In the industry today, there are numerous applications being used to manage asset integrity information, i.e. data and records associated with design, construction, corrosion, inspection, process chemistry, and degradation remediation. As the first article in a 5-part series, this is intended to provide readers with an overview of inspection data management systems (IDMS), how they help support mechanical integrity assessments, and some common challenges that users face.

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Inspection data is vulnerable to flaws in collection and retention. For example, data might be inaccurate, duplicate, or incomplete due to procedural breakdowns. This article introduces Digital Data Management Systems (DDMS) as a response to these widespread data inaccuracies.

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APM implementation is anything but a pain-free process. Blame tends to fall on vendors, but there are oftentimes activities that do not get completed that tend to have a larger effect on the success of implementation. This article addresses some of those activities.

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This article covers where to start, what to look for, and how to execute a data and systems-focused performance improvement project that can drive large overhead savings.

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Today’s intelligent technology can provide is interoperability, mobile data collection, cascading questions, picture referencing, photo annotation, data funneling and cost savings. Take a closer look at some of the benefits intelligent technology can provide.

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AIM systems should ensure that the your facility’s MI software is accurately performing the calculations needed to calculate minimum thickness, long/short term corrosion rates and remaining life used to predict future inspection intervals. They should evaluate your MI software’s basic design and corrosion monitoring variables.

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The objective of this article is to demonstrate the inherent value of an interactive and detailed GIS landscape, emphasize the importance of industry standardization, and encourage regulatory agencies and operators to systematize and incorporate these technologies to produce a standardized basis of observation for these independently operated systems.

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You probably already know that inspection apps for tablets and smart phones exist, and have notions of how these technologies can improve efficiencies in the field and beyond.

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Pipeline management remains fraught with safety risks for operators and the environment. Last year, the Ontario Energy Board determined that a $12 billion oil pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. would pose more risks than rewards for the province.

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We at Inspectioneering would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our subscribers, followers, clients, and industry partners for a great 2015, and wish every member of the Inspectioneering community a happy and healthy 2016!

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Offshore platforms pipelines, terminals and downstream facilities, are costly to build, operate and maintain, so it’s imperative that operators keep tight control over the total life-cycle cost of all associated equipment.

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Integrating a new digital technology that combines data-driven insights and data storage with innovative mobility can provide a new level of connected intelligence. Digitalization can improve workflow, increase worker productivity and allow better recording of field data. Mobile technology allows for real-time data monitoring and strategic decision making via specialized tablet-driven software.

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Machine-to-Machine connectivity combined with advanced computing capabilities and industry-focused software enable a wide range of new capabilities. From smart homes controlled over the internet, to smart electric grids with smart meters, sensors and controls that continually monitor the performance of electric distribution and can self-adjust to demand and outage conditions to optimize uptime across the whole network or a combination of networks, the Industrial Internet has opened the door to a new era of efficiency, productivity, and safety for the industrial world.

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While performing visual inspections with a pen and notepad is the traditional way to record data, there are now more efficient ways to complete inspections out in the field. Investing in a mobile inspection application can be a great way to save time, reduce cost, and improve safety over traditional methods.

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With the advancements in today’s technology and improvements to Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), if we deploy them properly and in line with best practices, it is possible to reach previously unreachable levels of efficiency, data quality, and meaningful reports.

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Avoiding cracking under pressure when managing high-energy piping systems is common subject matter in the power industry. Just as high-energy piping can give way to pressure, stress and fatigue, so can the people in charge of operating them when trying to determine what to inspect, where to inspect, and what to do with those inspection results once they have them.

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Now that the stage has been set (via parts 1 and 2 of this series), let’s see what we can do to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of the work execution processes through situation awareness. Who knows? Maybe even cut a few days off the turnaround in the process.

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Properly anticipating and finding the damage in your facility is no small task, and spending millions of dollars on inspection may not be getting you anywhere if it’s not the right inspection processes. PinnacleART can use industry best practice models and corrosion expertise to proactively identify damage types, locations and magnitudes so you can ensure you’re performing the right inspections at the right times. Visit us at pinnacleart.com to learn more.

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Recently developed RFID best practices provide an opportunity for pipeline businesses to transform their asset management and pipeline integrity management processes away from traditional paper-based systems to more efficient, highly-integrated electronic data solutions.

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This blog post is the second in a series about situation awareness (SA). The first part of this series introduced SA (defined as the gathering and utilization of data in real time and using it to improve work processes) and introduced an example of how real-time SA can be applied to plant turnarounds to better achieve your turnaround objectives.

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After spending decades in plants and assisting operators in developing mechanical integrity programs, something has become very apparent to me; owner-operators face serious challenges with situation awareness (SA). What do I mean by SA?

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Several catastrophic spills over the past few years have sparked significant interest in oil spill prevention across the industry. Not only do facilities with large amounts of oil want to prevent environmental damage, loss of product, and civil lawsuits, but, assuming their operations are based in the United States, they must also comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations.

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Is it possible to develop an internal RBI program without depending on third-party/commercial software?

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Passing the API RP 571 or API 580 certification is not easy, but it is a must for anyone looking to demonstrate aptitude with Damage Mechanisms or Risk-Based Inspection (RBI). Choose training with an instructor that has decades of experience with both the fundamental concepts of Damage Mechanisms or RBI as well as the specifics of the respective RP's. Contact Stephanie Simek at Pro-Surve today.

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Facilities are often content in compiling event data, entering thickness measurements, assigning a system description, tracking work requests and recommendations in their databases. These are certainly valuable data points but using your database for performing just these tasks relegates a valuable resource to nothing more than a ledger of inspection events. The value of these systems becomes more apparent when they are utilized to show you where you should be inspecting.

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The Shell Martinez Refinery has been in operation since 1915, and is located 30 miles northeast of San Francisco on about 1,000 acres of land. The refinery combines state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to convert approximately 165,000 barrels of crude oil a day into many products including automotive gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, petroleum coke, industrial fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, asphalt, sulfur, and lubricants. The Shell Martinez Refinery has grown into a sprawling yet efficient assemblage of sophisticated processing equipment; modern control rooms; environmental protection facilities; shipping and receiving terminals for marine, rail, and truck cargoes; maintenance shops; office buildings; quality assurance laboratories; storage tanks; and warehouses. In some ways it resembles a small city with its own utilities, medical facilities, and fire department.

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Data management is an important issue in today's world. We have data all over the place. Every manager is looking for ways to migrate data from platform to platform to save on the cost of re-gathering data and ways to share output from various platforms to better schedule and coordinate activities.

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Many engineers are still performing their inspection and service activities and daily tasks using manual, paper-based forms. However, applying appropriate technology and providing simple-to-use automation tools can increase productivity, improve utilization of resources, and improve profitability. By combining easy to use but sophisticated software and handheld devices, organizations can save time and money while improving operational efficiencies and minimizing downtime.

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In Part 1 of my article that appeared in the previous edition of the IJ, I focused on several issues that are vital to the successful application of any inspection information management system. In Part 2 of my article, I will concentrate on several additional important issues.

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This task though tedious and exasperating is a key part of the operation. Plant personnel often find ingenious uses and filing systems for key data such as UW 1 forms. The more remote the plant site is, the more extraordinary the hiding places. In addition, the adage "garbage in = garbage out" keenly applies. To avoid this concern, it is vital to quality assurance check the data prior to input.

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Regulatory requirements such as OSHA 1910, industry codes and practices coupled with an international drive for more cost-effective preventative maintenance are leading the industry toward data information management systems to assist in organizing and prioritizing preventive maintenance strategies. This shift coincides with the movement toward a risk-based inspection approach to plant condition management. This approach ranks units or individual equipment according to criticality or risk, allowing inspection efforts to be focused where they can have the greatest effect in risk reduction. There are a number of points to bear in mind when planning to implement a plant condition management system.

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In a historic agreement, GE’s Power Services business announced today that it will service power generation equipment in 11 power plants owned by Petrobras, Brazil’s majority state-owned oil company. Valued at more than $300 million, the deal represents GE’s largest transactional power generation services agreement in Latin America.

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OneSoft Solutions' wholly owned subsidiary, OneBridge Solutions, has entered into an agreement with Phillips 66 to create a comprehensive pipeline integrity management software application, by migrating Phillips 66’s current pipeline data management system to a cloud-based software-as-a-service solution and integrating Machine Learning and other Data Science technologies into the application.

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Accenture has formed a strategic alliance with and made a minority investment in Maana, a pioneer in digital knowledge technology enabling industrial companies to accelerate digital transformation. The alliance will initially target oil and gas clients, with plans to expand to other industries.

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PinnacleART is now an official Implementation Service Provider (ISP) for the aspenONE® Asset Performance Management (APM) software suite from Aspen Technology, Inc. PinnacleART will utilize aspenONE APM solutions to measure, optimize and maximize asset uptime for its oil and gas, specialty chemical, and wastewater customers.

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Emerson has acquired GeoFields, Inc., a leading global supplier of software and implementation services for pipeline integrity data collection, management and risk analysis for the oil and gas industry. GeoFields software enables pipeline operators to collect critical integrity data, perform risk modeling and high consequence area (HCA) risk analysis, and prioritize pipeline integrity-related maintenance and asset management activities.

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AIM systems should ensure that the your facility’s MI software is accurately performing the calculations needed to calculate minimum thickness, long/short term corrosion rates and remaining life used to predict future inspection intervals. They should evaluate your MI software’s basic design and corrosion monitoring variables.

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PK Technology’s personnel are ready to help with any need a facility may have. PK Technology is offering temporary access to their technology free of charge for damage assessments to all Houston-area facilities.

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Quest Integrity, a global leader in the development and delivery of advanced inspection, engineering assessment services and software products, today announced the strategic alliance with Metegrity, Inc., providing extensive software capabilities to succeed Quest Integrity’s Reliability Maintenance System (RMS™) software platform.

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An advanced process control (APC) system is currently being implemented at the Gazprom Neft Moscow Refinery, directed at increasing effectiveness and optimising the operation of the plant’s production facilities.

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Reliance Industries Limited and GE have announced the signing of a global partnership agreement in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) space whereby RIL and GE will work together to build out joint applications on GE’s Predix platform.

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The Equity Engineering Group (E2G) has announced the release of API RBI Version 10 and SagePlus™ software, delivering new capabilities and enhancements.

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It is difficult to cover all inspection applications with basic inspection procedures like radiography, ultrasonics, magnetic particle testing, and dye penetrant inspection. Owner-operators are finding that advanced NDE services such as guided-wave ultrasonics, AUT corrosion mapping, and eddy current testing are essential tools to keep their facilities operating safely and efficiently.

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Quest Integrity, a global leader in the development and delivery of advanced inspection and engineering assessment services and software products, today announced the release of Signal™ Fitness-for-Service (FFS), Version 5.0, which features compliance with the new API 579/ASME FFS-1 2016 standard.

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GE Digital has announced it has acquired Meridium, Inc. for an enterprise value of $495 million.

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Torrance Refining Co., the 155,000 bpd southern California refinery PBF Energy recently acquired from ExxonMobil, has been forced to shut down this week after a series of equipment failures struck the facility following a software update.

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Quest Integrity Group, a global leader in the development and delivery of advanced inspection and engineering assessment services and software products, announces Pacifica™, a new software solution to perform pressure cycle fatigue analysis on seam crack flaws in pipelines.

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Quest Integrity Group, a global leader in the development and delivery of advanced inspection and engineering assessment services and software products, introduces a new animation of its LOTIS (Laser Optic Tube Inspection System) technology.

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