PRODIP KUMAR BISWAS

Responsibilities: Guru Gobind Singh Polymer Addition Project :

Construction of polypropylene unit up to commissioning using project management techniques and best industry practices while using all relevant national and international codes, guidelines and recommendations and within applicable national and international laws.

Accomplishment : This unit was constructed and delivered at a cost of approx. ₹ 1000 Crores using approx. 0.84m man-days and seamlessly commissioned in May’ 2022, first among all contemporary units of the project under construction and has earned a profit of approx. ₹ 36.5 crores till its upstream unit DFCU was commissioned in December' 2022.

Special continuous focus was maintained for the following during the entire construction period to achieve the above.

• Work front availability for unhindered construction and testing, thus avoiding construction resources idling.
• Free issue material, ordered on various suppliers, availability in time was expedited for unhindered construction, at many instances much ahead of CDD, thus avoiding construction resources idling
• Ensuring safety precautions, safe working processes and COVID appropriate behavior at site by all concerned at all times, including use of PPE, work permits, tool box talks, equipment and tools tagging, regular and surprise safety inspections, regular safety discussions etc.
• Availability of basic amenities for workers like drinking water, isotonic drink, food, rest shelters and toilets within easy reach.
• Adequate workmen availability of required trades and skills by hiring directly and supplementing contractor’s manpower whenever manpower shortage was faced by the contractor.
• Availability of contractor bought out material in time, ordered on various suppliers, by expediting as well as by direct payments to the suppliers whenever contractor faced difficulty due to funds unavailability or shortage, for unhindered construction
• Availability of adequate construction equipment by hiring directly and supplementing contractor’s equipment whenever equipment shortage was faced by the contractor.

Responsibilities : Conceptualization, planning and Project enabling works to build an integrated project comprising the following facilities at the northern coast of the Gulf of Kutch.

• A near shore deep sea port along with its back-up land and transport corridor comprising rail, road, pipelines, utilities, communication and air connectivity.
• A 2MMTPA petrochemical complex
• An LPG Terminal for import, storage and further dispatch of LPG
• An LNG Terminal for import, storage and further dispatch of LNG
• A SPM and an offshore/onshore pipeline to berth and unload VLCCs.
• A crude oil terminal for import, storage and further dispatch of crude oil.
• A 34km long pipeline along with associated facilities for transporting crude oil from the above crude oil terminal to connect with the existing Mundra – Bathinda crude oil pipeline to further transport this crude oil to HMEL’s refinery and petrochemical complex in Bathinda.

Accomplishments :

• Prepared and submitted a proposal to Govt. of Gujarat for the project worth approx. ₹ 50000 crores for inclusion in Vibrant Gujarat program,.
• Identified land required for above mentioned facilities and initiated action for its allotment by Govt. of Gujarat.
• Prepared tender and through the selected consultant prepared pre-feasibility report for the project, conducted environment impact assessment, initiated process for environment clearance of the project including coastal zone management clearance.
• Prepared tender and through the selected contractor conducted topographic survey and mapping of the identified land using radar technique through drone.
• Prepared tender and through the selected contractor carried out seabed engineering survey for identification of the location of the proposed SPM, a future SPM and offshore/onshore pipeline routes from these SPM locations to the proposed crude oil terminal.
• Prepared tender and through the selected contractor carried out pipeline route survey, cadastral survey, population density survey and soil stratification survey to identify the pipeline route from the proposed crude oil terminal to the existing Mundra – Bathinda Pipeline and its ROU and initiated process for various crossings clearances.
• Initiated land procurement for intermediate and terminal installations of the proposed pipeline.
• Coordinated with revenue department, Govt of Gujarat and MoP&NG, Govt of India to appoint a Competent Authority for acquisition of above mentioned ROU under Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (acquisition of right of user in land) Act, 1962 and its various amendments from time to time.
• Identified additional renewable energy projects for concurrent implementation to generate green electricity to supplement electricity source for the facilities and to minimize carbon footprints of the facilities during construction and operations.

Responsibilities

• Establishing business needs & solutions through projects conceptualization including commercial feasibility for new projects that are strategic in nature or add value to company profitability.
• Basic design, engineering and cost estimation to establish project lifecycle costs.
• Design review for proposed designs carried out by others.
• Root cause analysis and troubleshooting of issues faced by operations and maintenance team of Mundra – Bathinda Crude Oil Pipeline including terminal and SPM and providing head office support to the team.
• Coordination with industry members, experts, designers, vendors and contractors for above.

Accomplishments

• Identification of new projects.
• Project conceptualization and establishing technical and economic feasibility for two projects.
• Review of detailed feasibility report for project to increase profitability by injecting high pour point crude into the pipeline including design basis, basic design, pipeline size optimization, tankage optimization for a buffer tank farm, PFDs, P&IDs, GADs, Layouts, HAZOP etc. and cost estimation to establish technical and economic feasibility.
• Preparation of tender for PMC selection.
• Initiating and obtaining basic statutory approvals for the project including securing ROU, Environment Clearance, forest approvals, crossing approvals etc.
• Technical and commercial studies and implementation of pipeline capacity enhancement.

- By fine tuning MAOP (approx. 10% increase).

- By injection of drag reducing additives (approx. 15% increase)

- By adding new intermediate pump stations (approx. 25% increase)

Responsibilities :

• Conceptualization & implementation of MOCs that are strategic in nature or add value to company profitability.
• Root cause analysis and troubleshooting of issues faced by operations and maintenance team of Mundra – Bathinda Crude Oil Pipeline including terminal and SPM and providing head office support to the team.

Accomplishments

• Implemented MOC to add two more crude streams to the existing two streams blending to improve profitability.
• Project conceptualization and establishing technical and economic feasibility for adding four more crude streams to the existing four streams blending to improve flexibility and profitability.
• Identified root causes for frequent failures of sub-sea hoses of the SPM, prepared tender and carried out year long data collection through selected contractor of sub-sea parameters affecting the sub-sea hose life and initiated redesign of the hoses with the designer to improve hose life.

Responsibilities:

• Project management including planning, project initiation, organization, coordination, control, completion and closure.
• Project planning, scheduling, monitoring and control using latest software and management tools.
• Overall project coordination including those with PMC, suppliers, contractors, statutory bodies, third parties like port authorities, villagers etc., inter-departmental and intra-departmental coordination.
• Developing various preliminary tenders, contracts, agreements and bid evaluation, a few of which include contracts of project management consultancy, soil investigation and survey works.
• PMC selection and selection of other contractors.
• Review of pipeline route including constructability, socio-economic and environmental issues.
• Review project implementation philosophy, basic and engineering design basis, basic design & detailed engineering including PFDs, P&IDs, material selection and specifications, pipeline & tankage size optimization, design changes, HAZOP and its ATR, material requisitions, material take offs, tender specifications etc.
• Review of various tenders, including the scope of work and techno-commercial terms and conditions, submitted by the consultant viz. supply of major equipment and material.
• Monitor and manage material supplies in time, vendor payments and their bank guarantees.
• Preparation of emergency response plan, disaster management plan and obtaining basic project approvals for construction and commissioning like Environment Clearance, forest approvals, crossing approvals, Pollution Clearance, Explosives Clearance etc.
• Land acquisition & procurement for the intermediate pumping & pigging stations, cathodic protection & sectionalizing valve cum telecom stations

Accomplishments:

Though all the above stated responsibilities were completed to the fullest with value addition wherever possible, some of the major accomplishments are given hereunder.

• Augmented pipeline future design capacity of cross-country pipeline from 12 MMTPA to 18 MMTPA (initial capacity 9MMTPA)

i) By changing pipeline size and implemented the same saving a future differential capital cost of approx. Rs. 1100 crores and an yearly operating cost of Rs. 26 Crores during 9MMTPA capacity and Rs. 72 Crores during 18 MMTPA capacity.

ii) To avoid future additional loop line (parallel pipeline), construction problems like narrow ROU resulting in slow progress of pipeline, future construction manpower and resources and making the pipeline future ready.

iii) Additional safety measures to protect the nearby existing pipeline.

iv) Additional ROU in forests and other locations, fresh new crossing approvals.

• Fine-tuned location of Sectionalizing Valve stations and maximized use of lower thickness pipes saving approx. Rs. 1.7 crores in terms of cost of pipes. Also procured land plots at the new locations for construction of these SV stations.
• Changed pipeline design thickness from uniform thickness to telescopic thickness commensurate with pressure scenarios saving approx. Rs. 50 crores in steel cost.
• Changed line pipe material grade from API 5L grade X 65 to grade X 70 saving approx. Rs. 60 crores in steel cost.
• Changed mainline block valves actuator operating current philosophy from DC to AC saving approx. Rs. 3 crores.
• Changed construction philosophy and implemented approx. 2 kms cross-country pipeline section laying under service road of National Highway in consultation with PMC using pipes of higher wall thickness managed from the stock marked for wastage and spares, after required design change as ROW granted was already occupied by National Highway expansion.
• Designed and implemented an onshore interconnection pipeline connecting HMPL’s SPM to Crude Oil Terminal offshore/onshore pipeline and Port’s SPM to IOCL’s crude oil terminal offshore/onshore pipeline thus created facility providing interchangeability of SPMs to unload VLCCs and receive crude oil in either of the terminals in case of unavailability of any of the two SPMs.

Responsibilities and Accomplishments : A project comprising an SPM (single point mooring system) in Gulf of Kutch to unload VLCCs, an onshore Crude Oil Terminal (COT) for receipt, storage and further evacuation of crude oil, a 16.5km long offshore/onshore pipeline from the SPM to the COT and a 1017km long crude oil pipeline for transportation of crude oil from the COT to the proposed refinery at Bathinda.

• In-depth market research and analysis of supply versus demand projections of petroleum products on zonal and all India basis to establish commercial feasibility of the proposed refinery at Bathinda.
• Project conceptualization and establishing technical and economic feasibility for two projects.
• Basic engineering and cost estimation to establish project lifecycle costs for stakeholder approvals and financial closure.
• Development of detailed feasibility report for the Project.
• Obtaining project approvals viz. Pollution Control Boards, Railways, District Administration, Public Welfare Department, Irrigation Department, State Electricity Boards, National Highway Authority of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests etc.
• Obtaining Right of Use in land for the entire length of the pipeline and land
• acquisition for the intermediate pumping stations, pigging stations, cathodic protection stations, sectionalizing valve stations and telecom stations.
• Developing various tenders, contracts, agreements and bid evaluation, a few of which include contracts of project management consultancy, soil investigation and survey works, agreements for taking on sublease 262 acres of land from Mundra port for the crude oil terminal.

349 Km long Vishakhapattnam - Vijaywada Multi-Product Pipeline.

Responsibilities and Accomplishments :

Pipeline Operations

• a) Pipeline stabilization in the initial stages after construction by controlling pressure and flow parameters and adjusting equipment settings.
• b) Achieving 100% target throughput through safe and unhindered operations at the dispatch station by monitoring and controlling pipeline parameters like pressure and flow in coordination with downstream receiving stations and various departments including refinery, fire & safety, State electricity board etc.
• c) Scheduling and executing product receipt from the refinery and dispatch to the consumption locations.
• d) Conducting mock fire drills, safety inspections, preparation of emergency and disaster response plans, issuing work permits and ensuring compliance of health, safety and security norms including use of personal protective equipment.
• e) Inspection of machinery & equipment conditions like pumps, motors, valves, electrical substation equipment, plan and schedule maintenance activities.
• f) Periodic & emergency inspection of pipeline route, dispatch station & intermediate stations and coordination with local administration and Government authorities for threat mitigation that include pilferage and subversive threats.

Pipeline Construction

• Line pipe inspection, and QA/QC checks at pipe rolling mill viz. checking material strength using izod charpy test, looking for plate lamination using ultrasonography techniques, looking for cracks using dye penetration tests, looking for weld defects including penetration, slag inclusion and undercut using eye inspection and radiography, carrying out pipe ovality tests and hydro-testing.
• Pipe coating inspection and QA/QC checks at coating yard viz. surface roughness tests, coating material quality, flowability and strength tests, coating thickness tests using holiday method, coating consistency and cathodic disbondment tests using peel tests etc.
• Materials receipt, storage, management, maintenance and dispatch at stockyard.
• Supervision, inspection and QA/QC checks of field activities of pipeline laying including welding, radiography, trench cutting, padding, joint coating, repair of coating damages caused during handling of the coated pipes, pipeline laying, open cut crossings, critical & utility crossings using augur boring technique and pipeline hydro-testing.
• Coordination with line pipe manufacturer, coating vendor, pipeline laying contractor, their subcontractors & consultant for devising strategy to achieve construction progress and quality.
• Pipeline pre-commissioning and commissioning.

Learnings & Accomplishments:

• Paper making process at industrial level.
• Practical observation of physical and chemical processes & concepts learnt during school and college.
• Practical observation of Mechanical Engineering concepts and equipment working for industrial purposes.
• Ensuring timely supply of utilities and services to other departments maintaining the required quality and quantity parameters.
• Maintenance and trouble shooting of processes and equipment involved in supply of utilities.
• learned and executed maintenance of shell & tube boilers including maintenance of furnace, ash disposable system, setting of its safety valves and obtaining clearance from Boiler Inspector for re-commissioning.
• Troubleshot and improved boiler efficiency from approx. 45% to 95% by identifying the root cause of decreased production, identifying its solution and implementing the same within minimum possible time.
• Learning, identifying and implementing safety precautions including procurement and promoting use of PPEs to operate and maintain facilities and equipment for supply of utilities.
• Identifying and resolving IR issues to improve overall working atmosphere and improve production of the department by introducing public recognition and reward of good work and initiatives by employees, open door policies and respectful interactions among employees.