WIRELINE AUTUMN 2014 ISSUE 29

AGEING AND LIFE EXTENSION

HEALTH AND SAFETY

of oil export pipeline; and plans to replace the fire and gas, emergency shutdown and distributed control systems to address capacity constraints. Part of the focus has also been to apply new technologies for non-intrusive inspection work to optimise efficiency. Andy’s team is working with Nexen’s technology group and other organisations to identify alternative tools, such as ‘phased array’ ultrasonic scanning techniques to detect “You cannot de-couple the Wood Review and the issue of ageing. If we don’t create the industrial landscape that the review is looking for us to create, we are not going to get the fresh commercial thinking and solutions.” to perform heavy lifting work when installing new, large-scale access stairs and pipe infrastructure on the flare boom As part of Fairfield Energy’s upgrade of the Dunlin platform, an innovative solution was to use helicopter operations

Aerial view of Nexen’s Scott platform. As the Scott platform reached the end of its planned operational life, Nexen initiated gap analysis into its approach to ALE management. The resulting recommendations have formed the basis of a company-wide strategy that is being applied to all assets, from Scott to the new Golden Eagle development

flange face corrosion. This technology eliminates the need to physically split the flange faces apart to inspect them. Mature outlook While most of the company’s ALE work has focused on Scott and, to a lesser extent, its Buzzard asset, Nexen is keen to ensure ALE management is integrated into its new Golden Eagle development from the outset. “For the Golden Eagle, one of the first things we did was a lessons learnt exercise from Buzzard and Scott,” says Andy. “In terms of, for example, hydrocarbon release prevention – a key element of ALE – we integrated a lot of learnings into the design of Golden Eagle.” He believes that ALE management for new developments should start by conducting baseline studies on equipment to provide a reference point for future inspections and support decision-making in the long term. Scott, meanwhile, remains a high performing element of Nexen’s UK assets. “It’s a real success story – one that’s not just down to ALE, but it has certainly played its part,” asserts Andy.

For Ian, the benefits of effective ALE management tie the discipline closely to the ongoing issues surrounding North Sea rejuvenation and Sir Ian Wood’s review on maximising economic recovery from the UK Continental Shelf. He asserts: “Ageing issues impact the platform and it is important to manage your facilities accordingly, but it is also important to consider what resources you will need to maximise economic recovery and make sure your installations are operating efficiently; then you can bring life extension on board. “You cannot de-couple the Wood Review and the issue of ageing. If we don’t create the industrial landscape that the review is looking for us to create, we are not going to get the fresh commercial thinking and solutions.” For more information, please visit www.fairfield-energy.com/pages/ view/dunlin and www.nexencnoocltd. com/en/Operations/Conventional/ UKNorthSea.aspx.

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