ARA Petroleum Enhancing Asset Integrity by Incorporating Integrity Considerations on Design Stage

While asset integrity management typically starts during the operational phase, it is essential to consider integrity requirements from the design stages of oil and gas projects. Khalid Al Wardi, Head of Process Engineering at ARA Petroleum (Sultanate of Oman), shares his approach on how to take asset integrity into account as early as on design stage.

Asset Integrity is considered as one of critical aspect of oil and gas projects that involves ensuring the reliability, safety, and performance of the assets throughout their lifecycle. Incorporating asset integrity considerations early in the design process helps in minimizing risks, enhancing operational efficiency, and reducing the potential for failures or costly modifications later on. 

Here below are listed key asset integrity aspects to be considered during the design stages of oil and gas projects.

Design Codes and Standards

Adherence to applicable design codes and industry standards is crucial to ensure asset integrity. These codes and standards provide guidelines for designing equipment, structures, and systems that meet safety, reliability, and performance requirements.

Risk Assessment

Conducting a comprehensive risk assessment during the design phase helps identify potential threats and hazards to asset integrity. This assessment includes hazard identification, risk analysis, and risk mitigation strategies to minimize the likelihood and consequences of failures.

Material Selection

Choosing appropriate materials that can withstand the intended operating conditions, including pressure, temperature, corrosion, and erosion, is vital. Material selection should consider factors such as compatibility, durability, and resistance to degradation to maintain asset integrity.

Engineering Design

The engineering design process should incorporate asset integrity considerations. This includes appropriate sizing, stress analysis, and structural integrity assessments to ensure that equipment and structures can withstand anticipated loads and stresses over their intended lifespan.

Operational and Maintenance Considerations

Designing for asset integrity involves considering ease of operation, inspection, and maintenance. Access points, monitoring systems, and maintenance requirements should be incorporated into the design to facilitate ongoing integrity management activities.

Safety Systems

The design should incorporate safety systems such as emergency shutdown systems, fire protection systems, and safety relief devices to mitigate potential hazards and protect asset integrity.

Documentation and Data Management

Effective documentation and data management throughout the design process ensure that design decisions, specifications, calculations, and integrity-related information are accurately captured and easily accessible for future reference.

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices is crucial for ensuring asset integrity. Understanding and incorporating relevant regulations into the design process helps avoid non-compliance issues during project execution and operation.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Implementing robust quality assurance and quality control measures during the design stages ensures that assets are designed, fabricated, and installed according to the specified requirements. This includes inspection and testing procedures to verify compliance and identify any potential design or fabrication defects.

Conclusion

By addressing asset integrity considerations in the design stages of oil and gas projects, operators can enhance the overall integrity, reliability, and safety of the assets throughout their lifecycle, leading to improved operational performance and reduced risks of incidents or failures.

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