Introductory Remarks

Mega projects often face cost overruns and schedule delays due to their scale and complexity. In order to reduce these associated risks, the PDP Engineering team at SABIC is developing a systems based approach to develop Process Design Packages (PDPs) for processing technologies destined for implementation for mega projects. Process technologies for implementation within these projects are developed through the pipeline of research and development programs, in addition to mature technologies that have been installed in industry. The PDP usually developed in the feasibility phase of a project, substantially increases the technical definition of a project. The critical deliverables in the PDP are the process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (PIDs) and equipment datasheets. These deliverables require up to 60% of the total man-hours required to develop the PDP. The systematic data-centric approach to develop primarily these deliverables enables efficiency and standardization. By developing a workflow and templates around the database, the risks associated with mega projects are intended to be managed. Furthermore data available within the database becomes available for: other deliverables within the PDP; later project phases; and reuse in future projects.