Page 46: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Nov/Dec 2013)

45 47

Safety

ABB’s Luis Duran explains how proper asset integrity management can cut down human error, reduce risk, and make the offshore oil and gas industry a safer environment in which to work.

Offshore Safety:

People power accumulate in the gas compression system pipework, causing a blockage.

Due to this blockage, condensate Pump

B stopped and they could not restart with technology it. As the entire power supply of the offshore construction work depended on afety and asset integrity are costs B. On the morning of July 6, Pump A’s this pump, the manager had only a few that can pay back big dividends in pressure safety valve ended up removed minutes to bring the pump back online,

S the offshore oil and gas industry in for routine maintenance. Crew members otherwise the power supply would fail decreased downtime and improved pro- planned to overhaul the pump, but had completely. A search ensued through the ductivity, effciency and proftability. To not started it. They temporarily sealed documents to determine whether they fully realize there is a need to eliminate the open condensate pipe with a disk could start Condensate Pump A, which human errors and squeeze the most out cover. Because the crew did not com- would alleviate the problem.

of automation technologies. plete the work by 6 p.m., the disc cover Workers found the permit for the

A perfect case in point for process remained in place. The on-duty engineer overhaul, but not the permit that said the safety and integrity management come flled out a permit that stated Pump A pump must not start under any circum- into play when you look at the Piper was not ready and no one should switch stances due to the missing safety valve.

Alpha disaster 25 years ago in the North it on under any circumstances. The valve was in a different location

Sea on July 6, 1988. The engineer failed to inform the on- from the pump and therefore the permits

The human factor played large in duty custodian of the condition of Pump were in different boxes because they the disaster where a series of mistakes A. Instead he placed the permit in the ended up sorted by location. No one was cascaded into a catastrophe that left 167 control center and left. This permit dis- aware that a vital part of the machine was men dead, 61 survivors and a loss of $3.4 appeared. Meanwhile, there was another not there. The manager assumed from the billion. But it didn’t have to be that way. permit issued for the general overhaul of existing documents that it would be safe

As it is with most disasters, there Pump A that had not yet begun. to start Pump A. were a series of errors that added up to Just over three hours later, because Pump A switched on. Gas fowed into a major catastrophe. It started with the of problems with the methanol system the pump, and because of the missing two condensate pumps, designated A and earlier in the day, hydrates started to safety valve, produced an overpressure

November 2013 oedigital.com 48 048_OE1113_ABB Safety.indd 48 10/28/13 1:55 AM