Hydrocarbon Processing - July 2022 - 15

Optimization
A. ANWER
Contributing Editor
Integrity operating windows management
Operations in the oil and gas, petrochemical
and refining industries pose a
higher risk when failures occur in identifying
ongoing damage mechanisms
within static equipment. Often, inspections
use a risk-based approach that enables
the determination of fit-for-purpose
inspection frequencies, methods
and coverage to suit the allotted budget
window. Therefore, it has become even
more important to maintain a closer
view of the process conditions within
the static equipment.
Data being fed to the risk-based inspection
management software should
always remain updated and dynamic to
provide the best output to ensure asset
integrity. The inability to monitor process
conditions-a vital component in
determining the lifecycle of any asset-
can lead to improper inspection frequencies,
methods and coverage that endanger
overall asset management. That
is
where the management of integrity operating
windows (IOWs), shown in FIG. 1,
comes into focus.
In some processes, a range of changes
is acceptable and may not cause any adverse
effects on asset integrity; however,
cases exist where the slightest change
in process conditions can negatively affect
the health of the asset, leading to
unnoticed damage and potential health,
safety and environmental (HSE) impact.
Improper control over temperature in a
stream where sulfidation (a form of hightemperature
hot corrosion) is expected
to occur can lead to metallurgical damages;
if not inspected in a timely manner,
this carries the potential for a loss of process
containment.
Temperatures of furnaces and heaters
exceeding specific temperature limits
can lead to hot spots and possibly internal
refractory damage. Operating acid
lines with concentrations different than
those suitable for the metallurgy under
operation can adversely affect the piping
system. If an inspection function is not
FIG. 1. A simplified representation of integrity operating windows (IOWs).
informed about these changes, an early
detection of the extent of damage and appropriate
action would be delayed.
Every critical piece of equipment and
piping system within a facility should have
a defined set of IOWs that must be monitored
regularly. Any breaches should not
only be recorded for the slightest changes,
but must be shared with the responsible
asset integrity function to review and obtain
inputs from other functions, such as
inspection and reliability. Defining IOWs
requires the formation of a team comprising
operations, process and asset integrity
personnel to perform an asset level study
of normal operating parameters and then
establish the limits of continuous safe
operations beyond them. This should be
completed for all static equipment and
then documented so any breach of defined
limits can be identified immediately
for further reporting and analysis.
A system-dependent monitoring of
IOWs should be required in any hydrocarbon
operating facility to reduce risk
and ensure asset integrity. The minimum
expectations from such a system include
determining the types of breaches, their
magnitude and the time duration. An initial
review by the plant operations team
should obtain this data daily so that validation
can be achieved-this validation
will ensure the recording of breaches
and their authenticity. It is quite possible
that the system may detect breaches resulting
from a faulty instrument or some
planned or breakdown maintenance that
is in progress and causing communication
of such irregularities.
After achieving validation from the
plant operations representative, this data
should be shared with the teams responsible
to ensure asset integrity. The data
should be consistently analyzed so that
the impact of exceeding the IOWs can be
evaluated. A single incident of exceeding
an IOW may not necessitate the revision
of an existing plan; however, multiple
instances (if not recorded and analyzed
properly) may cause long-term damage.
This is when response time matters. For
each defined IOW, the appropriate action
for operations and the response
time should be predefined. This must be
completed while developing each IOW
work process.
Note: The reporting and validation
of initial breaches is the responsibility
of the plant operations team, but further
review, trend-making and analysis should
be done by the relevant functions responsible
for ensuring asset integrity. Some
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 2022 15
Hydrocarbon Processing - July 2022

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