Design of a maintenance optimisation approach for offshore oil and gas production systems

Abstract

The expediency of production in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry is dependent upon high asset integrity levels as a result of well organised maintenance practices. There arises a need for a structured approach to maintenance optimisation for such a complex system. This paper outlines a process for designing an approach for maintenance optimisation of an Offshore Oil and Gas Production System. A detailed literature research on maintenance optimisation is performed to highlight the key tools, techniques and strategies applicable to this industry. In addition, further research was conducted on past optimisation frameworks in the area. The findings highlighted several key stages which were used to design the proposed framework however some stages were modified to accommodate specific elements relating to the industry of interest. This would serve to guide users on achieving effective optimisation for a range of assets. Although the initial stages have been tested future work will attempt to validate the complete framework with a practical case and perhaps extend it to include multi-criteria optimisation techniques.