Depisa carries out more than 34,000 service hours during the general shutdown of the Castellón BP Oil refinery

DEPISA, a leading anti-corrosion treatment company, was hired last October to carry out works during the Castellón BP Oil refinery “GTAR 2017” shutdown from 18 October to 23 November 2017.

To successfully complete all the works awarded, Depisa conducted over 34,000 service hours. Some of the main anti-corrosive coating activities included: blasting radiant tubes inside furnaces, cleaning inside vertical drums and towers, and dry ice-blasting. High performance fibreglassing works were also performed for a monoethanolamine (MEA) deposit, along with painting a molten sulphur deposit (98% 100ºC).

Due to Depisa’s sustained efforts to use cutting-edge techniques, and to carry out anti-corrosion coating application services during the shutdown, the company was selected to install life lines for the whole refinery. The company also oversaw the warehouse storage service for the classification and distribution of blanking discs and joints in the shutdown opening and closing tasks.

Additionally, Depisa was awarded the task of surveilling confined spaces and lifts.

As well as the plant personnel (476 workers and 662 contractors for daily operation), BP Oil hired more than 100 Depisa workers to assist the maintenance teams. Over 34,000 hours were worked, and a shift system was established to provide a 24-hour service.

A general shutdown in a refinery the size of BP Oil requires highly qualified technical personnel, machinery providing efficiency and reliability for the work, and planning that allows the works to be performed as quickly as possible.