Halon Phase Out Management In Rti/trc/sonatrach

Hydrocarbon pipelines transportation activity is an important part of SONATRACH business and where great care must be emphasised. The significance of hydrocarbons transportation is owed to its paramount role to link up-stream and down stream businesses, and on the other part; it guarantees products delivery to external. In order to ensure such a business continuity and face product delivery interruptions that may be caused by fire incidents or ignitions, especially in facilities where such incidents may partially affect business integrity, cause harm to employees, population, environment and facilities, TRC is using a Halon based fire fighting system for fire protection purpose of the floating roofs rim seals of oil storage tanks across its different regions. The Halon use (except critical uses) is currently banned in non 5th Montreal Protocol’s article parties, a delay has been granted to developing countries that will no longer be authorised to use Halon after 31st December 2010. As the hydrocarbons sector, mostly, represented by SONATRACH, is the most important Halon user in Algeria, thus, SONATRACH is highly concerned by this issue. Under such pressures, it has been an emergent necessity to set up a Halon phase out management strategy It is true that the origin of a such issue is purely an environmental concern that have been reinforced by a public policy, but other people and facilities safety matters, that have a considerable weight in the Halon phase out process, have to be highlighted and adequately managed.