Realising a 60% reduction in inspections using RBI

Client challenge

Our client, a multinational petroleum and natural gas company, required a dynamic inspection programme that would effectively maintain their structures by keeping the Risk ALARP (As low as reasonably practicable) and allow them to factor risk into decisions concerning how, where and when to inspect a structure.

Vysus Group was commissioned to carry out a Risk Based Inspection (RBI) plan for 2 production platforms and 6 wellhead platforms, which would allow for inspection resources to be focused on the highest priority equipment to determine asset integrity. RBI’s can enhance the traditional periodic approach to inspection planning and help to achieve higher reliability and a longer operating time; minimising downtime and reducing risk. Our solution had to overcome several challenges including; a lack of knowledge as to how many inspections were required to maintain the structures, what were the critical areas, the level of OPEX/CAPEX to maintain the structures and safety concerns for surveyors.

How we helped

We carried out initial risk assessments for the fixed jacket platforms to provide a thorough understanding of the critical areas and inspection requirements. By ensuring that the RBI methodologies were compliant with international standards and codes, the resulting inspection plan effectively met the operational requirements.

By using our extensive experience in asset integrity and inspection, we carried out the following:

• Applied RBI efficiently across the platforms, with an appropriate focus on critical areas and emerging integrity threats.
• Developed the basis for a sustainable RBI programme.
• Reduced the risks to personnel, the environment and to the business by assessing integrity threats and identifying the measures to mitigate or manage those threats.
• Developed a focused inspection regime with reduced inspection scope and frequency.

Powerful results

We helped our client improve their ability to identify damage mechanisms and critical areas, resulting in an optimised inspection strategy.

• Focused inspections on criticality items.
• Improved OPEX expenditure forecasts.
• Reduced the number of inspections required over a 10 year period from 5 to 2.
• Identified critical areas that required a Non Destructive Examination (NDE)/ Close Visual Inspection (CVI) and remaining with General Visual Inspection (GVI).
• Proposed unmanned inspections in the RBI, which could remove safety concerns for the surveyors.

Project Manager’s comments:

The data and processes used for making judgements and assessments of risk was given a particular scrutiny and throughout RBI process, transparency of decision-making and derivations of PoF and CoF was evident, which are the key steps for RBI process.

Vysus Group’s unique and rigorous approach to structural RBI principles and calculations, provided results that fully meet the requirements of RBI program, (RBI procedural requirements , industry best recommended practices and international standards)