Shah Field
At 3rd of
February 2009 three workers who died and one injured at the Shah oilfield. They
were killed by toxic gas H2S (hydrogen sulphide) emitted from crude oil, at Abu Dhabi
Company for Onshore Operations (ADCO). The fourth
worker was injured in the accident and remains hospitalised but in a stable condition, according to emirates news agency,
the state news agency. The death of the three employees was caused by H2S (hydrogen
sulphide) not by fire or explosion, Hydrogen sulphide exists in all ADCO
fields, not only in Shah Field. They did not specify how the workers were
exposed to the deadly gas, but a
high-level investigation is ongoing. All employees exposed to work in an H2S
environment go through essential training,
and employ all required tools, equipment and protective systems to insure their safety. Most accidents happen because of
a failure to follow these procedures. The H2s can corrode steel and naturally
occurs in both crude oil and natural gas
at the Shah Field, which is located south of the Liwa oasis in Algharbia. The gas is heavier than air, and even at
low concentrations it can cause
respiratory failure and brain damage.
The threshold for
human tolerance to this gas is very low, estimated to be around
20 parts per million. H2S is a killer, and an extremely dangerous gas, as indicated by the higher number of fatalities
worldwide.
The gas can combine
with other chemicals in a pipeline to produce microbial reduced
corrosion, tiny cracks that are not detectable with the naked eye but can still leak deadly quantities of gas, the Leakages
and ruptures do happen worldwide. The gas would
be an enhancer for internal corrosion.
The workers left the
control room going to the bit by car early morning to start their work on one of
the crude oil bits to check leak availably in the pipe line. They didn’t make a
confined space permit. The first worker went down by monkey ladder. He did not
inspect H2S availability in the line as usual so he didn’t take the H2S
detector with him and he left the breathing apparatus musk in the car, when he
reached to the pipeline he asked the panel operator in the control room to
start the pump while he was trying to climb the ladder he lost consciousness
before reaching to the top. The second operator didn’t know that his partner died
because of H2S gas but regrettably he also lost consciousness and died. The
third operator asked the panel at control room to stop the pump then he climbed
the ladder to help his partners but he lost the consciousness because the H2S (heavy
gas) still in the bit. The fourth was helper he doesn’t have authority to go
down to the bit but lost the consciousness after the spread the gas around the
bit but he didn’t lose the life.
The incident raises
safety concerns about plans by ADCO's parent company, the Abu Dhabi National
Oil Company (ADNOC), to tap "sour" natural gas deposits at Shah that
are located beneath the oilfield and contain up to 30 per cent hydrogen sulphide.
The year 2008, was the best ever, in terms of HSE health safety and environment
performance. The accident came only a week after ADCO awarded a $1.2 billion
contract to two contracting firms to expand oil production capacity at Shah and
the nearby Sahil field.
References
When it comes to safety, detecting gas leaks is of utmost importance. Natural gas leak detector UAE can help prevent accidents and ensure the safety of individuals and communities.
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