Managing Well Integrity using Reliability Based Models

Imperial Users onl

Potential markets for a satellite-based mobile communications system

The objective of the study was to define the market needs for improved land mobile communications systems. Within the context of this objective, the following goals were set: (1) characterize the present mobile communications industry; (2) determine the market for an improved system for mobile communications; and (3) define the system requirements as seen from the potential customer's viewpoint. The scope of the study was defined by the following parameters: (1) markets were confined to U.S. and Canada; (2) range of operation generally exceeded 20 miles, but this was not restrictive; (3) the classes of potential users considered included all private sector users, and non-military public sector users; (4) the time span examined was 1975 to 1985; and (5) highly localized users were generally excluded - e.g., taxicabs, and local paging

Identification of the human factors contributing to maintenance failures in a petroleum operation

Objective: This research aimed to identify the most frequently occurring human factors contributing to maintenance-related failures within a petroleum industry organization. Commonality between failures will assist in understanding reliability in maintenance processes, thereby preventing accidents in high-hazard domains. Background: Methods exist for understanding the human factors contributing to accidents. Their application in a maintenance context mainly has been advanced in aviation and nuclear power. Maintenance in the petroleum industry provides a different context for investigating the role that human factors play in influencing outcomes. It is therefore worth investigating the contributing human factors to improve our understanding of both human factors in reliability and the factors specific to this domain. Method: Detailed analyses were conducted of maintenance- related failures (N = 38) in a petroleum company using structured interviews with maintenance technicians. The interview structure was based on the Human Factor Investigation Tool (HFIT), which in turn was based on Rasmussen’s model of human malfunction .Results: A mean of 9.5 factors per incident was identified across the cases investigated. The three most frequent human factors contributing to the maintenance failures were found to be assumption (79% of cases), design and maintenance (71%), and communication (66%).Conclusion: HFIT proved to be a useful instrument for identifying the pattern of human factors that recurred most frequently in maintenance-related failures. Application: The high frequency of failures attributed to assumptions and communication demonstrated the importance of problem-solving abilities and organizational communication in a domain where maintenance personnel have a high degree of autonomy and a wide geographical distribution

CBM Challenges and Opportunities for O&M of the Johan Sverdrup Oil and Gas Field

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] Paper describes the challenges and forward developments to face up on Operation and Maintenance (O&M) issues at the Johan Sverdrup field (Blocks: PL 501, PL 265 and PL 502), on the phases (Concept and Design, Construction and Hook-up, Commissioning, Operations and Maintenance, and Recycling), and a research study of the Oil&Gas profitability. Estimated reserves are between 1.8 billion to 2.8 billion bbl, so assessing the total risk of the field development is crucial. Although, development is estimated to cost up to $31 billion, but the full life-cycle price tag, including operating costs through 2068, is around$58.33 billion. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a conceptual methodology analysis framework, for understanding how analysis of cost and benefits, are carry out for assessment and implementation of the Condition Base Monitoring (CBM) and measure the total OPEX (Operate Expenditure/Operating Cost). As well as a specific maintenance philosophy and conceptual approach on the business cases studies of the project lead, to a cost-effective solution. Paper begins by providing a background for analyzing the life-cycle impacts during the life of the field (50 years), and describing measures to implement during the O&M strategies. Follows by targeting the expectations, which one rest on profitability and optimization of the field, with oil prices above $60 per barrel (proved on Case 3). The harvest will, therefore, be profitable even after the price crash. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis (Alternatives A and B) focuses and identifies “Cost Items” (Cost Drivers) that the project carries. Achieved a reliable “concept development” is the greatest ambition, but uncertainties on Maintenance strategies and programs, have showed high cost at early phases. The aim was to measure the actual costs against predicted LCC and to calculate the cumulative costs throughout a product's Life Cycle (LC) of the assets. Discussed and summarized the extent to which these costs and benefits may already take into account and how the CBM strategy mechanism should be works based on a model built. Finally, is demonstrated through calculating an ″downtime scenario″ that could happens, which one creates Deferred Production Costs. Also, has been estimate the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) might be applicable on the researched project development ratio (cost vs. benefit), with overall maintenance effectiveness strategy under study on the LCC Alternative 2. Therefore, describing the maintenance support functionality, based on input obtained from CBM systems and a predictive, periodic maintenance plan is indispensable, in order to cut off potential costs, target future benefits and guaranty a safety robust production installation. At the end, the paper addresses the future performance outlook development in the Oil&Gas Industry as whole, stating essential optimization valuable principles

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Nigeria

The market potential for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in agriculture was studied. Information is presented on technical and economically feasible applications, and assessments of the business, government and financial climate for photovoltaic sales. It is concluded that the market for stand-alone systems will be large because of the availability of captial and the high premium placed on high reliability, low maintenance power systems. Various specific applications are described, mostly related to agriculture

Assessment of the environmental aspects of the DOE phosphoric acid fuel cell program

The likely facets of a nationwide phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plant commercial system are described. The beneficial and adverse environmental impacts produced by the system are assessed. Eleven specific system activities are characterized and evaluated. Also included is a review of fuel cell technology and a description of DOE's National Fuel Cell Program. Based on current and reasonably foreseeable PAFC characteristics, no environmental or energy impact factor was identified that would significantly inhibit the commercialization of PAFC power plant technology

Planning and evaluation parameters for offshore complexes

Issues are presented for consideration in the planning and design of offshore artificial complexes. The construction of such complexes, their social, economic, and ecological impacts, and the legal-political-institutional environments within which their development could occur, are discussed. Planning, design, and construction of near-shore complexes located off the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States is emphasized

The relationship between human factors and plant maintenance reliability in a petroleum processing organisation

Despite the considerable emphasis on improving maintenance reliability in the petroleum industry by adopting an engineering approach (International Standards Organization, 2006b), production losses, ineffective maintenance, and major disasters continue to occur (Urbina, 2010; Pidgeon, 2000). Analyses of these events have indicated that a failure to consider the human factors in the design (Taylor, 2007), operation (Øien, 2001a), or maintenance (Bea, 1998) of hazardous process technologies is often an important contributor. Based on research to evaluate the influence of these human factors on organisational performance, various models (Rasmussen, 1982; Dekker 2005) and taxonomies (Reason, 1998) for analysing organisational processes at the individual-, group- and organisational-level have been developed.By using these models, the current research was designed to determine the influence of human factors on maintenance reliability in petroleum operations. Three studies were conducted in petroleum operations with the objective in the first two studies of identifying the most-frequent contributors to maintenance-related failures, and in the third study, determining if group differences between higher and lower reliability work areas could be differentiated on the basis of these human factors.In Study 1, the First Priority incident database of the target organisation was used to determine the most frequently reported human factors in maintenance-related, lost-production failures. The most-frequent factors in the incidents (N=194) were found to be Violations, Design & Maintenance, Detection, and Decision-making. These results accorded with earlier studies in the field of human factors (Hobbs & Williamson, 2003; Lawton 1998), which frequently identified human error and violations as the causes of failures. Study 2 provided a more rigorous investigation of the organisational contributors to failures through structured interviews with maintenance personnel. The results of these interviews (N=38) using the Human Factors Investigation Tool (HFIT) (Gordon, 2005) demonstrated that Assumption, Design & Maintenance, and Communication were the most frequent contributors to maintenance-related failures.Based on the predominant factors identified in Study 2, a survey of the perceptions of maintenance personnel (N=178) was conducted for Study 3. Scales measuring Problem-solving (Morgeson & Humphrey, 2006) and Vigilance (Mann, Burnett, Radford, & Ford, 1997) were used to measure the processes that provoke assumptions. Design & Maintenance items from HFIT (Gordon, 2001), and scales from Wiio’s (1978 a&b) Organisational Communication Development questionnaire (OCD/2) were used to test the factors identified in Study 2. Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated that the responses to the Design & Maintenance items loaded onto a single variable, while the Communication items loaded onto two variables, which were named Job-related feedback and Information about change.The perceptions of personnel in lower and higher reliability work areas across the target organisation were compared using these scales, with reliability level ranked according to the monthly Mean Time Between Deferments of petroleum production. Significant between-group differences were found between work areas on Design & Maintenance and Problem-solving. These results suggest that better maintainability in the design of plant is predictive of higher reliability level. In addition, greater requirements for Problem-solving were associated with lower reliability level. There were no significant effects of reliability on Vigilance or either communication measure.The quantitative data was triangulated with comments in response to an open-ended question asking about factors that help or hinder maintenance activities. Respondent’s comments indicated that Communication was not significantly associated with reliability at the group-level. The reason appeared to be that Communication was an organisation-level property of the employing company. Many comments indicated that access to information was difficult, explaining the high occurrence of assumptions reported in Study 2. In addition, although maintenance personnel generally agreed in the survey that they were vigilant in decision-making, personnel in lower reliability facilities provided a higher proportion of comments indicating that the decision-making of supervisors and management had a negative impact on their work.The results of the three studies support past research demonstrating that problem-solving skills (Tucker, 2002) and the design of socio-technical facilities (Reiman, Oedewald & Rollenhagen, 2005) have an important influence on organisational performance. The findings further extend research in the field of human factors by demonstrating a significant relationship between these two factors and group-level performance. The findings also demonstrated the importance of organisational communication, but as an organisational-level dimension that might not influence group-level measures. This research has implications for organisations that operate complex, hazardous technologies and that are attempting to improve organisational processes by utilising a human factors approach

Community rotorcraft air transportation benefits and opportunities

Information about rotorcraft that will assist community planners in assessing and planning for the use of rotorcraft transportation in their communities is provided. Information useful to helicopter researchers, manufacturers, and operators concerning helicopter opportunities and benefits is also given. Three primary topics are discussed: the current status and future projections of rotorcraft technology, and the comparison of that technology with other transportation vehicles; the community benefits of promising rotorcraft transportation opportunities; and the integration and interfacing considerations between rotorcraft and other transportation vehicles. Helicopter applications in a number of business and public service fields are examined in various geographical settings