Tatweer Energy Group assists the Mussaib refinery to ensure operations run smoothly
6 Oct 2008
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In 2004, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity purchased and installed a topping plant (a small oil refinery) to provide the fuel needed to operate their Mussaib power plant. The Mussaib topping plant is located approximately 65 kilometers south of Baghdad, and is designed to produce both light and heavy oil products that can be used as fuel for new gas turbines and existing thermal units. This plant provides the fuel to generate electricity that is distributed to roughly 10 percent of the country when the power plant is fully operational, so proper operation and maintenance of the refinery is critical. The Ministries of Electricity and Oil, through an action plan facilitated by the USAID-funded Tatweer project’s Energy Group, have agreed to work together at the Mussaib refinery to ensure that operations run smoothly.
The Ministry of Electricity (ME) had not coordinated with the Ministry of Oil (MoO) in the design, procurement, and installation of the topping plant—a risky move as operating a topping facility was a completely new project for the ME. When the plant was commissioned in August, ME management realized that although 25 of their employees had received some operational training during a one-month course at the Daura oil refinery, they were not prepared to safely commission, operate, and maintain the Mussaib refinery. Employees were not adequately equipped to carry out start up and shut down procedures, and did not have the experience to deal rapidly and safely with any unexpected equipment failures during the critical early stages of plant operation.
The initial lack of coordination between the two Ministries caused difficulties and hard feelings between the Ministries. The MoO considered it an affront that the ME would step into the MoO’s bailiwick and install and operate a refinery without MoO input or guidance. The MoO has the experience necessary to run a refinery, has proper safety procedures and modes of operation already in place, and could have provided assistance to the ME in the design, procurement, commissioning, and operation of the Mussaib refinery.
The ME expressed serious concerns about having to operate and maintain a topping plant, and approached Tatweer Energy with the request for facilitation of a dialogue with the MoO specifically about the need for hands-on expert help. Tatweer Energy advisors brought long-term relationships with officials from both Ministries and extensive experience in identifying and resolving issues to bear, and worked with both Ministries to design and facilitate an action plan to guide the Ministries in their coordinated efforts to provide electricity to the people of Iraq.
Tatweer Energy worked with ME plant and planning officials and the Director General of the Midlands Refinery Company (MRC) to provide trained experts to run the Mussaib refinery. The MRC agreed to send temporary advisors to the Mussaib refinery to assist with initial commissioning and safe plant operation, and agreed to provide the ME with a list of recently retired specialized engineers and technicians who might be willing to staff the topping plant if the ME provided sufficient incentive packages for full-time employment.
The Ministry of Electricity (ME) had not coordinated with the Ministry of Oil (MoO) in the design, procurement, and installation of the topping plant—a risky move as operating a topping facility was a completely new project for the ME. When the plant was commissioned in August, ME management realized that although 25 of their employees had received some operational training during a one-month course at the Daura oil refinery, they were not prepared to safely commission, operate, and maintain the Mussaib refinery. Employees were not adequately equipped to carry out start up and shut down procedures, and did not have the experience to deal rapidly and safely with any unexpected equipment failures during the critical early stages of plant operation.
The initial lack of coordination between the two Ministries caused difficulties and hard feelings between the Ministries. The MoO considered it an affront that the ME would step into the MoO’s bailiwick and install and operate a refinery without MoO input or guidance. The MoO has the experience necessary to run a refinery, has proper safety procedures and modes of operation already in place, and could have provided assistance to the ME in the design, procurement, commissioning, and operation of the Mussaib refinery.
The ME expressed serious concerns about having to operate and maintain a topping plant, and approached Tatweer Energy with the request for facilitation of a dialogue with the MoO specifically about the need for hands-on expert help. Tatweer Energy advisors brought long-term relationships with officials from both Ministries and extensive experience in identifying and resolving issues to bear, and worked with both Ministries to design and facilitate an action plan to guide the Ministries in their coordinated efforts to provide electricity to the people of Iraq.
Tatweer Energy worked with ME plant and planning officials and the Director General of the Midlands Refinery Company (MRC) to provide trained experts to run the Mussaib refinery. The MRC agreed to send temporary advisors to the Mussaib refinery to assist with initial commissioning and safe plant operation, and agreed to provide the ME with a list of recently retired specialized engineers and technicians who might be willing to staff the topping plant if the ME provided sufficient incentive packages for full-time employment.
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