Ensuring personnel safety in offshore oil and gas facilities is a critical engineering priority, extending beyond regulatory compliance into risk-based design philosophy. Elixir Engineering was engaged to perform a Smoke and Gas Ingress Assessment (SGIA) during the FEED phase of the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar Offshore Field Development Project.
The objective of this SGIA study was to evaluate all credible smoke and gas ingress scenarios that could impact personnel safety in:
Using quantitative risk assessment techniques, the study provided a data-driven evaluation of hazard exposure, impairment thresholds, and shelter endurance capability.This case study demonstrates how offshore SGIA studies enhance safety, optimise design, and support regulatory compliance during FEED.
A Smoke and Gas Ingress Assessment (SGIA) is a specialised quantitative safety study used in offshore facilities to evaluate the risk of hazardous smoke and gas entering occupied spaces.
It plays a critical role in:
The primary deliverable of an SGIA study is endurance time, which defines:
How long a room or shelter remains safe for occupancy under hazardous conditions.
This parameter is critical for:
The Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar Field Development Project is a major offshore oil and gas development requiring a purpose-built Drilling Platform and associated Living Quarters. At the FEED stage, Elixir Engineering was appointed to carry out the SGIA covering all occupied rooms and designated muster areas across both facilities.
The assessment scope included:
The SGIA study followed a structured two-stage methodology, combining consequence modelling with frequency analysis.
This stage evaluated whether hazardous concentrations exceed critical thresholds.
Hazard Assessment Criteria:
Frequency Analysis Parameters:
By integrating frequency with consequence severity, the study produced a risk-ranked scenario matrix, enabling prioritised decision-making.
Endurance time modelling is central to offshore SGIA studies.
Key Modelling Inputs:
Elixir Engineering carried out the SGIA in strict compliance with internationally recognised offshore risk assessment standards, ensuring that the methodology, consequence modelling, and vulnerability criteria are consistent with global best practice:
| Document Reference | Document Title |
| CMPT 1999 | A Guide to Quantitative Risk Assessment for Offshore Installations |
| IOGP 434-7 | Consequence Modelling – Risk Assessment Data Directory, International Association of Oil & Gas Producers |
| IOGP 434-14 | Vulnerability of Humans – Risk Assessment Data Directory, International Association of Oil & Gas Producers |
These standards ensure:
The SGIA study provided critical insights into offshore safety performance:
These findings enable evidence-based safety design decisions.
Based on the SGIA results, targeted engineering recommendations were developed, including:
These measures were integrated at the FEED stage, ensuring:
Performing SGIA during FEED provides maximum engineering advantage.
Early-stage SGIA ensures safety is designed in—not added later.
The Smoke and Gas Ingress Assessment conducted by Elixir Engineering for the FEED phase of the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar Field Development Project demonstrates the value of rigorous, standards-compliant technical safety analysis at the most impactful stage of a project. By quantifying impairment risks, calculating endurance times, and developing targeted mitigation measures, the assessment gives the project team confidence that the Drilling Platform and Living Quarters will provide genuine, verifiable protection for the personnel who will live and work aboard them.
If you are planning an offshore development and require a Smoke and Gas Ingress Assessment, FEED safety study, or quantitative risk assessment, Contact us to discuss how our technical safety team can support your project.
