PRODUCTION • PROCESSING • HANDLING
U
nplanned downtime is a major challenge for the oil and gas industry, costing an average of US$84 million per facility
annually. Unplanned downtime is not only a financial problem but also an issue of safety, with oil and gas facilities being among the most hazardous working environments in the world. It’s no surprise that around 82% of oil and gas businesses have identified predictive maintenance as a strategic priority. Oil and gas facilities represent some of the most demanding industrial environments, with many machines expected to run continuously under the stresses of extreme temperatures, dust and dirt and vibration. Not only that, but ageing infrastructure is rife – 42% of offshore facilities are over 15 years old. Unplanned downtime is a serious and costly challenge facing the industry, but it’s also one that’s tricky to circumvent. Te sheer number of motors, drives, gearboxes and other assets in just one facility makes managing maintenance a mammoth task, and this increases the likelihood of machine failure. Moreover, the remote location of many sites makes transporting maintenance teams a costly exercise, and with many demands on their time, the teams’ work schedule must be carefully considered for maximum efficiency.
BETTER, CONNECTED One solution is the implementation of digital technologies – in particular, condition monitoring. Many of the
issues that result in unplanned downtime in oil facilities can’t be picked up in a visual inspection. For example, common causes of motor failure include bearing wear, shaft misalignment and winding insulation, which can all only be identified by vibration and temperature analysis. Condition monitoring sees smart sensors connected to industrial equipment such as motors, where the sensors capture data regarding vibration, heat and other outputs of industrial assets. Feeding this data into an industrial software platform means that it can be analysed and transmitted anywhere in the world. Tis enables facility managers to spot issues long before they cause disruption, and then perform appropriate maintenance measures to prevent unplanned downtime. Many industries have already
successfully adopted condition monitoring technologies – particularly manufacturing. But the adoption rate in the oil and gas sector has been much slower. Tis can be ascribed to a lack of cost-effective and easy to install solutions, as well as the
difficulties surrounding the connectivity of remote sites. Now, the development of low-cost telecommunication options as well as much wider availability of smart sensors and monitoring technologies mean that oil and gas operators can take advantage of much more frequent data collection and the ability to monitor the condition of their assets from anywhere in the world. In hazardous areas, having insight into asset performance is crucial. It increases safety by limiting worker exposure to dangerous environments, as well as reducing the potential for human error during maintenance – as all the necessary performance data is at the team’s fingertips, it is highly unlikely for signs of machine faults or above average wear and tear to be missed. Repair operations in hazardous areas can also be very time consuming, often requiring specialist equipment, procedures or permits. With a comprehensive plan of maintenance procedures in advance of a site visit, maintenance teams can
SMART MONITORING SOLUTIONS
Marek Lukaszczyk explores remote monitoring technologies for oil and gas assets
Digital condition monitoring tools are becoming increasingly valuable across the oil and gas sector
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