Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss maintenance challenges and maintenance practices for subsea petroleum production systems. Design/methodology/approach -Maintenance challenges, current practices and factors that influence the maintenance and support practices were identified by a literature review and by using a case study conducted in the Norwegian oil and gas industry. The case study was based on semistructured face-to-face interviews with a number of experts working in the subsea systems' design, installation and support services in the Norwegian oil and gas industry. Findings -The paper identifies and discusses subsea petroleum production system failures, maintenance, inspection, modification and support practices. Findings from literature are validated, and new challenges are identified and discussed.Research limitations/implications -The research is based on a case study in the Norwegian petroleum industry, but may be applicable in other countries as well. The subsea production systems are critical production systems, and failures may result in long downtime and costly maintenance, inspection and support services. Hence, inspection, maintenance and modification intervention support services requires careful project planning, implementation and execution, taking into account all influencing factors. Originality/value -The identified challenges can be used by decision makers in offshore maintenance projects.
Abstract. Maintenance strategies for subsea oil and gas production installations entail the use of specialized equipment and vessels to carry out subsea interventions. The costs for carrying out preventive maintenance are significantly lower compared to the costs of unpredicted failures where in some cases it is necessary to reduce or stop the oil production. Based on a literature review and inputs from industrial experts, this paper discusses maintenance challenges for subsea oil and gas facilities.Keywords: Subsea petroleum production facilities, Maintenance challenges. IntroductionOil companies are trying to improve their performance to carry out more effective strategies in order to reduce interventions due to failures. Identifying some of the factors impacting the subsea production systems during the exposure on the seabed will allow them to maintain the integrity of facilities according to safety regulations as well as environmental and quality requirements. Maintenance strategies for the infrastructure of platforms in earlier projects were produced as an afterthought [1]; however, subsea facilities entail identifying alternatives to carry out preventive and corrective maintenance before the exploitation begins in order to plan individual maintenance activities and establish frame agreements with qualified service providers. Moreover, challenges are focused on reducing the possibility of failures in subsea production systems during the field life cycle. Subsea components are affected by the stress, environmental issues and individual conditions resulting from the geographic location where the production system has been installed. Environmental and reservoir factors are always impacting the equipment's performance, even though equipment is designed to work under extreme conditions. The deterioration of subsea equipment will be faster after it is deployed on the seabed and begins to work. Therefore, maintenance strategies should analyze the factors which could further affect the performance of subsea installations in order to identify possible solutions.The inspection of installations without the use of divers in fields located in deeper water has made for more complex interventions. Hence, the strategy to carry out integrity programs using ROVs (remotely operated vehicle), AUVs (autonomous underwater
Abstract. The development, design and selection of subsea petroleum production equipment and facilities are critical activities, as the decisions made will impact the success and profitability of the project. Technical, economic and government regulations are some of the factors that need to be evaluated in order to contract subsea services and procurement activities. Pre-studies need to be conducted to design the best subsea concept and to assess the development costs in order to succeed in the project execution and to keep the production rate and profits as expected. There are many factors that should be addressed before selecting the concept. By identifying and studying these aspects, the project management will be able to develop an optimum production system and select the best equipment to cover the functions needed, as well as identify health, safety, environmental and quality requirements and spare parts' availability for maintenance interventions. This will help to achieve the integrity of the installation and to reduce risks. In this paper we identify various aspects, factors and design criteria that need to be addressed in the design phase.
Abstract. There are many challenges associated with development of offshore petroleum fields. Subsea production facilities are increasingly used in the petroleum industry as the technology has matured and quality increased. The use of subsea technology has advantages as well as challenges. Based on a literature review this paper identifies some if the development challenges related to the design and operation of subsea petroleum production facilities.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss various factors that will influence the process of installing and maintaining subsea equipment in the oil and gas (O&G) industry. Design/methodology/approach -Influencing factors and their attributes are identified using a case study on subsea installations conducted in the Norwegian O&G industry. A number of experts were interviewed. A survey was conducted to rank the importance of the influence factors. Findings -The paper identifies, analyzes and validates the factors and attributes that may impact the installation and maintenance strategy of subsea components. The factors are ranked according to importance and as practiced in the industry.Research limitations/implications -The research is based on a case study in the Norwegian O&G industry, but the approach and results could be adapted to other industries as well. Originality/value -The identified factors can be used by decision makers in the development of offshore projects.
Subsea developments represent several technical challenges for O&G companies. The tie-back solution has been used in the industry to exploit remote fields or connect systems directly to onshore facilities or nearby existing production facilities. As it can use existing resources/facilities, this solution may save capital and operational expenses (CAPEX and OPEX). Moreover, marginal fields may become commercially viable if they are connected to an existent platform.However, as fields are located farther away, limitations related to flow assurance, power and system distribution make it more difficult to assign resources to these projects. Systems such as power and control equipment may be located on platforms or subsea, and the choice of solutions is based on cost-saving potential, reliability and environmental care considerations. Power and control systems also have to be capable of working for long periods and functioning without interruptions. Distribution systems' study factors also concern distance from the power source to the seabed. For longer distances, the system should be designed to repeat signals from one subsea station to another.To explain some of the challenges and limitations for working subsea, a general description of power systems is provided. The study also discusses the role of system engineering in subsea projects and how it contributes to overcoming technical limitations and improving system performance. Good communication between all the groups is important and may reduce project errors and the need for rework.The study discusses some considerations that should be taken into account during the concept selection to prepare the system for current and future requirements. The type of umbilical for the power and control groups is also discussed. These are used to transmit communication and power to the system. Applications:The paper presents the role of system engineering in subsea projects. It identifies some parameters in the system and explains the technical limitations caused by loads and power requirements in subsea projects. Results, Observations, and Conclusions:System engineering should establish strong communication between the groups working internally in the project. They provide an overall view of the system that is critical to the optimization of resources. Decisions on where to place distribution systems depend on the location of the subsea installation as the voltage drop and power loss is proportional to the distance at which the power source is located.
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