PV Gas Ensures Gas Pipeline Safety
PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (PV GAS) is a member company of PetroVietnam playing the key role in gas industry ranging from gathering, transporting, storing, processing, distributing and trading of gas products.
PV Gas currently manages, safely operates 3 gathering pipeline systems of Cuu Long, NCS, PM3 Ca Mau and low pressure gas distribution, storage, LPG, CNG filling stations, providing gas as feedstocks, fuel for 40% of power output, 70% of fertilizer market and maintain over 60% of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in the market to serve the industrial, commercial and household sectors nationwide. With such grave responsibility and given high risks of fire & explosion in business process of the gas industry, PV GAS always considers safety is one of the top priority tasks. The task has always received special attention from the leadership of PV Gas, unit members as well as every employee.
After nearly 25 years of establishment and development so far, PV Gas is pround of having ensuring absolute safety in its business and production process, allowing no serious incidents affecting to the life and property of the local people, affirming the position of PV Gas and significantly contributing to the sustainable development of PetroVietnam as well as to socio-economy development nationwide.
In 2013, the Security – Safety – Health – Environment tasks of PV Gas kept receiving close attention and instructions from PetroVietnam leaders and divisions, support from relevant ministries, departments, agencies and local authorities at all levels, close collaboration from PV Gas’ relevant divisions and unit members. The facilities of gas works were built with high quality, state-of-the-art technology, satisfying safety requirements of international standards. Gas systems maintained operating stably. The completion and operation of Thi Vai refrigerated LPG storage have contributed to the active role as well as safety in LPG production and business activities. In addition, PM3 – Ca Mau gas compressor has been put into operation to increase capacity to receive gas for PM3-Ca Mau gas works. The reception of new gas resources from the Nam Con Son Basin has helped increase the supply for the Southeast region by nearly 2 billion m3 per year. All employees of PV Gas are highly skilled, qualified and responsible in ensuring the safety of gas works. The application and efficiency maintenance of safety-quality-environment management systems in member companies throughout PV Gas help safety assessment and control process become better. 
However, the safety, health and environment tasks of PV Gas have also faced difficulties as the operating range of the gas works increasingly spread out offshore and onshore, on many complex terrains, often threatened with many risky activities for the works such as fires, constructions, heavy duties, digging, boat anchoring and fishing… in the safety area of works. In addition, the gas works in operation for many years require strengthening security and safety control, management, corrective maintenance for equipment and machinery. The deployment of new gas works connected to the existing facilities may create unsafe risks during construction and operation. For example, for Thi Vai refrigerated LPG storage, PM3-Ca Mau gas compression complex and the reception of a new gas resource from Hai Thach Moc Tinh field…, the safety management task of contractors regarding construction projects has faced difficulties due to limited awareness of safety of their employees. In 2013, PV Gas continuously put projects into operation such as extended Rong-Doi Moi gas gathering system, the PM3-Ca Mau gas compression, Thi Vai LPG Refrigerated Storage and reception gas from Hai Thach Moc Tinh field… This required strengthening the management scope.
Recently, tasks of unscheduled and preventive maintenance have been completed at high level, improving the reliability of equipment system and ensuring the safe and continuous operation of the works at highest performance. Specifically, 22580 tasks of preventative maintenance and 355 tasks of unscheduled maintenance were completed in the year. All of equipment requiring strict safety requirements and measurement devices were verified and calibrated in accordance with law regulations. All gas works have been granted with certificates by domestic and international registries in accordance with law regulations from the beginning stage of project implementation and operation. PV GAS has fully purchased mandatory fire & explosion insurance, product liability insurance... for all works and products according to law regulations.
Regular corrective maintenance in July and September 2013 was completed within the time remarkably reduced as compared to the plan. The corrective maintenance of PM3-Ca Mau gas system was completed 3 days ahead of schedule, Cuu Long 34 hours and Nam Con Son 2.5 hours, respectively. Total value thanks to reduction of maintenance time and optimization of operation was about USD 5.46 million. PV Gas also completed pigging for the PM3-Ca Mau pipeline, Nam Con Son marine pipelines, 03 Dinh Co - Thi Vai liquid product pipelines, Su Tu Vang-Bach Ho, Bach Ho - Dinh Co, Dinh Co - Ba Ria - Phu My gas pipelines in order to properly assess the current technical status of pipelines, propose treatment plans if necessary to ensure safe and ongoing operation of these pipelines. Especially, PV GAS has completed and put into operation Thi Vai refrigerated LPG storage, helping PV Gas gain more initiatives and safety in LPG production and business activities; completed and put into safe operation the PM3-Ca Mau gas compressor complex to increase the capacity of PM3 gas gathering and gas output supply to consumers in the Southwest region by 6.2 million m3 per day. Moreover, the completion and operation of the extended Rong-Doi Moi gas gathering system have added to Cuu Long gas system over 0.7 million m3 per day. The reception of new gas resources from Hai Thach - Moc Tinh fields, Nam Con Son basin has increased the supply for the Southest region by approximately 2 billion m3 per year. PV Gas has installed and put into operation the Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) for the Phu My-Ho Chi Minh City pipeline; acquiring and applying the management software for the Cuu Long, PM3-Ca Mau gas pipelines to achieve efficiency.
The scientific research and application in operation, corrective maintenance and technical innovation initiatives have been given special attention. In 2013, PV Gas had 78 initiatives, innovation, production optimization, yielding benefit to PV Gas with over 240 billion VND.
Although the corrective maintenance workload is more and more increasing and involve complex equipment, yet PV Gas’ staff in charge of operation, corrective maintenance have mastered the techniques, method of implementation, so the major corrective maintenance have always been completed ahead of schedule, ensuring safety, quality and efficiency.