Basics of Multi-Discipline Project Engineering

In an EPC Project within the Oil & Gas industry, Process Engineers play a key role through-out the project life cycle. Chemical engineers, specialists in plant simulation, initiate a project by providing heat and mass balance reports for the project. Process engineers keep contributing in the project by developing further detailed engineering drawings, e.g. piping & instrumentation diagrams, engineering data sheets etc. The Process group leads hazard studies (HAZOP) through-out the engineering phase.

The Piping discipline begins its activity with the preparation of a conceptual Plot Plan for the project. Layout of major equipment items, interconnecting pipe racks, flares, storage tanks, utility units are considered during basic engineering Layout. The layout of the facility goes through a multi-discipline review to consider safety and operational aspects of the plant. The disciplines which form part of the layout are Process, Piping, HSE, Commissioning, Civil etc. Piping engineering continues its journey in a project typically through piping layout, piping modelling, 3D model review, isometrics, preparation of material take-offs and requisitions

Electrical and Instrumentation personnel start working with finalising location of major items e.g. Substations, Field auxiliary room, main control room etc. They also do play a significant role in project cost estimation before client takes investment decision. During detail engineering Electrical and Instrumentation initially get input from Piping engineering on plot plan, equipment location, control valve location etc. As the project progresses they proceed with their own deliverables. Electrical and instrumentation disciplines do work for each other. Instrumentation panel’s electric supply is designed by Electrical where as motor trip signal is managed by Instrumentation Engineer.

Civil is the popular discipline that works in conjunction with Piping, Electrical and Instrumentation. It designs the foundations for all disciplines. Within the Civil group the detailed design for heavy duty (HD) paving is undertaken, the areas of the Plant requiring HD paving is ascertained from the Piping Layout group and is shown on the site wide Plot Plan. The Civil group also design trenches and in many consultancies, the Civil group take responsibility for underground sewerage drainage. Civil’s also look after the design for surface drainage by way of ‘water run-off’ paving.

Process Control discipline works very closely with Process Engineering and Instrumentation. This discipline take up plant operation control logic from operation philosophy, cause & effect diagrams and ultimately implement process and operation philosophy in to real life plant operation.

The sketches / drawings used in this book have no relation to any other drawing, entity, organization or project. These drawings have been sketched purely to give reader a rudimentary insight on the subject.

Man-hours required to complete various engineering deliverables are mentioned in respective chapters. These are entirely based on my experience. While mentioning man-hours, a broad range of different type of projects and contracts have been considered. This is to note that, man-hours vary from organization to organization, criticality of the item and type of projects. For example, the man-hours requirement ratio for datasheet preparation of Pump, Vessel and reactor is about 1: 3:12. Generally man-hours spent in the developing world countries (high value centres) are almost double than their home office equivalents. Effort has been made in this book to provide reader a general idea about magnitude of the work in relation to time, in an EPC project executed in a Western (European, USA) location.