Becht provides highly technical support to worldwide clients in the ammonia industry supporting ammonia and downstream urea, nitric acid / ammonium nitrate, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, methanol plants, and hydrogen plants. We understand the unique issues in the engineering, operation, and maintenance of desulfurization, steam methane reformers (SMRs), shift converters, synthesis and plant utilities. Becht focuses on wholistic solutions which address the root causes of poor or unexpected performance and can assess and optimize ammonia plants with our unique multi-discipline unit and mechanical integrity health assessments.
Nuclear
Becht Nuclear provides immediate, around-the-clock support in helping operating plants resolve mechanical and structural integrity issues in a safe and reliable manner. Becht’s reputation and working relationship with the US Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRC) allows us to be especially well positioned to work with our clients in concert with the regulatory agencies to develop mutually acceptable problem resolutions to keep your plants operating when critical issues develop. Select service areas are below:
- ASME / ASCE Codes and Standards
- Piping Vibration Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution
- Evaluation of Design Basis and Beyond Design Basis External Events (wind driven missiles, earthquakes, over pressurization events, explosions)
- Internal Events Hazards (pipe breaks, pipe whip accidents, LOCAs)
- Water Hammer and Vibration Troubleshooting and Evaluation
- Operability Determinations
- Fitness for Service Evaluations (FFS)
- NRC Regulation Interpretation, Precedents, and Relief Request Support
- Corrosion and Materials Troubleshooting and Support
- SQUG Walkdowns
- Equipment Qualification
- Fracture Mechanics Analysis
Pipelines
Pipeline systems can move enormous amounts of energy from point A to point B. The volatile and highly flammable nature of the energy require responsible and environmentally-friendly seamless operations. Becht is here to support our customers with safe and efficient delivery of every shipment.
- Fouling / Deposits / Corrosion Troubleshooting
- Anomalies FFS
- Rotating Equipment Specs / Troubleshooting
- Critical Heavy Lift for Pipeline Crossings Boring
- DOT Megarule Conversion
- Gathering systems Sour Environment Degradation
- Pipe-soil Interactions and Modeling
- Proof/Hydrostatic Testing
- Gas Pipeline Fatigue and Anchor Forgings
- HDPE Pipe Installations Under Waterways
Gas Processing Plants
Commodities prices fluctuate so you need to act quickly, but be calculated to capture business opportunities with good margins. Becht can support our customers from new construction to turnarounds and inspections. We help develop the operational excellence foundation needed to model the most efficient operation.
- IOW for Gas Extraction and Fractionation Units
- Gas Plants T/A Optimization
- CUI Management Program
- Gas Plant Reliability Improvements
- Gas Plant RBI
- Gas Plants Process Reviews
- Plant Equipment FFS
- Plant Equipment Brittle Fracture Screening, Process Hazards Analysis,
- Margin Improvement Studies and Energy, GHG Reduction Initiatives
- Energy / GHG Reduction Initiatives
- Heaters and Boilers Monitoring
- PSM
Facilities, Terminals and Tanks
It is important to have dynamic and flexible connectivity while also maximizing storage capacity, however, operational excellence and margin improvements are key. Becht can help implement and optimize integrity programs for facilities and terminals.
- Tank and Pressure Vessels RBI
- Tank Integrity Program Optimization
- Facility Integrity Management Programs
- Tank FFS & FEA
- Logistics Optimization / Supply Chain
- Process Units conversions to Terminals
- Facility Inspection Programs Transition to PSM
Strategic Business Planning
Becht leverages world class Process Technology, Strategy, and Reliability SMEs, who bring lessons learned from the owner / operator experience, and utilizes a proven sitewide analysis methodology. This methodology employs a holistic evaluation approach encompassing economic and technical feasibility of forward-looking projects with a practical real-world perspective, no matter how large or small. Becht’s mantras of “get it right the first time” and “go slow to go fast” are applied in combination with fit-for-purpose tools and the right skill sets to collaboratively attain capital efficiency and meet business objectives of our clients. Accelerated value capture and decision making, along with improved return on investment, are the metrics that demonstrate the benefit of involving Becht in your strategic business planning.
Systems Consulting
Tankage
Becht provides expert services in design, design review, troubleshooting, fitness for service, repair and failure analysis of atmospheric and low pressure storage tanks built in accordance with API 620 and API 650. Consulting assistance is provided to refiners on the application of API 653 Standard, and development of risk-based programs for cost effective inspection and maintenance of existing aboveground storage tanks.
A senior specialist in this area is Arcot “Radha” Radhakrishnan, who is a former member of the API Committee on storage tanks. We also have provided highly experienced field staff to consult on and oversee tank cleaning and repair, as well as the construction of new storage tanks.
We also teach a two day course on storage tanks, covering API 620, API 650 and API 653. For details regarding our training courses, click here.
Offsite and Utilities
Becht has the expertise to provide design basis, basic designs and optimization for cooling water, boiler feedwater treatment, steam/power generation and distribution, compressed air, flare gas recovery, fuel gas and fuel oil systems, tankage, blending and product receiving/loading systems. We also model process plant firewater systems, including determining demand requirements, and evaluating system performance.Becht specialists provide practical recommendations to improve reliability. Further, we troubleshoot and correct operating problems such as waterhammer problems in steam systems.
Instrument and Control Systems (I&CS)
Becht has staff from the technician level who can perform loop checks for new facilities to senior staff who have developed or supervised the development of the planning and design documents for facility-wide distributed control systems (DCS) for new systems or system upgrades for implementation by EPC contractors. Many have experience as lead I&CS specialist for the pre-startup checkout and startup of new facilities worldwide.
Our senior specialists have reviewed contractor/vendor I&CS planning and design documents and have participated in Factory Acceptance Tests and Hazard and Operability Reviews (HAZOP) as part of their project support activities
Electrical
Power generation and distribution of electricity within the plant and adjacent facilities is reviewed to assess opportunities for more efficient utilization; particularly, when major changes to existing processing units and/or new process units are to be installed. Review of contractor relay coordination studies, short-circuit analysis, large motor selection, and lightning protection are a number of areas where Becht specialists can provide support.
In addition, a periodic review of the reliability of electrical components and electronic control systems to evaluate opportunities reduces the failure rate or costly preventive maintenance.
Cogeneration of steam and power is highly attractive at most locations to improve energy efficiency and increase reliability of critical steam and power users. Power reliability also is dependent on dual supply and distribution facilities.
Analyzers
Process Analyzers are an integral part of Quality Control; however, they are usually high maintenance. Proper selection and location for response time are critical for accurate results. Locating the analyzer within the process unit must be evaluated against higher installation costs for electrical area classification and environmental considerations versus locating the analyzer remotely in a control environment but perhaps slower response time. Becht can help you decide!
Litigation Support
- Mechanical consultation to support litigation involving a pipe elbow rupture resulting in significant damage to refinery. Provided expert opinions on inspection findings and fitness for service.
- Rotating Equipment consultation to support litigation involving major Olefin’s centrifugal compressor mechanical seal failure resulting in unplanned downtime.
- Project Consulting expert opinion, deposition, and testifying supporting for a major plant retrofit project. The retrofit project was a cost-reimbursable contracting strategy.
- Heavy Lift consultation for major crane overhaul incident resulting in loss of life at a Refinery.
- Process Technical and Maintenance Turnaround expert reports to support causal analysis for Refinery loss of containment due to contaminant intrusion into piping network.
- Mechanical expert opinions and testimony on failures of buried double containment piping system (court, arbitration and mediation).
- Heavy lift expert report and testimony for a crane collapse in a major metropolitan city
- Materials causal analysis and expert opinion as part of litigation on refinery heat exchanger loss of containment resulting in loss of life.
- Expert report and testimony in Federal Court with respect to infringement of a double containment piping system patent
- Mechanical expert opinion as part of arbitration on damages from a vessel explosion. Findings involved feasibility of repair of equipment damaged by pieces ejected versus wholesale replacement.
- Process Safety Management guidance on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) case for Petrochemical facility.
- Expert Report – When an EPC contractor was fired from an ore tailings project and sued for past due invoices, they were countersued for alleged damages. Expert report showing alleged damages were due to owner actions, the actions of the subsequent EPC contractor, or were otherwise baseless led to quick settlement.
- Investigation and expert report showed that expert reports by others for subrogation purposes alleging that a refinery fire and explosion was caused by a pump were factually wrong.
- Expert report and testimony on buried propane storage tank vehicular damage and consequential fatality.
- Expert report and testimony on personal injury lawsuit related to a reactor that had a release due to a decomposition reaction.
Deposition/Testimony
Becht’s team supports pre-trial and in-trial oral testimony in support of litigation cases, as well as testimony in arbitration and mediation hearings.
Expert Opinion
We are engaged to support review and issuance of findings and counter opinions to the opposing party affidavit. This can range from review and commentary to thoroughly documented counter-arguments. At times Becht suggests further analysis such as independent materials testing to support counter-arguments.