Pre-Commissioning
Checklist (Excel)

A pre-commissioning checklist is the structured punch list that tracks system-by-system readiness from end of construction through Mechanical Completion (MC) and into commissioning. It records every activity required to confirm a system is mechanically complete and safe to energise or pressurise: flushing per cleanliness class, hydrotest per ASME B31.3 or the applicable code, reinstatement, electrical insulation resistance checks, instrument loop checks, lube oil flushing on rotating equipment. Owner-operators and EPC contractors use it to drive the punch-list close-out and to support the MC certificate issued at handover to commissioning.

Standard columns: system and sub-system number, system description, P&ID reference with current revision, discipline, activity type (flushing, hydrotest, loop check, reinstatement, energisation), acceptance criteria, procedure reference, witness requirement, status, punch list item number, punch category (A blocks MC, B blocks startup, C is post-startup), hydrotest pressure and hold time, MC certificate number, sign-off by construction, commissioning, and owner representative. The columns drive both the daily punch-list review and the final MC dossier the EPC submits to the owner.

Pathnovo, an engineering document intelligence platform, auto-prepares the pre-commissioning dossier by parsing the system breakdown from the P&IDs and equipment list, generating the system-wise checklist with discipline-specific activities, mapping each line and equipment tag to its hydrotest pack and flushing loop, and producing the punch-list register pre-linked to MC certificates. The output feeds the owner-operator handover bundle. See the as-built documentation workflow for the full pipeline.

Mechanical Completion (MC) is the milestone: every system is physically installed, hydrotested, flushed, reinstated, and ready for energisation, with Punch A items closed. Pre-commissioning is the activity set that gets the system to MC: hydrotest, flushing, reinstatement, instrument loop checks, electrical insulation resistance, lube oil flushing. After MC, commissioning starts: water runs, chemical runs, first hydrocarbons. The checklist tracks pre-commissioning progress to MC and supports the MC certificate the EPC issues at handover.

The pre-commissioning checklist outputs (MC certificates, hydrotest packs, flushing records, loop check sheets, reinstatement records) are CFIHOS Class 4 (Document) deliverables tied to CFIHOS Class 5 (Tag) entities. The owner-operator's CFIHOS audit confirms each MC system has the complete dossier in the handover package. See the CFIHOS standard reference and the CFIHOS handover checklist template for the full dossier scope.

Yes. For Indian refinery and petrochemical brownfield work under MoPNG and PNGRB jurisdiction, the pre-commissioning checklist additionally references OISD 118 (Layout for Oil and Gas Installations) for reinstatement of inter-distance compliance, OISD 150 for fired heater commissioning where applicable, and PESO Form XIV / XV for pressure equipment energisation. The template optional columns capture OISD clause references and PESO form numbers. See the OISD 118 compliance workflow.

Punch A items block MC, the system cannot be handed over to commissioning until they are closed. Punch B items do not block MC but block startup, they must be closed before first hydrocarbons or first run on operational service. Punch C items are post-startup, they can be closed during early operations without affecting plant availability. The commissioning sequence is driven by MC dates per system, the punch-list categorisation directly drives the achievable startup curve. The template Punch Category column supports this categorisation directly.