Sophisticated safety software
Mapping safety with precision: Graham Duncan discusses the role of fire and gas mapping.
Safety in the oil & gas industry is a collaborative effort. Fires and gas leaks are risks that no operation can afford to overlook, and effective fire and gas detection systems are essential to protecting people, assets and the environment. But these systems don’t optimise themselves – behind every robust design is a combination of advanced tools and skilled expertise.
Micropack’s proprietary HazMap3D software provides the technical backbone for fire and gas mapping, but it’s the engineers who drive these tools that make the difference. Their experience, insight and ability to interpret complex data turn a powerful platform into actionable safety solutions.
WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS EXPERTISE
Fire and gas mapping is the process of designing detection systems that ensure comprehensive coverage with no gaps. It evaluates where detectors should be placed, how they should perform and what they need to detect. HazMap3D is a sophisticated tool built for this task, providing advanced modelling capabilities to simulate detector performance and identify coverage gaps. But technology alone doesn’t make decisions. Skilled engineers interpret these simulations, applying real-world knowledge to ensure the results meet the unique challenges of each facility.
TURNING DATA INTO PROTECTION
Flame detection systems act as critical barriers in hazardous environments, detecting fires early to minimise their impact. Flame detection mapping ensures these systems perform as intended, balancing precision with practicality.
Flame detection mapping with HazMap3D involves four key approaches: risk assessment; performance target setting; optimal placement; and coverage validation. Engineers use HazMap3D to assess hazardous areas, assigning risk grades (low, medium, high, or special risk) to define detection requirements. The software provides data on target flame sizes and detection criteria. Engineers interpret this information to recommend voting strategies (e.g., 1ooN or 2ooN) and align designs with operational needs. HazMap3D visualises detector coverage, but it’s the engineers who ensure placements consider real-world factors such as maintenance access, environmental challenges, and site-specific risks. Finally, engineers validate coverage simulations from HazMap3D, fine-tuning designs to meet safety and compliance goals.
By combining the precision of HazMap3D with human insight, flame detection mapping becomes more than a technical exercise – it becomes a tailored safety solution.
EXPERTISE BEHIND THE METHODOLOGY
Gas detection presents unique challenges due to the invisible and dynamic nature of gas leaks. Micropack’s Target Gas Cloud (TGC) methodology is designed to address these challenges by focusing on detecting gas accumulations before they become explosive risks.
The Target Gas Cloud (TGC) methodology features a four-step process, with the first being understanding congestion and confinement. This involves calculating the blockage ratio of an area, which quantifies the level of congestion and confinement. This ratio determines the target size of gas clouds requiring detection, aligning with the explosion risks specific to the site.
Defining the target gas cloud is the second step. Based on the blockage ratio, a target gas cloud size is established – typically ranging from 4 to 10m. This step ensures the detection system focuses on accumulations that could lead to damaging overpressures if ignited.
The next step is placing detectors. Gas detectors are strategically positioned to optimise coverage of the target gas cloud. This includes using point and open-path detectors tailored to the layout, ensuring gaps are minimised while meeting the defined performance criteria.
The final step is performance verification, which involves validating the detector layout through simulation and analysis, ensuring the design meets performance targets. Adjustments are made as needed to guarantee comprehensive coverage and system reliability.
THE VALUE OF EXPERTISE
Although tools such as HazMap3D are essential for fire and gas mapping, it’s the expertise of engineers that brings these systems to life. Their understanding of site conditions, operational realities and regulatory frameworks ensures that designs are not only compliant but optimised for performance.
Key benefits of expert-driven mapping include comprehensive coverage: engineers interpret data to eliminate blind spots, ensuring no risk goes undetected. By applying their knowledge of environmental factors, engineers also reduce nuisance alarms while maintaining detection reliability. A further benefit is cost efficiency: engineers ensure systems are neither under- nor over-engineered, saving costs on equipment and maintenance. It’s worth noting the enhanced compliance benefits, too: mapping studies backed by experienced engineers meet stringent safety standards with confidence.
REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS
Offshore platforms are a key area of application due to the fact that high congestion and harsh weather demand precise mapping. Engineers use HazMap3D to design systems that perform reliably under these challenging conditions.
Refineries are another real-world application for this technology: with sprawling layouts and diverse risks, refineries benefit from the combined power of HazMap3D’s modelling and engineers’ expertise to optimise detection coverage.
A third example of how the technology can be applied in the oil & gas sector is for LNG terminals. Here, engineers tailor detection systems to manage cryogenic conditions and large storage volumes, ensuring safety in these high-risk environments.
Micropack knows that effective fire and gas mapping requires more than advanced software. HazMap3D provides the foundation, but it’s the company’s engineers who deliver actionable insights. Their ability to combine technical precision with real-world understanding ensures that every detection system the firm designs is ready to perform when it matters most.
Fire and gas mapping is a blend of technology and experience. HazMap3D provides the tools to model and simulate coverage with precision, while the engineers bring the insight needed to turn those models into effective safety systems.
HazMap3D and Micropack’s expert team deliver fire and gas mapping studies that protect people, assets and the environment. Because safety isn’t only about tools; it’s also about the people who use them.
Graham Duncan is MD of Micropack.