Heat Tracing System Redesign And Commission

Client Profile

Our client for this heat trace project is a globally recognized oil and gas company. They’re a pioneer in the commercial development of Canada’s oil sands that has achieved significant growth through high-quality, ethical operations.

Their primary focus is providing reliable energy that improves people’s lives while prioritizing environmental responsibility and product sustainability.

THE CLIENT'S NEED

Our client was planning to build a new mining, ore processing, and extraction facility in northern Alberta, designed to process 180,000 barrels of oil per day. The company already had a heat management system designed but wanted the involvement of heat trace experts to ensure the system could withstand the area’s fluctuating weather patterns.

Adding to the challenge was that the facility was to open during the latter part of the year when cold snaps dipping into -30 degrees Celsius were common. Upon start-up, the heat trace system had to be fully intact and completely functional with minimal room for error.

MSCP'S APPROACH

The client had already engaged MSCP for other related projects at other facilities and asked us to collaborate on this new project. MSCP was hired to design and develop the new plant’s heat trace system’s maintenance and commission start-up in coordination with other contractors.

“We love a great challenge. When our client asked us to work on this new project, we took immediate action to sit down with their engineers and project and operations teams to ask questions and listen closely to their needs.”
– Chris Maki, CEO, MSCP Heat Management Solutions

The MSCP team took the time to learn all about the project, including the facility’s multiple construction stages and vendors to determine the total scope of heat tracing. They also reviewed the current heat trace design and found several critical issues that needed to be addressed and corrected:

  • Under-designed power demand factor: The current electrical system designed for heat tracing was inadequate to support the demands of this project’s heat management system and a cold weather start-up
  • Persistent control panel and MCC tripping: The electrical design of the heat trace system was consistently causing issues, tripping the motor control center alarms
  • Common heat trace design errors: We found a number of mistakes in the overall heat trace design that could cause efficiency errors and costly maintenance issues over time
  • Extreme cold weather start-up: The current heat trace and insulation design wasn’t sufficient to protect the system during extreme cold
  • A large number of insulation deficiencies and poor insulation tracking: Insulation around the piping wasn’t correctly optimized for maximum heat retention or efficient long-term use

In summary, MSCP’s team determined that the original heat trace system was substandard to protect the client’s products from the operation’s environment.

“Our focus is always providing the client with solutions that work over the long term. Every oil and gas project has different requirements, so we ensure only to provide recommendations designed for those particular needs.”
– Chris Maki, CEO, MSCP Heat Management Solutions

We met with the client to present our findings, answer their questions, and explain how our solution would ensure successful long-term heat management with minimal circuit failures. Our team also created a maintenance plan that would catch potential issues before they became significant concerns.

THE RESULTS

After presenting our proposal and answering all of our client’s questions, our team got right to work designing and implementing our heat trace management solution. MSCP designers and engineers collaborated and coordinated seamlessly with other contractors

In the end, the new facility opened on time, with a heat management solution that brought these benefits to the facility:

  • Successful plant start-up during a deep cold snap with 0 system freeze-ups
  • Installation of over 11,000 heat tracing circuits, allowing for complete visibility into the heat trace system’s real-time operational status
  • Reduction of circuit failures on start-up from the industry average of 10% to less than 2%

We also developed and implemented a complete heat management system maintenance program. This program included how to handle critical issues such as troubleshooting alarms, fixing failures, and the correct way to carry out maintenance work in the safest manner possible. We thoroughly documented each process and procedure crucial to managing their system, supported by clear images and easy-to-follow explanations.

Our team handled system management for one year after commissioning, after which the client took those duties over. The facility still operates today with maximum efficiency, thanks to the entire team of MSCP and contract designers, engineers, and oil and gas professionals who collaborated seamlessly on the project.

“It’s exciting to see a project we’ve worked on come to fruition. Knowing that we made a difference in its long-term operational efficiency makes it even better.”
– Chris Maki, CEO, MSCP Heat Management Solutions

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