Asset Integrity Management - Mechanical Integrity

Asset integrity is the ability of industrial equipment to perform its required function effectively and safely. In the energy sector, asset integrity is synonymous with improving Mechanical Integrity (MI) programs. This includes the management of critical process equipment to ensure they are designed, fabricated, installed, operated, and maintained properly to mitigate associated risks.

Asset integrity management is important as user operators that operate a high volume of pressurized equipment are susceptible to Loss of Pressure Containment (LOPC), leaks, and corrosion, all of which can be detrimental to their bottom line. By equipping organizations with an integrated set of software tools for asset integrity management, they can accurately collect data from the field, understand risk for static assets and ensure that asset inspection strategies are optimized to an ALARP (as low as reasonably possible) risk level.

The key elements for asset integrity management include:
- Assess risk levels of static assets in the facility
- Reanalyze integrity and safety risk based on real-time field data collection
- Detect compliance gaps and automate time-based inspection planning
- Implement and execute inspection strategies
- Store thickness readings and carry out detailed corrosion analysis
- Establish Integrity Operating Windows (IOW) monitoring policies to determine process excursions

Asset integrity management services could encompass software and digital tools such as:
- Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) to rank equipment in a facility based on risk exposure
- Inspection Management (IM) to manage inspection plans and track inspection recommendations
- Thickness Monitoring (TM) to carry out detailed corrosion analysis in a centralized manner
- Compliance Management to track when equipment should be inspected and comply with global standards.

A comprehensive, scalable, and sustainable asset integrity management software solution that can integrate mechanical integrity and inspection initiatives across an enterprise and is designed to support large-scale reliability, corrosion, and thickness measurement programs will help users reduce risks, lower inspection costs, and manage compliance.

The goals for asset integrity management are:
• Calculate risk levels of static assets in the facility
• Reanalyze integrity and safety risk based on real time field data collection
• Implement and execute optimized inspection strategies (manage inspection plans on a variety of asset classes, document the condition of the asset, and track inspection recommendations to closure)
• Calculate the remaining life based on the minimum thickness required to safely operate static assets
• Identify areas of corrosion or erosion that can compromise the equipment's integrity
• Maximize worker/operator safety in hazardous environments
• Integrate compliance and integrity initiatives across an enterprise

Overall, the above goals tie-in to the main objectives of reducing risks, lowering inspection costs, and managing compliance.

By using software, operators can continuously monitor the current state of their Mechanical Integrity (MI) program and react more quickly to changing risk conditions. Furthermore, embracing technology advancements in mobile and situational awareness will helps users ensure that their static assets in the facility achieve the desired performance in a safe and reliable manner. For instance, the ability to go beyond textual representations and reports and provide contextual 2D and 3D visualizations of data on the schematic of an asset itself will help quicken time to value.

Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) is a methodology that is compliant with American Petroleum Institute (API) standards and can be used to measure asset integrity. RBI supports the ability to assess the likelihood and consequences of failures and to optimize inspection rigor based on overall risk. As a starting point, users can use either a qualitative/semi-quantitative (RBI-580) or quantitative (RBI-581) risk engine to calculate a risk value associated with their static assets. Subsequently, RBI data can be seamlessly integrated into inspection management and maintenance programs to avoid equipment failures and to ensure that the current condition of the asset is documented.

For static equipment in industrial environments, corrosion can adversely impact performance and safety. A corrosion analyst can use software to determine the extent of thinning; wherein the measurements are recorded against defined Thickness Measurement Locations (TMLs). They can calculate the minimum thickness levels that pressurized assets typically experience and alerts can be sent to integrity managers to manage equipment health.

Asset integrity management is applicable to all industry verticals that have static or fixed equipment such as piping systems, vessels, exchangers, tanks, and boilers. Specifically in the energy sector, Oil & Gas (O&G) is a key industry vertical for asset integrity –– involving various stages from exploration to production to refining to distribution. Mining & Metals (M&M) is another industry vertical with growing requirements for asset integrity.

Asset integrity is a subset of Asset Performance Management (APM). A holistic APM solution includes several applications that can help users:

- Develop and manage asset strategies
- Monitor asset health and condition
- Identify the root cause for asset downtime
- Detect, diagnose, predict, and prevent asset failures
- Mitigate risks of fixed assets (i.e., Asset Integrity)
- Manage equipment and process safety in the facility

These applications are designed to support specific functions/departments, such as inspection, reliability, or maintenance, and are essential to run the site efficiently. Furthermore, users can access information from one or more applications on a single user interface to help integrate insights and streamline processes.