Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

Introduction
As stated earlier, a project under Oil & Gas industry passes through multiple phases/stages during the
lifecycle. Each stage/phase has their own importance and influence the project in their own way. One
of the phases/stages is FEED – Front End Engineering & Design. This phase is also called the Basic
Engineering. During this time project is defined, i.e. the scope of the project is ready along with total
installation cost (TIC) and the execution schedule.
This phase is preceded by Feasibility Study and succeeded by lining up the Contractors for execution
as per the adopted execution and tendering strategy. However, FEED is to be followed by Detail
Engineering, and since this may be done under EPC Contract or under some other contract, tendering
comes in between.
Duration of this phase varies as per the size and complexity of the project and in general, it may not
exceed one year. This phase may be carried out in-house design team or by a specialized consultant if
the project is large and complex. In order to hire the consultant, tendering is done and it is based on
the cost for manhours, reviews and services for obtaining quotations.

Figure – 1:

Disciplines Covered
FEED covers all the disciplines, to exemplify they are as follows:
• Process
• Mechanical, Piping & HVAC
• Electrical
• Instrument & Control (I&C)
• Telecommunication
• Civil, Structural & Architectural (CSA)
• Safety & Environment
• Project Control
• Contract & Procurement

1|Page
 Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

However, this phase starts with Process Engineering. It would not be wrong to say that Process
Engineering drives this phase.

FEED Disciplines

I&C Electrical CSA Process Safety & Mechanical, Project

Engineering Engineering Environment Piping, HVAC Control

Figure – 2: An example of disciplines covered

FEED Deliverables
As in any other phase/stage, FEED has their own set of deliverables. It may be defined at high level as
follows:
• Scope of Work
• TIC Estimate
• Execution Schedule
• Invitation to Bid/Tender (ITB/ITT)

FEED Deliverables

Scope of TIC Execution ITB/

Work Estimate Schedule ITT

Figure – 3: FEED Deliverables Examples

If we go further down, the deliverables can be further divided and consists of the following as an
example, though the list has been kept limited:
Process:
• Simulation
• Process Flow Diagram (PFD) & Utility Flow Diagram (UFD)
• Heat & Mass Balances (H&MB)
• Piping & Instrument Diagrams (P&ID)
• Cause & Effect Diagrams
• Process Datasheets

2|Page
 Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

• Utility Balance
• Operating Philosophy
• Emergency Shutdown (ESD) Philosophy
Instrument & Control (I&C):
• Instrument Datasheet
• Shutdown Cause & Effect
• Instrument Cable Schedule
• Cable Block Diagram (Instrument)
• Loop Diagram
• Enterprise Integrated Communication System (EICS) & Integrated Control & Safety System
(ICSS)
Mechanical, Piping & HVAC:
• Layout & Plan
• Equipment Specifications
• Equipment Sizing, Design, List
• Mechanical Datasheet
• Piping Routing
• Equipment Layout
• Line List
• Material Specifications
• Tie-ins Schedule
• HVAC Equipment List, Specification & Calculations
Electrical:
• Electrical Single Line Diagram (SLD)
• Switchgear Specifications
• Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Details
• Electrical Motors Specifications
• Load List (Electrical)
• Electrical Cable Schedule
• Switchboard Datasheets
• Substations Details
Telecommunication:
• Telecommunication System Specification & Philosophy
Safety & Environment:
• HAZOP, HAZID Reports
• Area Classification based on Hazard
• Fire Protection Systems Deliverables
• Fire Water System Deliverables
• Deluge System

3|Page
 Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

Civil, Structural & Architectural (CSA):

• Foundation (Equipment etc.) Basis, Calculations
• Drainage Basis & Calculation
• Foundation (Equipment etc.) Layouts
• Roads Design Basis & Calculations
• Sewer Systems Details, Specifications, Basis
• Piling Layout
• Structural Deliverables

Construction:
• Constructability Review
• Permitting philosophy
Project Control, Contract, Procurement & Common:
• Total Installation Cost (TIC) Estimate
• Execution Schedule
• Invitation to Bid/Tender (ITB/ITT)
• Cost Estimate Review & Risk Report
• Schedule Review & Risk Report
• Procurement Plan
• Risk Register & Benchmarking Report (if required)
Though the above list is not comprehensive, but gives a good insight. During FEED, different reviews
are carried out and the following are the examples:
• HAZOP
• HAZID
• Cost & Schedule
Deliverables Sequence
In order to carryout the FEED, it has to be done in sequence as there are many dependencies involved,
just like any activity in the project excluding the start and finish milestones.
In this context, explaining the sequence and dependability as an example at a high level, the FEED starts
with Process Simulation, which generates the PFD and H&MB. The successor to PFD & H&MB is the
Equipment Process Datasheet. The former and the later leads to the scope/plant/unit layouts. Safety
aspects also come into picture here as the related hazards define the spacing requirements. A parallel
activity, successor to PFD and H&MB is the material selection which is succeeded by Mechanical
Datasheets for Equipment. Mechanical Datasheet of the Equipment is dependent on its Process
Datasheet. The next deliverable is the Equipment Drawing. When the equipment details are available,
they give inputs for Civil & Structural Design – which is both the steel structure and foundation. P&IDS
depends upon PFD and H&MB. Once the P&ID are ready together with layout, they support in
generation of Piping Routing, including expansion looping details etc. These details are again required
by civil to firm up the steel structure design. P&ID as per the description itself, provides inputs for I&C
System Design. Next in the sequence is the Electrical/Load Calculation. It takes inputs from Layout and

4|Page
 Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

Equipment Details. Again, CSA takes inputs from Piping, Layout I&C, Electrical for determining the
underground section. Further, there are fire networks underground covering the plant. Safety take
care of the Fire Water lines including underground, which also provides inputs for firming up CSA. The
FEED Phase/Stage culminates by delivering the output as stated earlier in this article.

PFD Mechanical
Datasheet Electrical/
H&MB Load
Calculation
Process Equipment
Datasheet Drawing

Layout

Material Piping
Selection
CSA
P&ID I&C

Figure –4: High Level Example of Feed Sequence

TIC estimate from the FEED is used to secure budget for the project. Execution schedule define the
duration of project execution by the Contractor. ITB/ITT is used to line up Contractor through the
process of tendering. Scope of Work provided by FEED enables the Contractors to bid for the execution
Contract.
As a good practice, it is quite desirous to conduct reviews for cost estimate and schedule during the
FEED. Sometimes it may be required to benchmark cost and schedule outcome with the set standards
to add level of confidence.
Post completion of FEED, the TIC estimate thus obtained has generally accuracy level in the range of
+/-30%, while execution schedule is level 3. The project definition is generally in the range of 55% to
75%.
Source of material costs like equipment and piping amongst others are generally from the budgetary
quotations. Procurement activities including those for long lead items play important role in
determining the execution duration apart from the other factors.

5|Page
 Author: Mohammad Tanweer Khurshid

FEED – Front End Engineering & Design in Oil & Gas Projects

Types of Document
Various types of documents are generated as output of FEED across the various disciplines covered
therein and may be categorized as per the following examples:
• Datasheet
• Calculation
• Report
• Schedule
• Analysis
• Diagram
• Layout
• Plan
• Specification
• List
• Philosophy

Important Note
This article is intended to provide insight into FEED - Front End Engineering & Design under oil & gas
sector. Though it may be highly useful to a newcomer into this field, nevertheless, it would be useful
for anyone in the field of Oil & Gas Projects.
I welcome queries, comments and feedbacks on the contact details given. However, please avoid
calling on mobile as I may be at my workplace or sleeping at home, considering the time differences in
various part of the world.
About the Author
The author is a graduate engineer with more than 22 years of experience in oil and gas projects. His
core expertize are Project Control, Planning, Contract Management including claims handling and
dispute resolutions. Distinction of having round the table experience as he has worked with clients,
engineering consultancy and EPC Contractors. He has experience of working in all stages/phases of
project lifecycle and handled multiple major projects where different types of contracts and agreements
were used. This article is just a glimpse of what the author has experienced. If anyone need more detail,
they can contact the author via following medium of communications:
Email: [email protected]
Whatsapp: +965-99267392

6|Page