As part of the DACO Library series, this week's featured title is Onshore Oilfield Surface Facilities: Process Safety Engineering Guide, one of the latest technical references in the field of process safety engineering for the oil and gas industry. Published by Springer Singapore in 2025, the book provides a comprehensive engineering approach to process safety in onshore oilfield surface facilities.
Focusing on the design, analysis, and management of process safety in upstream oil and gas facilities, the book demonstrates that process safety extends far beyond compliance with conventional Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) requirements. Instead, it begins during the engineering design phase and continues throughout facility operation, risk management, and emergency response. By integrating international engineering standards, design requirements, engineering calculations, and practical industry experience, the book has become a valuable reference for process, production, facilities, and HSE engineers, as well as project managers involved in oil and gas developments.
The book opens by introducing the fundamental principles of process safety and distinguishing it from occupational safety. It explains the critical role of process safety in preventing major industrial accidents, including explosions, fires, and hazardous material releases within oil and gas facilities.
Subsequent chapters examine the principles of inherently safe process design, engineering requirements, applicable international standards, and safety criteria used in the design of surface production facilities. The authors systematically demonstrate how sound engineering design contributes to reducing operational risks throughout the lifecycle of oil and gas assets.
A significant portion of the book is devoted to process safety analysis and HSE studies. It introduces a range of engineering methodologies for hazard identification, risk assessment, accident scenario analysis, and the design of Layers of Protection (LOPA), enabling engineers to identify and mitigate system vulnerabilities before incidents occur.
The book also provides an in-depth discussion of protection systems for oil gathering facilities and Central Processing Facilities (CPFs). It explains the engineering principles governing the selection and configuration of safety systems, protection logic, and design requirements necessary to ensure safe and reliable process operation.
Further chapters present detailed engineering guidance on the design and sizing of pressure safety valves (PSVs), blowdown valves, vent systems, and flare systems. The authors explain engineering calculation methods, equipment selection criteria, and performance evaluation under emergency operating conditions. In addition, the book examines the effects of rapid gas expansion and low-temperature conditions on process equipment and pipelines, offering practical engineering solutions for mitigating these challenges.
To bridge theory and practice, the publication incorporates real-world case studies and more than 20 commonly applied protection system configurations, illustrating how process safety principles are implemented in the design and operation of oilfield surface facilities.
What distinguishes this book from many other HSE references is its distinctly engineering-oriented perspective. Rather than concentrating primarily on general HSE management practices, it emphasizes Inherently Safer Design (ISD), process hazard control, equipment reliability, and the prevention of catastrophic process incidents. By combining international standards, engineering calculations, and lessons learned from major oil and gas projects, the author demonstrates that process safety management is a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and safe operation across the upstream petroleum industry.
Overall, this publication serves as an authoritative reference for design engineers, production and operations engineers, process engineers, HSE professionals, project managers, and all specialists involved in the design, construction, and operation of onshore oil and gas surface facilities. Unlike many HSE publications that focus primarily on management systems or general safety principles, this book delivers a highly practical engineering treatment of process design, safety calculations, and process protection systems.
Author: Kan Fang
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Publication Year: 2025
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