Blowout preventer (BOP) risk model to assist critical decisions in offshore drilling

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Inge Alme ◽  
Angel Casal ◽  
Trygve Leinum ◽  
Helge Flesland
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Drilling Rig

The BOP is a critical safety system of an offshore drilling rig, as shown in the 2010 Macondo accident. A challenge for the oil and gas industry is to decide what to do when the BOP is failing. Pulling the BOP to the surface during operations for inspection and testing is a costly and timely operation. Many of the potential failures are not critical to overall safety as multiple levels of redundancy are often available. Scandpower and Moduspec, both subsidiaries of Lloyd’s Register, have developed a BOP risk model that will assist the industry make the pull or no pull decisions. Scandpower’s proprietary software RiskSpectrum is used for the modelling. This software is used for equivalent decision support in the nuclear power industry, where the risk levels of total nuclear power plants are monitored live by operators in the control rooms. By modelling existing BOPs and their submerged control systems, and using risk monitor software for keeping track on the status of the BOP subsystems and components, the industry is able to define the real-time operational risk level the BOP is operating at. It, therefore, allows the inclusion for sensitivity modelling with possible faulty components factored in the model. The main task of the risk model is to guide and support energy companies and regulators in the decision process when considering whether to pull the BOP for repairs. Moreover, it will help the communication with the regulators, since the basis for the decisions are more traceable and easier to follow for a third party.

Retrofitting Offshore Drilling Rigs with Islanded DC Grids and Energy Storage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stig Settemsdal ◽  
Saverio Ventrelli
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Power Grids ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Drilling Rigs

Abstract The paper presents a novel approach for modernizing/retrofitting offshore drilling rig power plants with islanded direct current (DC) power grids and energy storage. The concept has been successfully applied on several offshore rigs which are in operation today and is applicable to jack-ups, semi-submersibles, drill ships, as well as other types of marine support vessels for oil and gas platforms and wind farms. The approach aims to enhance the feasibility of leveraging energy storage solutions on offshore drilling rigs and marine vessels by making use of the existing power plant footprint. Unique measures have also been incorporated into the electrical system architecture to ensure that the reliability and safety of the existing alternating current (AC)-based system are not compromised. This enables operators to capitalize on the numerous benefits of energy storage (e.g., reduced emissions, enhanced dynamic performance for drilling and dynamic positioning, etc.) without having to perform a "rip and replace" of the entire power plant and electrical infrastructure.

Environment-Assisted Intergranular Cracking

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Scully
Keyword(s):  
High Purity ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Intergranular Cracking ◽  
Intergranular Stress Corrosion ◽  
Ferrous Alloys ◽  
Primary Coolant

Intergranular separation in polycrys-talline materials involves breaking metallic bonds along grain boundaries in response to stress. The surfaces created in this manner expose the grain facets on either side of the original boundary, as shown in Figure 1. This mode of fracture often occurs at much lower fracture stress and energy than cracking by ductile processes through the interior of grains. The exposure of specific materials to certain environments and stress can promote this low-energy, intergranular mode of separation, even when fracture of the same material in vacuum would occur along a ductile transgranu-lar path. Three types of environment-assisted intergranular cracking can occur in a wide variety of alloy/environment systems: intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (IGSCC), intergranular hydrogen embrittlement, and intergranular liquid-metal embrittlement.Figure 1 shows an example of IGSCC. This type of cracking is a pervasive problem in many technological applications, leading to extensive repairs, loss of service function, and safety concerns. IGSCC occurs in the weld-heat-affected zones of stainless-steel pipes in high-purity primary coolant waters within nuclear power plants, and in nickel-based alloys utilized as heat-exchanger tubing when exposed to the high-purity primary as well as secondary coolant waters in power plants. It is also seen in Al-based alloys used for fuselage skins and structural components in military and commercial aircraft when exposed to humid atmospheric conditions. Ferrous alloys used in the oil and gas industry are also susceptible. For instance, IGSCC of mild steels used in buried gas-transmission pipelines is a widespread international problem, leading to explosions when leaking natural gas ignites.

Addressing the Challenge of Inspecting Buried Nuclear Piping in Nuclear Power Plants

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Angell ◽  
Sheng-Hui Wang ◽  
Phil Simon ◽  
Hank Kleinfelder ◽  
Kevin Garrity ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Buried Pipe ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
River Site

Similar to many other industries, nuclear power plants (NPPs) have many kilometres of buried pipe that is not readily accessible for direct inspection. Given the nature of the systems, the nuclear industry experiences additional challenges as many services run in the same area, leading to what is described as a “spaghetti bowl” of piping. As a result, the traditional indirect, over the line, inspection practices developed for the oil and gas industry have not always been successfully applied at nuclear power plants. To address this issue, a collaborative Electric Power Research Institute/CANDU Owners Group (EPRI/COG) research project was established with Mears Group Inc. and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Nuclear Laboratories. In this program, initial testing of four methods was carried out at the Mears Group Inc, test site that had been modified with additional grounding systems to simulate a nuclear power plant. This was followed by testing of the same methods at the AECL Nuclear Laboratories Chalk River site. This paper will discuss the results of those studies and present some of the findings that were made that can help to overcome the challenges faced by Nuclear Power Plants.

scholarly journals Innovative technologies in training and education for maintenance team of NPPs

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Róbert Soós ◽  
Bence Balogh ◽  
Gergely Dobos ◽  
Szabolcs Szávai ◽  
Judit Dudra
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Psychological Pressure ◽  
Temperature Radiation

Many industries, such as nuclear power plants, chemical industry, oil and gas industry have dangerous working environments and hazardous conditions for employees. Maintenance, inspection and decommissioning activities in these safety-critical areas mean a serious risk, downtime is a significant financial loss. The Virtual Reality Training Platform is reflecting on this shortcoming, by providing the possibility for maintenance workers to be trained and prepared for unexpected scenarios, and to learn complex maintenance protocols without being exposed to unnecessary danger, like high temperature, radiation, etc. Employees can have training for equipment maintenance, dismantling of facilities at closed NPP Units. One of the most significant and unique added value of the immersive virtual reality solution is that the operator can experience lifelike emergencies (detonation, shutdown) under psychological pressure, while all of the physiology indicators can be monitored like eye-tracking. Users can work together anywhere in the world. A huge financial outage in industrial production is the preparation and maintenance downtime, which can be significantly reduced by the Virtual Training platform. This method can increase the accuracy, safety, reliability, and accountability of the maintenance and decommissioning procedures, while operational costs can be reduced as well.

Drilling and Service Contracts in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations

1973 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
J. M. Killey
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Service Contracts ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Offshore Operations

As onshore oil and gas deposits are becoming more difficult to locate, and as the world demands for energy continue to increase at an alarming rate, oil companies are channeling much of their exploration activities towards offshore operations, and in particular, towards operations centered off Canada's coast lines. Because of the environment, offshore drilling presents problems which are novel to the onshore-geared oil industry. J. M. Killey discusses in detail many of the considerations involved in drafting the offshore drilling contract, concentrating on problems such as the liability of the various parties; costs; scheduling; pollution; conflict of laws; etc. Similarly, he discusses service contracts (such as supply boat charters; towing services; helicopter services; etc.^ which are necessity to the operation of an offshore drilling rig. To complement his paper, the author has included number of appendices which list the various considerations lawyer must keep in mind when drafting contracts for offshore operations.

Defining potential multi-hazard and multi-risk combinations for infrastructure and other economic sectors using empirical pan-European examples

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Daniell ◽  
Andreas Schaefer ◽  
Jens Skapski ◽  
Roberth Romero ◽  
Philip Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
European Database ◽  
Single Location ◽  
Eu Project

<p>A new complex world is emerging where a natural hazards event in a certain location, can have significant impacts on a different location either interlinked via economic sectors, infrastructure systems or other social relationships. In the past this was often not able to be quantified, but with increased reporting we are able to define these interactions better than previously.</p><p>For a single location, multiple hazards can also occur in tandem, or one after another causing impacts or as a standalone. However, standalone events currently take on a whole new complexity with coronavirus protocols.</p><p>Within the course of the EU project NARSIS (New Approach to Reactor Safety ImprovementS), sites of decommissioned nuclear power plants (NPPs) were investigated for external hazards combinations using a multi-hazard approach which took into account the joint probabilities including operational times and the effects of subsequent events. Here, different external hazards were applied such as tornadoes, lightning, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions in tandem calibrated on historical events.</p><p>In this work, we build a pan-European database using the backbone of CATDAT to define multi-hazard events of relevance with overlapping hazard and loss effects including events in 2020 and 2021 with significant effects due to coronavirus in combination with another hazard. We focus on the 1980-2021 time period within this database, although many older events have also been collected.</p><p>In the year 2020, numerous events including the Croatian and Greece/Turkey earthquakes, medicanes, bushfires and many flood and storm events showed the complexity of combining multi-hazard protocols concurrently.</p><p>The database will be extended within the MYRIAD-EU project in order to inform a multi-risk, multi-sector, systemic approach to risk management. Using empirical examples of socio-economic effects is one key step to understand the overlaps, and important within the calibration process of any multi-risk model.</p>

Quantifying Economic Uncertainties and Risks in the Oil and Gas Industry

2021 ◽  
pp. 154-184
Author(s):  
Sorin Alexandru Gheorghiu ◽  
Cătălin Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Oil Field Development ◽  
Oil Gas

The present economic model is intended to provide an example of how to take into consideration risks and uncertainties in the case of a field that is developed with water injection. The risks and uncertainties are related, on one hand to field operations (drilling time, delays due to drilling problems, rig failures and materials supply, electric submersible pump [ESP] installations failures with the consequences of losing the well), and on the other hand, the second set of uncertainties are related to costs (operational expenditures-OPEX and capital expenditures-CAPEX, daily drilling rig costs), prices (oil, gas, separation, and water injection preparation), production profiles, and discount factor. All the calculations are probabilistic. The authors are intending to provide a comprehensive solution for assessing the business performance of an oil field development.

Coatings for corrosion under insulation (CUI) protection—accelerated testing methodology

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Neil Wilds
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Protective Coatings ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Performance Benchmarking ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Corrosion Under Insulation

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a serious issue in the oil and gas industry, with failures often occurring without warning and having devastating effect. When expensive redesign is not possible or practical, operators have a number of options open to them to mitigate the risk of CUI; these include the use of various protective coatings or thermally sprayed metals. Despite a number of technologies presently available, the industry is yet to establish an accepted laboratory test method for the performance benchmarking of products. This has, in the past, damaged confidence in some solutions and hampered the selection and further development of CUI coatings. As a result, the subject of accelerated laboratory testing for CUI coatings is now receiving significant attention across the industry with joint industry programs proposed in both Europe and North America. This paper will examine state-of-the-art accelerated CUI testing, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methods available. It will then offer a detailed description of a test method that has been in use since 2004, testing more than 300 specimens and assessing a wide range of coating technologies. The reproducibility of the test program will be established by the presentation of a range of data including results obtained from a third-party test house. The third-party results will then be correlated with a seven-year case study from an end user perspective provided by Santos, a major Australian oil and gas exploration and production company, from experiences at their Port Bonython facility in SA.

Performance-Based NDE Personnel Qualifications

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry M. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Nondestructive Examination ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Task Team ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Division 2

This paper establishes an alternative approach for nondestructive examination (NDE) personnel qualification for the boiler and pressure vessel (B&PV) industry. This is the “white paper” developed by the Section XI, Division 2, Task Team, Performance-based NDE Personnel Qualifications. It is anticipated to be the basis for the NDE personnel qualification criteria for the revised Section XI, Division 2, REQUIREMENTS FOR RELIABILITY AND INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT (RIM) PROGRAM FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS that is currently being developed. Based on review of a number of quantitative NDE reliability studies conducted to-date the current deterministic approach to NDE personnel qualification based on such schemes as ASNT SNT-TC-1A, ANSI/ASNT CP-189, EN-473, ISO-9712 and other similar approaches are not as effective as desired. The goal of this document is to present an alternative approach to the deterministic NDE personnel qualification schemes. This paper presents a systematic approach to training together with performance-based tests, psychometrically validated evaluation of knowledge and skills that will improve a NDE candidate’s performance. A majority of traditional employer-based written examinations are not developed or validated psychometrically. The use of third-party psychometrically validated examinations would replace the current practice of employer developed and administered examinations. It improves upon traditional ASNT SNT-TC-1A, ASNT/ANSI CP-189, ISO-9712, etc., requirements by including more comprehensive hands-on practical examinations on a statistically valid set of samples containing flaws representative of those expected to be encounter in shop and field conditions. The sample sets will be designed for either a “general” NDE method, or “limited” technique(s) of a method, or for industry specific sector needs, as applicable.

scholarly journals Titanium in Shipbuilding and Other Technical Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 321 ◽  
pp. 02001
Author(s):  
A.S. Oryshchenko ◽  
V.P. Leonov ◽  
V.I. Mikhailov ◽  
P.A. Kuznetsov ◽  
A.V. Alexandrov
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Alloys ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Aerospace Industry ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
New Production ◽  
Chemical Pulp ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Major Development

Aerospace industry is currently the major consumer of titanium in Russia. Shipbuilding is its second largest consumer. Oil and gas, chemical, pulp-and-paper and other industries use less titanium. In the Russian industrial sector titanium is geting more applicable. Since the 13th World Ti-2015 Conference the titanium application trends have persisted [1]. Among the major development trends of titanium alloys one should note the development of titanium alloys for deep-water marine facilities, case designs of small-size nuclear power plants, the development of additive technologies, the technologies of isostatic pressing, the development of titanium products by new production facilities, etc. Titanium is still considered an advanced structural material used for scientific and technical progress in different industrial sectors.

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