On-Site Support: Annual Turnaround at Map Ta Phut Petrochemical Complex

The Annual Turnaround Cycle

Plant turnarounds — scheduled maintenance shutdowns of industrial facilities — represent some of the highest-pressure environments in process engineering. Every hour of extended downtime translates directly to lost production. At Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong, Thailand's largest petrochemical complex, a major operator contracted Terkis to provide technical support and equipment supply for a complete fluid-handling system overhaul across three process units over fourteen days.

Our team of five field engineers was mobilised two weeks ahead of the shutdown window to complete pre-inspection surveys, confirm bill-of-materials against installed equipment, and pre-stage all replacement parts at the site warehouse. This preparation is what allows us to execute scope changes on the fly — and it is what allowed us to complete three days ahead of schedule despite two additional valve replacement requests arising mid-turnaround.

Expansion Joint Replacement Programme

The primary scope item was a complete replacement of 34 fabric expansion joints on the primary fractionator column and its associated heat exchanger train. The existing units, installed eight years prior, showed predictable fabric degradation from thermal cycling and hydrocarbon condensate exposure. All replacement units were LBH International GTX-series, supplied with third-party material certification to EN 10204 3.1 standard as required by the plant's mechanical integrity programme. Each joint was dimensioned to the existing piping geometry — a critical step, as installed dimensions frequently differ from original drawings in facilities with multiple modification histories.

Valve Inspection and Recertification

The second major work package covered 22 automated process valves from Max-Seal, Inc. across the cooling water and chemical injection circuits. Inspection included actuator performance testing, seat leakage testing to API 598, and replacement of all elastomeric seals. Three valves with body wall thinning identified by ultrasonic thickness measurement were replaced rather than returned to service — a finding that justified the entire inspection programme in terms of risk reduction value.

AODD Pump Overhaul

Seven PHOENIX AODD pumps in chemical transfer service were completely overhauled — diaphragms, ball checks, seats, and air distribution valve components replaced. Post-overhaul performance testing confirmed all units met original flow and pressure specifications. One unit in concentrated sulphuric acid service had its aluminium centre housing replaced with PVDF following a change in operating concentration — a material upgrade coordinated through our technical team and approved by the plant's corrosion engineer. The turnaround concluded with a close-out meeting reviewing all work completion certificates and planning the predictive maintenance interval for the next cycle.