The expansion of the refinery in Plock, Poland
NET for oil & gas and energy multinationals.
PKN Orlen is a Polish company operating in the petroleum and fuel resale sector; it can serve more than 100 million European citizens. NET Engineering provided TechnipFMC with geotechnical support for the Front End Engineering Design stage for the enlargement of Plock refinery, the largest complex of this type in Poland, and more in detail, the creation of a new production unit named New Olefin Complex.
The work carried out was the following:
- Interpretation of the available geotechnical survey and hydrogeological monitoring data to define the reference framework for the design of the foundations.
- Analysis of the hydrogeological and environmental data, with special reference to a possible pollution of the surface groundwater, for the definition of groundwater management problems during site preparation and subsequent excavation for the creation of the foundations.
- Analysis of the data of an area where considerable amounts of hydrocarbons have been found in the soil caused by leaks from a plant discharge treatment tank created some decades ago and which, over time, has polluted several hundred square metres to a depth of about 5/6 metres from ground level.
- The sizing of the surface and deep foundations.
In addition, the earth movement project was also developed for site preparation with the aim of minimising movement and avoiding treatment of groundwater as far as possible. If there were high concentrations of hydrocarbons, there would be the risk of problems in both safeguarding the workforce, especially during excavations, and logistical problems of disposal and treatment of the pumped water with a related increase in costs and times for the creation of the work.
Similarly, the groundwater drainage system was sized so that any effect on plant operations during heavy rainfall could be avoided/limited.
