Page 41: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jan/Feb 2016)

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Offshore Engineer Magazine, page 40, Jan 2016

Offshore Engineer Magazine, page 41, Jan 2016

Offshore Engineer Magazine, page 42, Jan 2016

PRODUCTION

Alternate view had not given any thought to the cumula- rector Ray Riddoch. An enhanced asset

The data appears pretty stark. Is there stewardship strategy is being devel- tive impact of this huge backlog on their more to it? According to some, the rise HSE con? rmed oped, to be published in Q1 2016, with overall safety integrity.” in the backlog from 2009 has been that the operator involved was BP and two areas already chosen for speci? c due to greater focus on asset integrity, the notice, served November 2014, re- attention: reducing the amount of time following on from the HSE’s work in lated to the Bruce facility. dedicated to vessel inspection and man- this area, both in asset integrity and BP is not alone in struggling with its aging corrosion under insulation (CUI). aging and life extension (ALE). This backlog. “The reality is, the industry New technologies will have a key role to meant more work is being found and hasn’t done a good job over the last 20 play in this area, as well as risk-based listed than before, accounting for some years of maintaining offshore infrastruc- maintenance management approaches, increase in the numbers and potentially ture,” an industry professional told OE. condition-based monitoring and im- showing a positive trend towards ad- To try and get a grip on the work proved leak detection, Newcombe says. dressing maintenance. It’s also thought required, HSE says operators should get

An eye on decom that some operators have become con- a better understanding of the type, level, servative in how they report their safety and extent of maintenance required and While assets are being driven beyond critical back log – i.e. reporting more the impact of failing to maintain it, have their design life, they will still at some than they should, as under reporting the clear plans to deliver that maintenance, point need to be decommissioned, and it back log would get them in trouble with the necessary supervisory and engineer- is increasingly accepted this is an area the HSE. ing support, inspections and audit to which needs to be taken into consider-

Indeed, in the same period, the indus- ensure competent delivery and robust ation as part of an asset integrity pro- try has a high level of safety, compared veri? cation of safety and environmen- gram, says Andrew Duncan, who worked to other industries, suggesting its issues tally critical elements. at the HSE on its KP4 ALE program (OE: around asset integrity are not about safety.

But, Breen says: “I think ? rst we need September 2014). KP4 was one of four

Also, so-called Level 1, 2 and 3 ? nd- to get consistent handle on what we are HSE programs focusing directly or in- ings lodged by the HSE on its inspections measuring here and we then need to directly on asset integrity. Duncan, now have fallen. Level 2 are issues which know what we are doing and what we lead consultant, materials and corrosion “Over the wouldn’t have a great impact and Level 3 need to do to be able to approach it.” engineering, at Intertek, says: years we have had a design team, operat- are those which could have a signi? cant

Work in progress ing team and decommissioning team as impact. According to Breen, HSE data separate teams, but I would argue they shows the average number of open level Both the Energy Institute and Oil & Gas need to be together to manage the life 2 ? ndings per installation has halved, UK (OGUK) have issued asset integrity cycle better. If unmanaged, degradation from about 14 in 2008, to about seven in management and ALE guidelines and continues, with [the result being] failure

Q3 2014. The total number of open level OGUK is working with the industry on before the end of the life of the reservoir. 3 ? ndings, across all installations, has cost ef? ciencies and ways to better coor-

Improved economics have pushed ces- also fallen, from about 35 in 2008 to 12 in dinate shutdowns. sation of production (COP) back some 2014, suggesting an improving picture, in The OGA is also focusing on asset years, so we have to introduce more terms of impact of installations. stewardship, under one of the new

The number of hydrocarbon releases corrosion management to allow us to at body’s eight boards, led by Newcombe has also fallen by 48%, after a campaign least achieve COP. COP plus ? ve years is and Nexen Petroleum UK operations di- to reduce them by where we should be targeting to give us a

Safety critical maintenance backlog on the UKCS 50%, the OGA showed. cushion. We should also consider remov- 2009 2014

But, talk to others and ing redundant equipment, simplifying

Planned maintenance backlog 500* 2200 it’s described as sheer processes and bringing in new ? elds.”

Corrective maintenance backlog 750 2700

Indeed, there is ongoing discussion complacency.

Deferred maintenance 700 4000 around new tax breaks to allow industry

Total 1950 8900

Enforcement to partly decommission facilities early, *Average man hours per installation. Data from Oil & Gas UK.

The level of backlog while keeping them producing. But also, if hasn’t passed the equipment is properly maintained, it can authorities by. Late- then be recycled and used elsewhere he 2014, the HSE issued says, a practice which the onshore chemi- an enforcement notice cals industry has managed but, while to an operator purely discussed in the North Sea, hasn’t been due to its huge main- adopted signi? cantly. All of which makes tenance backlog on maintaining assets well a win-win. one platform.

Judith Hackitt, the