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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

How to effectively manage production facility low-temperature exposure risk

Jim Bonini
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S2V Consulting, 197 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia.
Email: Jim.Bonini@S2VConsulting.com

The APPEA Journal 57(2) 591-594 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ16092
Accepted: 6 April 2017   Published: 29 May 2017

Abstract

A significant risk with any oil and gas production facility is equipment exposure to low temperature fluids, which can lead to brittle fracture, loss of hydrocarbon containment and ignition, with potential consequences including multiple fatalities, major asset damage, production deferment and profound operator reputational harm. Due to the nature of the initiating low-temperature events, which often occur as a result of a sequence of control system, hardware or operational failures, these issues are not always adequately addressed in facility design and operation, which can lead to unacceptable and potentially unacknowledged asset risk exposure. This is especially true in a cost-constrained environment where economic and schedule pressures can drive a leaner approach whereby, for example, traditional design margins are challenged.

Drawing on S2V Consulting’s extensive expertise in this area, this technical paper outlines examples of typical low-temperature exposure mechanisms and key facility risk areas. It highlights why there can be failures in mitigating these risks, both during initial facility design and throughout subsequent operating phase evolution, discusses analytical methods or tools and highlights potential mitigation measures. A structured evaluation process developed by S2V Consulting is presented that can be adopted to effectively safeguard facilities by ensuring these risks are identified, screened, prioritised and managed to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable). Finally, case studies are presented to provide context to the issue and demonstrate the effective application of the evaluation process to several current Australian production facilities.

Keywords: ALARP, brittle fracture, cold, embrittlement, IPF, loss of containment, low temperature, mitigation, modification, process, production, production facility, re-rating, risk, safety, screening, temperature.

Jim Bonini has more than 20 years’ international upstream oil and gas experience, across the lifecycle from field development planning through project execution to start-up, commissioning, asset support and optimisation. His experience spans broad, in-depth technical exposure and various technical, project and business leadership roles. He has worked on both offshore and onshore developments, from marginal fields to world-scale facilities, in both the greenfield and brownfield arenas, and has extensive experience in asset design, optimisation, integrity and risk management. Jim is S2V Consulting’s Technical Director and also leads the organisation’s Process and Facilities group.