR) using the following equation:

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EFR = FFeq x Pign

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EFR = Equipment Flammability Risk

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FFeq = Equipment Failure Frequency

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Pign = Probability of Ignition

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Equipment Failure Frequency and Probability of Ignition values should be obtained from
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the specific plant or project QRA reports. If QRA report is not available, Equipment Failure
Frequencies calculation can be done based on industry historical data (i.e. UKOOA, UKHSE,
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etc.). The use of this data shall be endorsed by company representative, usually a PSM or
HSE Representative. Only frequencies related to small and medium leaks are to be used.
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Once the Equipment Flammability Risk is established, the equipment is assigned a grade
based on the following categories:

Grade Equipment Flammability Risk (EFR)

A EFR > 1E-04/yr

(High Risk)

B 1E-05/yr < EFR < 1E-04/yr

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(Medium Risk)

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C 1E-06/yr < EFR < 1E-05/yr

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(Low Risk)

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EFR < 1E-06/yr
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required)
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Table 5: Grading categories based on EFR

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During the life of the plant, any plant modification affecting the Hazardous Area
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Classification and thus the EFR will require a revisit of the FGDM study. This shall be
specifically mentioned under local MOC Procedures.
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3.5 PERFORM MAPPING

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Mapping shall be performed through the use of approved software. The goal of the software
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is to identify areas which require fire detection coverage within a given site and assess if
those areas are sufficiently covered by the flame detectors. The software shall have the
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functionality and features as listed in section 4.5.1

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3.5.1 Mapping Software Functionality

The software shall be based on a 3-Dimensional platform to provide visualisation on location

and coverage of detectors. It shall be able to recreate an acceptably detailed representation
of the site assessed. This shall include modelling of major equipment, significant pipework,
and large structures which effect the placement of detectors and its effectiveness.

In addition, the software shall be able to import models from established formats such as 3D
obj and/or Smart3D with the capability of individually manipulating each equipment
independently of each other for mapping purposes.

Once a representation of the site has been recreated in the software, grades or grading shall
be applied to the relevant equipment. The representation of grading in mapping is an
extended volume/area from the equipment. The size of the extended volume/area
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represents the allowable tolerance of the size of a fire in the event that the equipment has
caught fire, before detection is triggered.

Figure 2 shows the differences between an equipment of Grade A, B and C. By default,

Grade A equipment will also come with a Grade B grading as shown.

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Figure 2: Graded areas in accordance to Grades A (red), B (yellow) and C (green) (left to
right). Equipments are represented as 3x3x3 cubes shown in white.
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The size of the grading is dependent on the grade assigned and is input into the software
based on the following table.
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Grade Extension from the

Equipment
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A (High) 1m
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B (Med) 2m
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C (Low) 3m

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Table 6: Equipment grades and corresponding volume/area extension from

equipment.

When all the identified equipment have been assigned the appropriate grades, detectors
shall be placed in areas where deemed suitable for optimal detection. Maintainability and
accessibility shall be considered when placing detectors as the proposed placements will
have bearing on the final installed locations during implementation.
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3.5.2 Assessment Simulation

Once the detectors are in place, the simulation is run. Several runs may be required to achieve the
desired coverage. Upon achievement of the desired results, reporting shall commence.

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3.6 REPORTING

The final report of the mapping shall include the following:

i. Grade Map

a) The Grade Map is a plan view of the site showing the grading of each
equipment.

ii. Flame Detection Coverage Map

a) The coverage map is a plan view of the site showing the areas covered
and not covered.More detailed views can be shown if required.

iii. Achieved Coverage

a) The results shall be presented in a table format detailing % Covered

(Alarm and/or Trip Action (if applicable)).

iv. Detector Specifications (Type & Locations)

a) A separate plot plan shall be provided with a mark-up of proposed

detector locations, including illustration of existing detector location.
b) A table shall be prepared with the detector details, namely the
detection technology, elevation and pitch.
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4.0 COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTION MAPPING METHODOLOGY

The workflow of a typical Gas Detection Mapping is as follows:

Data Collection

Target Gas Cloud size identification

Detector Coverage Targets Setting

Perform Mapping (Software)

Reporting

Chart 2: Workflow for a typical Gas Detection Mapping study

4.1 DATA COLLECTION

Before any work can begin, relevant information has to be obtained regarding the site.
Information in the form of documents from previous studies, drawings, incident reports as
well as interviews with site operators is beneficial in identifying the hazards present.

The documents relevant to Gas Detection Mapping are:

i. Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams

ii. Process Flow Schemes
iii. Stream Compositions from Heat and Material Balance.
iv. Plot Plans
v. Equipment Layout Drawings
vi. Fire and Gas Detector Location Layout Drawings
vii. Fire and Gas Detection Cause and Effect Matrices
viii. Fire and Gas System Philosophy
ix. Elevation Drawings (Overall and Equipment)
x. Hazardous Area Classification Drawings
xi. QRA Report and Failure Case Report
xii. FRA, HAZID, HAZOP, PHA, CIMAH Reports
xiii. Regulatory reports relevant to fire and gas protection and detection system.
xiv. 3D Model of Plant (if available)
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For Brownfield projects or existing facilities, a site visit shall be conducted to identify any
possible obstructions not visible in the drawings as well as to obtain historical hazard events
related to fire and gas mapping.

4.2 TARGET GAS CLOUD SIZE IDENTIFICATION

The target gas cloud size used for the mapping exercise determines the spacing and
consequently the number of detectors required for a given area. A target gas cloud too large
result in an inadequate amount of coverage. Conversely a gas cloud too small will produce
very conservative figures resulting in an impractically high number of detectors being
prescribed.

Target gas cloud sizes are determined by the congestion in the area of which the mapping is
done. The types of areas are classified as either Open (O), Partially Enclosed (PE) or Confined
(C). The following table lists the types of areas and their corresponding gas cloud sizes. The
gas cloud size to be used shall correspond to the Hi and HiHi alarm levels.

Area Type: Target Gas Cloud Target Gas Cloud Target Gas
Diameter @ 200% LEL Diameter @ 60% LEL Cloud Diameter
(m): (m): @ 20% LEL (m):

Open (O) 10 14 19

Partially 5 9 14
Enclosed (PE)

Confined (C) or 4 8 13
Enclosed (E)

Table 7: Selection of gas cloud size based on area congestion

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4.3 DETECTION COVERAGE TARGETS SETTING

The installation of combustible gas detectors shall achieve the coverage as below:

Area Type: Alarm Action Detection

Coverage

Open (O) 60%

Partially Enclosed (PE) 85%

Confined (C) or Enclosed (E) 90%

Table 8: Detection coverage based on the congestion of an area

4.3.1 Alarm Action & Trip Action for Gas Detection

Alarm Action coverage for gas detection is the coverage provided by a single detector for
the purpose of alarming upon detection of gas. In terms of voting architecture, this is
defined as 1ooN coverage.

Should it be necessary for the FGS to initiate automated actions ranging from simple actions
of closing HVAC louvers to complex actions such as a total platform shutdown, it is
recommended that the initiators be voted to increase availability and reduce spurious
tripping. Trip Action coverage involves the coverage provided by two or more detectors. In
terms of voting architecture, this is defined as 2ooN coverage.

4.4 PERFORM MAPPING

The idea of mapping gas detectors is to identify the % of likelihood of detection if a gas
cloud is released anywhere within an identified area. This is done using specialized software
which calculates the coverage in the identified space of which detections will occur.

The following is the workflow of the mapping process using specialized software:

i. Model process area in software

a) Referring to the provided drawings (e.g. plot plans, elevation drawings),

the area of the installation being assessed is drawn either in 2D-space or
3D-space. The amount of detail should be confined only to major
equipment. Minor details such as flanges and valves should be omitted.

ii. Place gas detectors into drawing.

a) Point detectors or open path detectors are to be placed within the area
being assessed. To verify existing detection, existing detector locations
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are used. For new projects, proposed detector locations are to be used.

iii. Define area of assessment within drawing

a) Referring to the nature of the gas identified through the Hazards

Identification process, a target volume is drawn of where the gas is
expected to be released and accumulate. For heavier gasses, the target
volume is most likely between the ground to 2m off the ground and vice
versa.

iv. Define target gas cloud size

a) Based on how congested the area being assessed is (refer to Table 11)
and the alarm settings of the gas detector, a base target gas cloud size is
identified and used for the assessment.

v. Run mapping software.

a) Software is run to evaluate the % of coverage. Should the results not

meet the desired target identified in Sec 5.4, steps 2 to 5 are repeated
until this requirement is fulfilled.

4.5 REPORTING

The final report of the mapping shall include the following:

i. Grade Map

a) The Grade Map is a plan view of the site showing the grading of the
section being assessed.

ii. Gas Detection Coverage Map

a) The coverage map is a plan view of the site showing the areas covered
and not covered.
b) More detailed views can be shown if required.

iii. Achieved Coverage

a) The results shall be presented in a table format detailing % Covered

(Alarm Action and/or Trip Action (if applicable)).

iv. Detector Specifications (Type & Locations)

a) A separate plot plan shall be provided with a mark-up of proposed

detector locations.
b) A table shall be prepared with the detector details, namely the
detection technology and elevation.
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5.0 TOXIC GAS DETECTION MAPPING

Toxic gas detection mapping shall be implemented using the geographic based method as
with combustible gas mapping. The agreement of toxic detection limits shall be obtained by
Operations, PSM/HSE and Process representatives before the start of the mapping process.
Priority for detection shall be for the protection of human life.

It shall be based on the following guidelines:

i. 3D software shall be used to visually determine the coverage provided by the

prescribed detection. There is no requirement for coverage in terms of %.
ii. Equipment containing toxic gasses or liquids at ppm levels above the TWA levels
of the target gas shall be considered for toxic gas monitoring. The flanges of this
equipment shall be considered as credible leak sources.
iii. For upstream applications, the coverage provided by a single detector shall be
of a sphere of 6m in diameters. For downstream applications a diameter of 12m
shall be used.
iv. Toxic gas detectors shall be sited based on the following priorities (in order):
a) Detection at entry points to vicinities of identified credible leak sources
b) Detection of leaks at large (>4in) flanges. Detectors to be not more than
3m away from such equipment
c) Perimeter monitoring around vicinities of identified credible leak
sources
v. Mapping is not required for areas where detector placement has been pre-
determined by vendor or has been stipulated by regulatory bodies (i.e.
compressor ducts, HVAC intakes, analyzer house intakes, etc.)
vi. Detection shall be considered for areas where there is frequent human activity
involving flange-breaking or sample collection. Additional detection shall also be
considered for areas in which toxic gas is frequently present based on historical
evidence.
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6.0 ULTRASONIC MAPPING METHODOLOGY

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection (UGLD) implements the use of acoustic sensors to detect
changes in the ambient sound level. Ultrasonic signals lie between the ranges of 25 kHz to
10 MHz, which is easily distinguishable from normal audible range of 20 to 20 kHz.
Considering its inability to discriminate between types of gas leaks, it should be used only as
complementary means of gas detection for early detection.

6.1 METHODOLOGY

Minor gas leak (refer to OSD hydrocarbon release reduction campaign report) with a rate of
0.1 kg/s, for an orifice of 4mm and pressure not less than 10 bar is used as the reference
leak for the performance criteria of ultrasonic detection. It is recommended that range of
detection for acoustic detectors shall meet the performance criteria and tested as per ASTM
E1002. The ASTM E1002 states the minimum requirement for an acoustic detector and also
provides the calibration and procedures for pressurizing the test objects, locating leaks, and
estimating the leakage rates.

Ultrasonic detection is greatly influenced by ambient noise, which includes both audible and
ultrasonic noise. Ambient noise can be categorized into three areas, namely High Noise
areas, Low Noise areas and Very Low Noise Areas. The acoustic detector’s coverage range
for typical light gases such as nitrogen and methane are 5 meters in high noise area, 9
meters in low noise area and 13 meters in very low noise area. The classification of areas
based on audible noise level and ultrasonic background noise is illustrated in table 1.
Installation of acoustic detectors shall follow such guidelines.

High Noise Areas Low Noise Areas Very Low Noise Areas

Audible noise
(dBa) 90-100 60-90 40-55

Ultrasonic
Background Noise <78dB <68dB <58dB

Alarm Trigger
Level 84dB 74dB 64dB

Detection
Coverage (meter) 5 9 13

Table9: Summary of Detection Coverage

It should be noted that the performance of acoustic detectors vary among suppliers, Table 8
should be only used as a guide and consent from principal is required. Ultrasonic gas leak
detection shall only be used complementary to existing gas detection systems, unless there
is no other suitable detector available for the target gas.
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7.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR FGDM ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Only approved software tools shall be used for Fire and Gas Detection Mapping
assessments. The software should have the following capabilities:

i. Adequately represent a site in three (3) dimensions

ii. Grading methodology detailed in this PTS can be executed
iii. Utilize unique detector characteristics such as detector sensitivity and field of
view (both horizontal & vertical)
iv. Assess coverage of flame and gas detectors in three (3) dimensions
v. Represent the assessment as a total volume as well as in slices of that space for
easier viewing
vi. Report the detection coverage for single detectors (Alarm Action) as well as
overlapping detection (Trip Action)
vii. Report installation specifications of detectors such as elevation, rotation angles
and tilt angles
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8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

In this PTS, reference is made to the following other Standards/Publication. Unless

specifically designated by date, the latest edition of each publication shall be used, together
with any supplements/revisions thereto:

PETRONAS TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Index to PTS publications and standard PTS 00.01.01

specifications

Fire, Gas and Smoke Detection Systems PTS 14.12.07

Assessment of the Fire Safety of Onshore PTS 12.25.03

Applications

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

National Fire Alarm Code NFPA 72

Guidance on the Evaluation of Fire, Combustible Gas and ISA-TR84.00.07

Toxic Gas Systems Effectiveness

Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation API 14C

and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore
Production Platforms

Standard Test Method for Leaks Using Ultrasonics ASTM E1002

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OTHER REFERENCES

i. HSE UK OTO 93 002, Offshore Gas Detector Siting Criterion. Investigation of

Detector Spacing

ii. HSE UK Hazardous Installations Directorate Offshore Division – Fire and

Explosion Strategy, Issue 1

iii. OSD hydrocarbon release reduction campaign, Report on the hydrocarbon

release incident, investigation project -1/4/2000 to 31/3/2001

iv. M. Royle et al, “Measurement of Acoustic Spectra from Liquid Leaks”, Research
Report RR568. HSE Books, 2007.

v. PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd Guideline for Fire & Gas Mapping (E04 012)
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APPENDIX 1: Notes on Fire Sizes

Fire sizes are measured by Radiant Heat Output (RHO) in units of kilowatts (kW). This measurement
follows the inverse square law relationship, in which when the distance away from the source is
doubled the RHO is decreased by a factor of the inverse of the distance squared.

RHO (kW) α 1 / d2

The significance of the fire size values is also seen in flame detector sensitivity and its resulting range
of coverage. The size of the cone of vision for an optical flame detector is dependent on the visible
fire size, which has a direct impact to the number of detectors required to provide sufficient
coverage for a given area. Table A1 shows the relationship between RHO and the apparent flame
area.

Fire Type 10kW 50kW 100kW 250kW

Gas Jet 0.30m2 1.50m2 3.00m2 7.50m2

Oil Pool 0.10m2 0.50m2 0.70m2 1.20m2

Table A1: Relationship between RHO and apparent flame area

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APPENDIX 2: Notes on the use of Fusible Plug loops and similar methods of flame detection.

Flame/heat detection using fusible plugs and tubing is an accepted method of detection for
equipment as per API 14C. The use of linear heat detectors (LHD) and heat sensing cables (HSC) are
also acceptable means of flame detection. Fusible plugs and loops have the advantage of not
requiring a power source to operate. As such, it is ideal for remote installations. But the
performance of fusible plugs is heavily dependent on the installation and maintenance.

In the case where fusible plugs are adequately prescribed and properly installed in accordance to
API 14C, detection will be deemed sufficient for equipment identified as Medium to Low risk (i.e.
Grade B and Grade C). Then, no other flame detectors are required.

However it is to be noted that fusible plugs cannot match the detection speed of optical flame
detectors. Hence in cases where the presence of a flame is specified to be detected almost
instantaneously, optical flame detection will have to be prescribed.
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APPENDIX 3: Sample of a Flame Detection Mapping Assessment:

Figure A3.1: Grademap showing Grade A (red and yellow), B (yellow) and C (green) equipment.

FD1 FD2

Figure A3.2: Flame detection assessment results after adding two flame detectors (one at each top
corner). Assessment shows areas detected by single detectors in orange, multiple detectors in green
and no detection as red.

Figure A3.3: Flame detection assessment table results showing coverage for all grades in Alarm
Action (AA) or Trip/Control Action (CA) configuration.
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APPENDIX 4: Sample of a Gas Detection Mapping Assessment:

Figure A4.1: A volume in space is defined as the area of interest for gas mapping.

OPGD1

GD1
OPGD2

GD2

Figure A4.2: Gas mapping results shown after two open path detectors and two point gas
detectors are added. Areas in orange are covered while areas in red are not covered.

Figure A4.3: Assessment results showing the measurements of the volume being assessed
as well as the percentage of coverage.
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APPENDIX 5: Flame Detection Grading for Typical Downstream Hydrocarbon Processing

Equipment

The table below lists flame detection grading for typical downstream hydrocarbon processing
equipment. These values may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on the flammability of the
process, facility historical data, or industry experience with the agreement of the study team.

The PETRONAS Carigali Guideline for Fire and Gas Detection Mapping is to be referred to for
upstream facilities.

Equipment Typical EFR Fire Notes

(/yr)* Grade

Furnaces/Reformers 8.71E-05 B Detection to focus on fuel gas portion

Compressors (Hydrogen) 5.85E-04 A Minimum number of 2 Flame Detectors

Compressors (Others) 4.62E-05 B Minimum number of 2 Flame Detectors

Slugcatcher Manifolds 1.49E-05 B

Debutanizer 3.35E-05 B

Absorber 9.09E-05 B

Reactor 1.47E-05 B

Stripper 4.17E-05 B

Reboiler 9.80E-05 B

Pumps (>2 barG) 1.39E-05 B

Pumps( <2barG) 9.74E-06 C

Separators 5.85E-06 C

Flare KO Drum 4.52E-06 C

Diesel Tank, LPG Storage 6.03E-06 C

Lube Oil Skid 6.95E-05 B

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Cooling Tower N/A NG Flame detection not necessary. Gas

detection may be employed to detect
exchanger leaks.

Instrument Air Skid N/A NG Gas detectors may be employed at air

intakes to air compressors.

Air Blower N/A NG

Boiler Feedwater System N/A NG

Steam System N/A NG Excludes exchangers, WH Boilers and RG

Boilers hydrocarbon lines

Glycol Processing 2.54E-05 B Applicable to MEG, DEG, TEG processing

equipment. Gas detection not required.

*Calculated values based on generic equipment failure frequencies data from UKOOA database and
ignition probabilities from QRA studies.