Overview of Fixed Equipment
Fixed Equipment, sometimes also known as static equipment, is a term generally used to describe non-moving equipment in the oil and gas and process industries. Some examples include things like pressure vessels, heat exchangers, piping, storage tanks, valves, pressure relieving devices, boilers, furnaces/heaters and structures. On the other hand, fixed equipment does not include things such as pumps, compressors, turbines, electrical equipment, or instrumentation (I&E), even though they typically don't move.
The risks from fixed equipment are highest compared to other equipment types because of the sheer number of equipment pieces and quantity of stored fluid. In a typical refinery or petrochemical facility, a significant portion of the capital/maintenance cost and reliability events or failures are associated with fixed equipment. A significant percentage of industry incidents that have resulted in injuries or asset loss also have been associated with fixed equipment.
Fixed equipment is often subjected to fairly extreme operating conditions and varying damage mechanisms. In most cases, the damage is not immediate and damage rates are not linear. A good example of this is corrosion under insulation (CUI) damage, which can develop over time, but is not immediately obvious.
Unlike other types of equipment, fixed equipment doesn’t have complex sensors that can be used to monitor for corrosion and damage in real time. For this reason fixed equipment must be monitored by inspections at fixed intervals. This is why it’s so important to have a reliability plan in place for all fixed equipment.
Fixed equipment is an essential part of every plant and facility, so it is important to keep it in good condition.
Is this definition incomplete? You can help by contributing to it.
Share this Topic
Related Topics
Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs) Boiler Tubes Boilers Bolts Coker Units Cooling Towers Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) Deaerators Fired Heaters Flanges Flare Systems Furnace Tubes Glass-lined Equipment Heat Exchangers HF Alkylation Units Hydrocracking Unit Hydrotreater Piping Pressure Relieving Devices (PRDs) Pressure Vessels Rotating Equipment Valves-
July/August 2020 Inspectioneering JournalBy Qasem Fandem at Saudi Aramco, and Bryan Redmann at WorleyParsons
Pressure vessel design is crucial in ensuring compliance with safety regulations and facilitating reliability and integrity. This article provides an overview of the ASME Section VIII approach to designing pressure vessels.
-
A Thousand Important Roles & Responsibilities of the Plant Fixed Equipment Inspection and Mechanical Integrity GroupJuly/August 2020 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
In the author's experience, one of the largest gaps in plants is a lack of understanding of what the entire fixed equipment mechanical integrity group does. This article will shed light on the many roles and responsibilities within these groups.
-
November/December 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Steven R. Bolinger at Becht
A refinery or process facility FEMI program consists of eight Pillars that are fundamental to achieve FEMI excellence. This article describes these Pillars in detail and suggests what distinguishes good Pillars from those that are less than adequate.
-
BlogOctober 3, 2019 By Arcot (Radha) Radhakrishnan at Becht
Developing a comprehensive turnaround (TA) work scope for process equipment is a critical step for achieving a facility's business goals. Risk Based Work Selection is a proven process for prioritizing and optimizing planned work for an impending TA.
-
BlogSeptember 17, 2019 By Arcot (Radha) Radhakrishnan at Becht
Risk Based Work Selection (RBWS) is an industry best practice used to help refiners better-manage the safety and reliability of operations for a facility. When properly conducted, RBWS can help refiners optimize major turnaround projects.
-
January/February 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This article provides a summary of the 2019 API Inspection & MI Summit keynote address, which offers a past, present, and future outlook on fixed equipment mechanical integrity from an industry professional with 50+ years of experience.
-
November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Efrain Rios at Fortress Oil & Gas, LLC
This article describes how an international oil and gas company built an inspection data management program for its U.S. operations yielding improved confidence in decision-making information, cost savings through increased efficiency, and an...
-
November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tim Hill at Quest Integrity Group
This article provides an overview of the key components in establishing IOWs, the levels of IOW limits, and the basic principles and application of API Recommended Practice 584 to achieve reliable fired heater performance.
-
May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Chad Patschke, CPSA at Ethos Mechanical Integrity Solutions
According to API 570, facilities must have a mechanical integrity program in place for critical check valves. But what criteria determines whether or not a check valve is critical in your process? How should check valves be inspected and by whom?
-
May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dheeraj Narang at Haldor Topsoe India Pvt Ltd.
This article intends to use a top-down approach of describing RBI methodology and how it fits in a facility management system. The main idea of this article is to provide a comprehensive picture of RBI methodology in terms of basics, technology...
-
May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Samer E. Ibrahim at Robert Gordon University
HTHA of hydrogen-containing equipment can be prevented with appropriate material selection and fabrication, appropriate welding procedures, regular inspection of equipment using proven, effective technologies and equipment operated by qualified...
-
March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This article is designed to help the reader better communicate their FEMI Mission, Vision, Core Values and Responsibilities to all stakeholders at their site.
-
January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Neil Burns at Stress Engineering Services
The actions you take immediately after a failure are critical in understanding the cause and appropriate steps to remedy the problem. However, the wrong moves might prevent you from getting the answers you need.
-
Reynolds Wrap Up: API Publishes Helpful Guide on Fixed Equipment Mechanical Integrity (FEMI) StandardsBlogFebruary 27, 2018 By John Reynolds at Intertek
In 2017, a joint-initiative from API and AFPM released a helpful brochure that summarizes all the key API standards that deal with fixed equipment mechanical integrity. It describes the latest edition of 42 API standards addressing FEMI issues,...
-
September/October 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Daniel Cypriano at Petrobras, and Henrique Ventura at Petrobras
Although value-drivers often differ between facilities, all can agree that effective asset management strategies should lead to better decision making. In this case study, the authors detail how process-based risk management strategies can make for...
-
September/October 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
Based on my 45+ years of experience working with fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) issues in the refining and petrochemical processing industry, this article summarizes what I believe are the top 10 reasons why pressure vessels and piping...
-
July/August 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
IÂ have written numerous technical articles addressing how to improve your fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) program. This time I will deviate from the FEMI technologies and methodologies to address a topic that may be equally...
-
July/August 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
IÂ have written numerous technical articles addressing how to improve your fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) program. This time I will deviate from the FEMI technologies and methodologies to address a topic that may be equally...
-
BlogJune 24, 2013 By John Reynolds at Intertek
I have written several articles for Inspectioneering Journal to help create successful programs to achieve excellence in pressure equipment integrity and reliability (PEI&R).
-
September/October 2006 Inspectioneering JournalBy F. Walter Pinto at Lyondell Chemical Company
This series of articles describes the elements for a successful fixed equipment reliability program in a petrochemical facility. These articles will address management systems, engineering practices, preventive/predictive maintenance/inspection...
Inspectioneering Journal
Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.
Company Directory
Find relevant products, services, and technologies.
Talent Solutions
Discover job opportunities that match your skillset.
Case Studies
Learn from the experience of others in the industry.
Event Calendar
Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.
Industry News
Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.
Blog
Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.
Acronyms
Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.
Downloads
Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.
Videos
Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.