As a testing, inspection and certification
company acting in the field of asset integrity management, Bureau Veritas is in
contact with many different operators. In the oil and gas market, all operators
are preoccupied by the availability and integrity of their assets (structure,
pressure vessels, rotating machinery, pipelines). This article explains the
importance of implementing an integrity management system using a step-by-step
approach.
The 360° view
In the early 1990s asset integrity management
was addressed by increasing inspection programmes. In the late 1990s,
increasingly sophisticated IT tools were developed, and today a complex mix of
strategies, IT solutions and inspections are often employed. This can
potentially lead to client dissatisfaction, since from an operator’s point of
view ‘it costs a lot, it’s complicated and we’re not sure we really need it’.
Bureau Veritas attended a conference where an
operator presented on the issues involved in implementing a highly
sophisticated integrity management system. In particular the issue of
anticipating difficulties related to methodologies, data, management of change,
etc. In response, Bureau Veritas explained the difficulties of taking on such a
wide scope at once. The operator immediately replied: “Guys, you have the 360°
view, we don’t. You should teach us all that and warn us!”
No
revolution but simply common sense
There are many different definitions of pipeline
integrity management (PIM), including those listed within API 1160 and ASME
B31.8S.
As a simple and understood-by-all definition,
the following is proposed: “a system to ensure that a pipeline network is safe,
reliable, sustainable and optimised.”
Bureau Veritas’ PIM step-by-step approach is
comprised of the following six stages:
·
Policy and strategy: where are you now, where do
you want to go and what should you put in place to reach your target?
·
Methodology: do you want/need to use a
risk-based, threat-based or consequence-based approach or something else?
·
Data: start thinking about data collection and
modelling only once the policy and strategy, and methodology have been
identified.
·
Systems and tools: once policy and strategy have
been defined, methodology has been selected and data gathered, select the most
appropriate tool to use (simple or sophisticated software).
·
Study and analysis: the tools will enable an
assessment of the pipeline network and definition of your inspection plans.
·
Inspection and expertise: after implementing the
inspection plans, specific expertise should be used to analyze the inspection
results. The knowledge gained will then be used during the regular PIM review.
Company
policy and methodology is key
As a first step, it is important to properly
define the roots of the PIM approach chosen. Local constraints, in-house
specific requirements, international guidelines and adequacy will help set up
the basis of the methodology to be developed.
The most appropriate approach will be found by
referencing the local regulatory body’s policy (safety/inspections-oriented or
risk/threat mitigation-oriented) along with common practices and existing
procedures, the assets’ typology and age, the existing international best
practices, and the level of in-house expertise. Several approaches may be
considered, such as qualitative versus quantitative, threat-based versus
damage-based, and probabilistic versus deterministic.
The identification of expected results (primary
target) should be properly specified: restricted impact on the environment,
corrosion-related failure prevention, inspection strategy, and means of
mitigation. This will ensure that the PIM is set up in-line with the project
targets.
The PIM methodology can then be chosen and
tailored to the specific case.
A PIM approach that may be suitable for one
operator may not be acceptable for another operator.
Only once the methodology is developed and
understood by all project stakeholders can the data and tool issues be properly
addressed.
Data and
tools: you don’t need a video game
Data management is a crucial task within the PIM
process. It should provide a complete system capable of delivering the right
data in the right shape, at the right place and for the right purpose. This
requires very organised and step-wise work.
By defining the PIM strategy, key performance
indicators can be identified and data requirements can be defined. This refers
to the format, accuracy, and frequency requirements of the data. It is also
beneficial to think mid-term about PIM requirements, for example, consider the
tools that will be used and any modifications that might be planned to the
asset.
Finally, it is advised that data quality
control/quality assurance is performed to obtain the ‘green light’ before
processing data into the PIM process.
The same applies to the tools to be used. While
there is a temptation to use a very ‘high tech’ tool, the most important
consideration is for an easy-to-use tool that will monitor the health of the
pipeline network and point out pipeline segments which require mitigation or
inspection due to their threat or risk levels.
Depending on the pipeline’s length, a Microsoft
Excel macro could be sufficient. However, an automated and integrated tool is
necessary for longer pipelines or complicated networks.
Study and analysis: from integrity
assessment to inspection plans
Now with an operational and clear
pipeline database along with a PIM tool, the chosen PIM methodology can be
implemented. The PIM tool will enable the first integrity assessment to be
carried out – ‘first’ because PIM is a continuous loop where previous results
are used to improve the following assessments. Following this, a ‘pipeline
prioritisation’ can be obtained, which will form the basis to analyse and
understand the pipeline network’s condition. Frrom here, the PIM can be
expanded to include a mitigation plan plus inspection plan.
Here an important question arises:
what actions should be performed in order to reduce the threat/risk level on
the pipeline? Should the inspection frequency be increased, a mitigation action
applied, or both? The decision should rely on the inspection and mitigation
policies defined in the first step of the PIM process.
Inspection and expertise: method
qualification and trustworthy results
Undoubtedly, one of the most visible
steps of the PIM process is the inspection itself. There are many inspection
techniques for pipelines but the most widely used are magnetic-flux leakage and
ultrasonic testing. The in-line inspection provider should be selected very
carefully, evaluating their qualification by referring to the specific
requirements of the project.
The most critical part of this
process is the analysis of results and the expertise required to obtain crucial
information on the actual condition of the pipeline.
An effective PIM should be
comparable to a high-quality management system.
This article started by outlining
that a PIM is a system allowing operators to ensure that their pipeline
networks operate in a safe, reliable, sustainable and optimised way.
If neglected and unused, even the
most expensive and ‘high tech’ PIM solution will fail to be beneficial. A PIM
needs to be accepted and embedded into the company’s processes.
Therefore, as a conclusion, Bureau
Veritas would advise operators to keep in mind that a PIM, like a quality
management system, is a continuous process. Therefore it is important to break
down the PIM plan into manageable steps.
Acknowledgements
The author and co-authors of this
article would like to express their gratitude to their customers, in particular
TOTAL (Worldwide), CuuLong Joint Operating Company (CLJOC – Vietnam) and
KazTransOil (KTO – Kazakhstan) who have fed Bureau Veritas’s thoughts about PIM
and asset integrity management (AIM) in general. Not only have those successful
and friendly collaborations inspired Bureau Veritas to develop its AIM
‘step-by-step approach’ but have also allowed a deeper knowledge of AIM which,
we trust, will be useful to other pipeline operators.
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