Make your assets work harder- minimising risk through asset life assessments

Client challenge

Our client is ranked among the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers, with operations in over 50 countries. They approached Vysus Group based on our proven track record and expertise in the area of conducting Asset Life Assessment, to help identify assets that are a risk to manufacturing and put in place steps to mitigate, eliminate or reduce the risk associated with loss of function. There were a number of issues to consider such as, aging effects and damage mechanisms brought about by normal in-service wear, environmental aspects, process conditions and equipment obsolescence.

The assessment would help our client create an accurate forecast of future OPEX and CAPEX expenditure for Europe and North America over the next 20 years.

How we helped

On a site-by-site basis our team worked closely with our client’s lead discipline engineers, striking up relationships that would enable knowledge transfer and gain a firm understanding of the operating context of the process and the differing challenges associated with each site.

From the first engagement the detailed supporting information (plant drawings, data sheets, maintenance and inspection history, etc) could be identified. The analysis of the data and plant degradation mechanisms highlighted where actions would be appropriate, providing various short-term and long-term mitigation options to maintain function. The analysis included the quantification of the risks of disruption to production and impact on safety, represented as risk values both ‘pre’ and ‘post’ mitigation.

The scope of work covered 15 sites across three geographic regions, drawing on our deep consulting experience in the fields of: pressure systems, static plant, corrosion, structures, rotating equipment, civils, electrical, instrumentation and control systems. In order to support the sites across vastly different time zones and to ensure a consistent approach, our team formed a project team using a combination of local resources and centralised discipline Technical Leads

To enable efficiencies in the processing of large amounts of data and Asset Life Assessment reports, our team developed innovative software that was the ideal platform for conducting Asset Life Assessment programmes. It enabled the ability to make strategic, risk-based decisions based on plant condition and a forward projection of the likely remaining life; identifying the most suitable planned outage event or turnaround to make the right investment decision to renew, refurbish or modify the plant.

Powerful results

The Asset Life Assessment programme was successful in providing our client with an understanding of necessary future plant projects and developed a fully justified capital expenditure budget. The results illustrated the overall risk reduction achievable on the plant and a few areas where risk reduction was not possible. Being fully supported by risk calculations, prioritisation of projects and the order and magnitude of work can be easily accomplished.