Optimising Asset Integrity & Service Life – Qatari Case Study

Valve reliability is a fundamental factor in any operator’s strategy to achieve optimal operating of life of its assets in oil & gas production

Over the past 3 months SVS has been working closely with one of its international clients in Qatar to conduct a regimented GAP Analysis across their valve standards and maintenance practices. This holistic analysis was to be executed in a two stage format; with Stage 1 centred around reconaisance of information in order for SVS to appropriately establish the operator’s existing maintenance standards to enable accurate diagnosis of the GAPs, and Stage 2 focussed on agreed execution of the GAP solutions.

The relative investigations of Stage 1 would be faciliated by two separate SVS personnel secondments to Qatar, in addition to regular e-communication exchange between the operator’s discipline authorities and SVS, to comprehensively execute and conclude the aspect function. The work programs for the requisitioned visits to Qatar were as follows:-

Visit 1: Non-Intrusive Site Surveys

• Survey, data collection & in-situ observation of client’s selected critical valves


• Gain definition of the full extent of valve maintenance currently executed at the assets


• Obtain work procedures / PMRs of relative maintenance practices for review


• Identify methods of data logging for maintenance results


• Probe into any significant historical valve failure events/ incidents at site which may shape the project GAP solution


• Obtain clarity on the valve greasing/preventative maintenance products currently utilised aboard the assets


• Identify any limitations in the execution of current / prospective future maintenance at the sites

Visit 2: RCA (Root-Cause Analysis) Investigations of Failed Critical Valves

• Study of valve failure mechanics to aid in the identification of weaknesses / GAPs in client valve specifications


• To grant client staff further literacy of tell-tail signs leading to issues/failures in their valves


• To assess the functionality & integrity of the OEM design of the valves in question


• Corroborate maintenance findings recovered from Visit 1


• To enable SVS to obtain further understanding of client’s valve problems and aid in failure pattern recognition, building into the final GAP solution

Comprehensive analysis of the investigative findings has enabled SVS to accurately diagnose the GAPs in our client’s valve standards & maintenance practices and devise a bespoke strategy to execute and enact our recommended GAP solutions in project Stage 2.

The final intended output deliverables of the scope are a suite of modernised valve specifications & datasheets, appropriately amended in-line with the Stage 1 investigative findings, and development of a one-stop Valve Maintenance Strategy formulated specifically to our client’s asset requirements and performance standards to promote optimal service life of their valves.

A proactive preventative maintenance regime is essential to achieve optimal service life of a valve.

The concept of preventative valve maintenance in general is simple; making valves operate better for longer.

This concept has a number of far-reaching benefits to operating assets in the long term:-

• Enhancing safety – reducing the risk of valve failure and unscheduled outage/shutdown


• Cost saving – reducing the need for frequent valve replacements


• Reducing the need for planned shutdowns – with most preventative maintenance practices being performable in live operating conditions


• Reducing fugitive emissions – via valve leaks/weeps

SVS is committed to steering our clients towards an attitude of loss prevention rather than mitigation. Through experience, proactive maintenance of mechanical equipment in general is often regarded as a ‘nice to do’ at many operators and commonly falls by the wayside in terms of function priority at operating assets. SVS has sought to demonstrate value in this method of approach in recent years; aided through our exposure to RCA / Failure Investigation of client equipment we’ve been able to identify a vast range of failure mechanics relating to dated equipment specifications and incorrectly applied maintenance practices, or the absence of proactive maintenance in general. As a result, valve specifications and the maintenance approach at our client operators have been modernised under our care.

To find out more about valve maintenance strategy and our other value-added technical capabilities please visit our website: www.svservices.com or contact us directly: sales@svservices.com

Tel: 01224 278 840
Email: sales@svservices.com
Web: www.svservices.com

Published: 23rd August 2018