Petrofac picks Bertin Technologies to track gas at Aramco’s Jazan refinery

Services provider Petrofac has awarded a contract to Bertin Technologies, a subsidiary of CNIM group, to supply, install and commission a pioneering gas leak tracking system, Second Sight, at the Saudi Aramco-owned Jazan refinery. 

This system opens up a new era in gas detection methods for the oil and gas industry, according to project officials.

Bertin Technologies says it has achieved a major breakthrough by customizing its own gas imaging camera. Initially developed for defense and civil security applications, Second Sight has been adapted to International Electrotechnical Commission Explosive (IECEx) hazardous areas and to Saudi Aramco standards. 

To enhance the level of safety on site, Bertin Technologies will provide a turnkey solution that detects and monitors explosive gas clouds.

The Second Sight solution has been selected by Saudi Aramco and Petrofac because it offers several benefits that complement conventional gas detection methods. It provides, in real time, a complete scene visualization. In the case of an alarm activation, it localizes the leakage source and direction of the explosive gas cloud in the vicinity.

Explosive gas leaks are an ever-present risk that has to be managed at refineries. Any leak has the potential to accumulate into dangerous clouds that can ignite when they reach a certain concentration.

However, traditional point detectors do not always give a full and accurate picture of the chemical environment, according to Bertin officials A single explosive incident can cost billions of dollars and to mitigate against such an event, additional layers of gas detection are implemented.

"Bertin Technologies has been providing chemical and biological detection systems for more than 15 years in partnership with prestigious customers such as the French Department of Defense," said Philippe Demigné, president of Bertin Technologies. "With Second Sight technology, we have already built a portfolio of strong experience in the tracking and visualization of hazardous gas clouds for safety purposes. 

"Thanks to a track record in the domain of large events surveillance, including the FIFA World Cup, or in monitoring public buildings from USA to South Korea , the technology has been used and proven in the field," he continued.

"While setting an advanced level in chemical and oil and gas safety standards, Bertin Technologies has demonstrated its agility in combining multiple fields of expertise in order to develop dedicated systems for demanding safety requirements."