Top 6 Civil Engineering Considerations to Build Natural Gas Processing Plants

by Engineering Geek Expert in industrial engineering including piping,

Natural gas processing plants play a crucial role in a country’s economy as they are one of the essential sources of energy. Therefore, such facilities must operate with maximum productivity & safety levels. From the design & construction to the maintenance of the plant, every phase requires a thorough preliminary assessment.

Let’s take a look at the considerations for the civil work at these facilities.

Site Assessment: Before beginning the construction work, it is vital to perform subgrade stabilization on the land to ensure the plant will not sink or shift. If the site is not assessed correctly, and the ground is not capable of handling the load of the plant, it can cause dangerous and difficult-to-repair damages to the natural gas processing facility. The subgrade stabilization also ensures the safety of the workers while the construction is in progress. The preliminary site assessment comprises of the following:

Identifying potential obstacles across phases
Determining resources, opportunities, and their scope
Examination of environmental and geographical conditions
Planning for project timeline and setting budget constraints
Mitigating risk
Considerations of the operational needs and future expansion of the natural gas processing plant

Worksite Preparation: It is one of the critical aspects of civil work. The preparation of natural gas processing plant worksite involves removing unwanted trees, rocks, stumps, vegetation, or any other human-made or natural debris. Besides, engineers must perform erosion control methods like shoring during the excavation stage. It helps ensure the protection of the construction site against environmental threats such as extreme rain, wind, and more.

Plant Design: One plant design does not fit every business requirement and environmental situation. Therefore, the professional service of civil and structural engineering design is required before the construction phase begins. It includes the design, detailing, and analysis of architectural facilities. When hiring a professional & experienced team for the designing period, the EPC contractors are assured for two aspects;

Optimum plant design within a stipulated timeframe and budget,
Scope of expansion in the future as part of the business growth

Foundations and Piling: These are the most crucial factors in building a stable and durable structure for the eventual natural gas processing facility. The dedicated team must select the piling according to the soil type, load-bearing needs, and other project aspects, such as budget, duration, resource availability, and more. Different types of pilings have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of flexibility, strength, and cost. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a suitable option for the specific natural gas processing unit. It is also vital to drive the piles to the proper depth using the right equipment.

Concrete Work: The concrete work is a significant part of all industrial and civil construction projects. Therefore, the process of delivering safe and reliable concrete work is essential. It helps confirm the project meets the safety and operation standards of the industry set by the national as well as international bodies.

Plant Size and Location: The size of the natural gas processing unit, as well as its expected production capacity, are crucial factors to consider. More extensive facilities undoubtedly require more area, material, resources, and time compared to small to medium plants. As big construction projects require more workforce, dense material, assessments, and more, the budget and timeframe may fluctuate than the estimated limits. Moreover, different geographic locations face various environmental challenges. They affect civil work differently. For instance, deep foundation work for a plant on soft, wet soil is different than on the dry, rocky land. Besides, in extreme weather conditions like rain, wind, seismic challenges, and more can affect the timeline and budget of the project. Apart from this, necessary measurements need to be taken to keep the project efficient and competent. It includes logistic management, planning & execution of civil work and more. Besides, monitoring of the progress of various phases of the project to ensure the team hits all benchmarks and meets the project timeline.

Conclusion

For an efficient natural gas processing plant, engineering, as well as technical services like feasibility study, detail engineering, civil and structural engineering design, turnkey plant construction, and more, are essential. Therefore, it is recommended to get assistance from an experienced and professional engineering services partner. They can help with the project planning, designing, development, execution, and construction of turnkey natural gas processing facilities.