In 2014, PG&E determined that their primary natural gas distribution pipeline to the major international energy company had the potential of being shut down for an extended period of time as a result of a pipeline integrity issue. The identified integrity issue is located near the refinery. The shutdown of PG&E’s supply would immediately result in an extended shut down of the refinery. As a result of this risk, the major international energy company has developed a mitigation plan to provide the refinery with an alternative natural gas supply.
This $17 million construction project required work at two facilities.
EDM Services was responsible for all aspects of engineering management, front end engineering and design, project planning, detailed engineering, and as-built completion drawing preparation.
Specifically, the firm’s engineering work scope included:
- Civil – Plot plans, demolition plans, topographic surveys, grading plans, drainage plans, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans, water pollution control drawings, security fencing, area lighting, electrical pull boxes, etc.
- Structural – Foundation designs (the very weak local Bay Mud soils required all equipment and the entire pipe manifold to be installed on 24 CIDH pile supported reinforced concrete pile cap), pipe supports, cable tray supports, power poles, light poles, etc.), structural steel canopies to shade all major equipment, structural observation, structural steel access stiles, electrical power and control panel, blow down stack support, etc. Special inspection was subcontracted to Kleinfelder Associates.
- Mechanical – Design of all process piping and instrumentation; preparation of all piping plans, elevations and isometrics; station blow down, hydrostatic test plan development, lock-out tag-out plan, CAESAR II pipe stress analysis, construction surcharge locating analysis for below grade piping, etc.
- Electrical – Sizing of all conductors, including voltage drop calculations, and cable tray fill calculations, developing electrical area classification drawings, developing electrical one-line diagrams, preparing conduit and cable routing drawings, design of area lighting, sizing of low voltage transformers, sizing and selection of facility power distribution, equipment, grounding and station grounding grid, area lighting with photo cell control, etc.
- Process – Front end engineering, hydraulic modeling of the distribution gas pipeline system, electrical utility evaluation, process flow diagrams (PFDs), Design Basis development, piping and Instrumentation drawings (P&IDs), sizing of all process piping and support equipment sizing and specification (electrical and pneumatic valves, regulators, control valves, gas chromatographs, etc.), control philosophy development, relief system design, process flow and pressure control functional specification, etc.
- Geotechnical – The project geotechnical investigation and report was subcontracted to AECOM.
- Construction Support – At the end of the design/permitting process, EDM Services, Inc. provided full-time on-site construction observation services. This involved all resolution of construction questions related to the process, mechanical, electrical, and control systems. We assisted with the tuning of pressure regulating equipment, assisted with third-party owned control scheme for systems connected to the distribution manifold.
Based on our performance on this and other project work, major international energy company awarded EDM Services their “Human Energy Certificate for Outstanding Performance.”