Optimizing Offshore Pipeline Inspections for Safety and Efficiency

Challenge drives innovation. With offshore oil and gas, that challenge comes down to achieving the right balance between high levels of uptime and output. Without delaying maintenance critical to the safety of the production process.

Pressure on profit has led some providers to delay non-critical maintenance. Often, Risk Based Inspection (RBI) is used. This determines what equipment needs checking most frequently and which can go without inspection. RBI requires the creation of detailed, custom-built risk assessments created for each asset. It is also prone to human error.

Another approach that is less time consuming, and more scalable, is available.

Operators can streamline the inspection of production assets with Senseye PdM. This is a specialised Predictive Maintenance application which undertakes this work remotely and in real-time, based on a mechanical engineering framework.

This solution automatically detects emerging asset failures and forecasts their remaining useful life. It does this by using asset-agnostic machine learning algorithms to analyse vibration, current, pressure, temperature, and torque data outputs. In doing so, it can deliver a unique analysis for each asset.

This approach allows engineers to spot emerging problems with machinery up to six months ahead of time. Identifying precisely when machines are most likely to fail, allows engineers to apply the right interventions at the right time. Typically, these will be done during periods of planned downtime, before problems start to affect production. This approach also avoids the need to create an extensive and time-consuming maintenance plan.

For most oil and gas producers, it is relatively easy to roll out predictive maintenance at scale. Any asset equipped with sensors can be monitored to spot the signs of failures. Those already collecting asset data for purposes of incident logging or historical analysis can use this to power Senseye PdM.

The impact this has on maintenance is transformative. Removing the need for engineers to inspect each asset in person allows them to apply their skills and attention to where it is required most. Large industrial organisations typically improve the efficiency of their maintenance operations by around 40 percent working with Senseye. Enabling them to eliminate maintenance backlogs in relatively short order.

The most significant benefit of this approach, however, is the reduction in unplanned downtime. 92% of pipeline shutdowns in the oil and gas industry are unplanned. Every hour that producers are offline costs them $250,000 on average - the equivalent to 4,256 barrels of oil.

Typically, organisations using Senseye PdM to monitor their production assets cut their levels of unplanned downtime in half. This boosts output and reducing the risk of failures. Including those that could have catastrophic consequences to the environment and those working close to the pipeline.

By using Senseye PdM, you can achieve that delicate balance between production and maintenance. Making the safety and upkeep of your most valuable assets work to your timetable.

Find out more by reading our white paper "Harness The Power of Prediction" or try our ROI Calculator to see how you could benefit.