Case Study
Calibration of PCMS RBI Methodology for Offshore Platforms
Client: Offshore Oil & Gas Operator | Location: Gulf of America
A major offshore oil and gas operator was reliant on a qualitative risk-based inspection (RBI) methodology, which depended on subjective judgment and manual risk ranking. This approach led to inconsistencies in risk evaluations across similar equipment and platforms, making prioritization of inspection activities inefficient and sometimes unreliable.
The client had implemented PCMS (Plant Condition Management Software) with its built-in API 580/581 quantitative risk assessment module, which is largely tailored for refinery, chemical plant, and other land-based operations. The client realized that the baseline calculation model did not accurately represent offshore scenarios – including aspects that can heavily influence consequence of failure such as blast-proof walls, prevailing winds, production loss, and cost of repair.
There was a clear need to evolve toward a standardized, data-driven RBI approach that could reflect the unique operational, environmental, and regulatory conditions of offshore platforms.
Our Solution:
- Calibrated PCMS Consequence Modelling to ensure that the appropriate offshore context, including unique operational, environmental, and structural conditions, were reflected in the analysis.
- Adjusted External Corrosion Rates to reflect offshore-specific corrosion rate data sets from historical inspection records and industry data.
- Updated PCMS Risk Matrix to align with the Client’s Corporate Risk Matrix with the specific levels and definitions of COF and POF.
- Calculated Adjusted Risk based on the offshore-specific semi-quantitative analysis.
- Updated Inspection Plans for the equipment and piping based on the new risk, considering offshore logistics and campaign planning cycles.
The Benefits
- Improved Risk Accuracy: Offshore-specific damage mechanisms and consequence scenarios delivered more realistic risk results.
- Streamlined Risk Assessment: Data-driven RBI model in PCMS eliminated the manual, subjective analysis previously conducted.
- Right-Sized Inspection Program: Focused inspection efforts on the most critical assets, reducing unnecessary work while ensuring risk is managed.
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