Every day, the oil and gas industry fuels the global economy and drives our way of life. Practically every aspect of our daily existence revolves around this billion-dollar industry. Proper maintenance of the complex equipment and specialized machinery needed to keep the entire supply chain running without interruption is key. Let’s delve into some of the challenging operating conditions within the industry and different types of maintenance utilized to support equipment reliability.
The procurement, transportation, and refining of oil present wide-ranging demands, one of the most taxing being the extremely challenging operating conditions. From elevated temperatures reaching up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit to the abrasive particulate matter found in crude oil and natural gas condensate, equipment components must perform under intense conditions. These expensive, cutting-edge components must surpass these challenges while operating efficiently and safely.
Operators are tasked with maintaining equipment across various applications that must withstand these conditions. The primary maintenance approach is preventive maintenance (PM), which involves strategically scheduling upkeep based on usage or time passed. Tasks may include replacing or repairing parts, cleaning or lubrication, and partial or complete overhauls. This method requires machinery to be checked while still in working order to prevent unplanned downtime.
Another advanced method is predictive maintenance. This approach equips assets with condition-monitoring tools and trains asset managers in the latest industry techniques. By carefully monitoring and analyzing critical assets, engineers can predict the point of failure, streamlining necessary repairs or replacements. Predictive maintenance is often more cost-effective, lowering maintenance frequency while averting unplanned reactive maintenance and subsequent downtime.
Additionally, organizations combat corrosion by implementing corrosion management programs. These programs proactively improve how critical assets are designed, operated, and maintained, reducing the cost of damage control and unexpected failures caused by corrosion. Integrated into the overall management system, these programs enhance the lifecycle and sustainability of critical assets. As technology advances, oil and gas companies are improving these maintenance strategies to ensure operational efficiency, protect worker safety, and safeguard the environment from catastrophic failures.
The Importance Of Equipment Reliability In The Oil & Gas Industry, provided by Smartcorr Systems, a provider of an industry leading cathodic protection system
