Mellitah Oil and Gas BV - HSEQ - Gas Testing

Table of Contents

1.0

INTRODUCTION

2.0

PURPOSE

3.0

OBJECTIVE

4.0

DEFINITIONS

5.0

RESPONSIBILITIES

6.0

DETECTIONS AND MONITORING

7.0

GAS DETECTOR CALIBRATION AND USE

8.0

REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

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Mellitah Oil and Gas BV - HSEQ - Gas Testing

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Gas testing is an essential step to guarantee a safe operational work environment when
conducting maintenance and operation activities. Proper gas detection in an early stage
allows to take all prevention mechanisms to eliminate explosion and fire risks before initiate
any activity.

2.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to define as explicitly as possible the Gas Detection Steps
and inform all involved company workers and contractors working for and at Company
premises. It is also the intention to educate them with actions to be undertaken and the right
way of detecting and measuring gas presence.

3.0 OBJECTIVE
The Company wishes through education by way of this document and other processes a
better understanding of Gas detection in order employees can make correct decisions to
avoid any miss-conceptions and misunderstandings when detecting gas presence.

4.0 DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Gas
Vapour

Gas Detector

Liquid
Parts per Million
(PPM )
Toxic
Zero Air
Zero Gas

A state of matter in which the individual molecules are almost totally

unrestricted by cohesive forces. An ideal gas is one which obeys the
gas laws under standard conditions.
Mist or fumes suspended in air.
A device used for detecting the presence of various gases; explosive
gases such as Methane, toxic gases such as Hydrogen Sulfide and/or
for insufficient amounts of oxygen within an area, these units are
designed to provide a udible and visual alarms warning about gases
which are harmful to humans or animals.
Any flowing substance with little tendency to disperse
A method of expressing low concentrations of impurities in a mixture.
The unit can be expressed in moles, volume or weight per million of
the same units. Lower concentration may be expressed in parts per
billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (ppt).
A substance which has the ability to produce injurious or lethal effects
through its chemical interaction with the body.
Ambient air filtered to contain less than 0.1 parts per million (PPM) of
total hydrocarbons.
Calibration gas used to set the minimum reference point on the scale
of an analyzer.

AGT

Authorized Gas Tester.

CH4

Methane (a flammable hydrocarbon gas).

H2S

Hydrogen Sulphide (a toxic gas).

LEL

Lower Explosive Limit.

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Mellitah Oil and Gas BV - HSEQ - Gas Testing

UEL

Upper Explosive Limit.

PPE

Personnel Protective Equipment

PTW

Permit to Work

ISEA

International Safety Equipment Association

5.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
COMPANY

Employer is obliged to ensure that its workforce receive the required notice,
information, training and correct endowment for dealing with explosive and
toxic gasses.

AUTHORIZED
GAS TESTER
(AGT)

Have successfully completed the Authorised Gas Tester Training

Course and to be able to demonstrate the ability to survey potentially
hazardous areas using the detection equipment available and be familiar
with plant and limitation of gas detector equipment.

6.0 DETECTION AND MONITORING

6.1 Gas testing is involved with the following activities
Hot work of any type where heat is used or generated, eg. by welding, flame cutting,
grinding, etc.
Work which may generate sparks or other sources of ignition.
Work which may cause an uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons, other flammable or
toxic materials.
Electrical instrumentation work which may cause sparks.
Entry into confined spaces.
Gas alarm investigation.
6.2 Limits of Combustible Gases
All combustible gases and vapours are characterized by explosive limits between
which the gas or vapour mixed with air is capable of sustaining the spread of flame.

The lower explosive limit (LEL) refers to the lowest concentration of a gas in the
atmosphere which results in a combustible mixture. For example, the LEL of Methane in
Air is 5% by volume, this means that if there is less than 5% by volume of Methane in
air the mixture is too lean to support combustion. Therefore, when Methane Gas
Test equipment indicates 100% LEL, there is 5% by volume of Methane in the test
atmosphere.

The Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) refers to the highest concentration of a gas in the
atmosphere which results in a combustible mixture. For example, the UEL of Methane in
air is 15% by volume, which means that if there is more than 15% of Methane in the air
by volume the mixture is too rich to support combustion.

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For most practical Gas Testing purposes it is the LEL which is significant. The AGT is
responsible for recording the percentage of LEL for the specific flammable gas being tested
on a permit.

SUBSTANCE LEL (Vol%)

ACETONE
2.15
ACETYLENE
2.4
BUTANE
1.5
ETHANE
3
ETHYLENE
2.7
HEXANE
1.2
HYDROGEN
4
METHANE
5
PROPANE
2

UEL (Vol%)
13
88
8.5
15.5
34
7.4
75.6
15
9.5

6.3 Atmospheric Composition

Methane Lighter than air
CO2 Same molecular weight as air
H2S heavier than air.
GAS

Density (Air = 1)

Ammonia
Buta ne
Ca rbon Diox ide
Ca rbon Monox ide
Etha ne
Ethe r (die thyl)
Ethyle ne
Ethyle ne Ox ide
Forma lde hyde
Hydra zine
Hydroge n
Hydroge n Cya nide (poison)
Hydroge n Sulphide (poison)
Me tha ne
Ma tha nol
Me thyla mine
Nitric Ox ide
Ox ige n
Propa ne

0.6
2.1
1.5
0.97
1.05
2.5
0.97
1.5
1.07
1.1
0.07
0.93
1.18
0.54
1.1
1.08
1.04
1.1
1.55

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6.4 Toxic Gasses (H2S)

For all details refer to MOG-HSEQ-SF-D-041 Hydrogen Sulfide Gas H2S
6.5 Confined Space
For all details refer to:
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-058 Work Instruction Confined Space Mellitah Complex
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-061 Work Instruction Confined Space Sabratha
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-062 Work Instruction Confined Space Wafa

7.0 GAS DETECTOR CALIBRATION AND USE

7.1 Calibration
Calibrating your gas detector or gas monitor with the proper calibration gas is essential to
total workplace safety.
"A bump test or full calibration of direct-reading portable gas monitors should be made
before each day's use in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, using an appropriate
test gas." If the instrument fails a bump test, it must be adjusted through a full calibration
before it is used.
International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) recommends more frequent testing if
environmental conditions that could affect instrument performance are suspected, such as
sensor poisons. The ISEA allows for less frequent calibration verification under certain
conditions, but the interval between testing should never exceed 30 days.
An Oxygen Sensor or Toxic (CO, H2S, etc) Sensor only has a life-span of up to 2 years
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OPERATORS MANUAL FOR THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR FREQUENCY OF "ACTUAL CALIBRATION".

MANUFACTURERS

7.2 Use
A properly gas detector use is essential for testing flammable or toxic gas concentrations.
This will be carried out in line with the owner manual instructions. Before use the AGT will
read the respective handbook and familiarize with all features of the equipment to be used.
Moreover make sure that the calibration is valid and will test the equipment before sampling.
All samples will be carried out how often as indicated in the specific risk assessment for the
job to be undertaken and the readings will be recorded in line with the PTW system. The
information got will be used to identify deviations and assist in the implementation of safety
measures. In toxic gas monitoring, multi-point samples rapidly will help to solve a wide
variety of workplace exposure problems and it is invaluable for keeping workers and
management aware of pollutant concentrations in the workplace.
Each involved area, equipment, vessel, pipeline, etc must be sampled by separate, it will be
necessary to purge the sensor with clean air between samples.
When taking samples the atmospheric composition will be taken into account for establish
the most appropriate point (height) due to the flammable and toxic gasses can be lighter or
heavier than air.
For continuous monitoring all readings must be recorded in the form MOG-HSEQ-F-194 and
filed as established in the company procedures.

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8.0 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

MOG-HSEQ-SF-P-024 Corporate Permit to Work Procedure (Onshore)
MOG-HSEQ-SF-P-025 Corporate Permit to Work Procedure (Offshore)
MOG-HSEQ-SF-D-041 Hydrogen Sulfide Gas H2S
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-058 Work Instruction Confined Space Mellitah Complex
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-061 Work Instruction Confined Space Sabratha
MOG-HSEQ-SF-WI-062 Work Instruction Confined Space Wafa
MOG-HSEQ-F-194 Continuous Gas Monitoring Form

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