Shutdown preparedness in oil and gas production

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an approach for measuring the ability of oil and gas production plants to utilize shutdowns opportunistically for maintenance.

Design/methodology/approach

Key performance indicators have been developed from case studies with two offshore oil and gas installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The key performance indicators measure the quality of the work preparations and the ability to utilize shutdowns opportunistically. Shutdowns may provide opportunities for execution of maintenance, but it is hardly possible to undertake any maintenance work requiring shutdown if the organization is not well prepared and the work is not well planned.

Findings

The results from testing of the indicators on two oil and gas installations shows that several of the indicators are relevant for determining the quality of preparations, whereas more effort needs to be put into gathering data applicable for monitoring the actual utilization of the shutdowns.

Research limitations/implications

Production losses, due to turnarounds and unforeseen shutdowns in oil and gas operations, are significant, and the improvement potential is large. The indicators may assist maintenance managers in planning and improving the plant's utilization of shutdowns and may contribute to substantial cost savings.

Originality/value

The approach in the paper adds important knowledge on how to actually measure the quality of maintenance work planning and execution.

Citation

Utne, I., Thuestad, L., Finbak, K. and Anders Thorstensen, T. (2012), "Shutdown preparedness in oil and gas production", Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 154-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552511211244193