As North Sea operators seek to maximise economic recovery of oil and gas reserves, many installations are remaining in service well beyond their original intended lifespan.
More than 50% of platforms have exceeded their design life.
The industry therefore faces increasing challenges in managing the effects of ageing on assets, plant and equipment and ensuring that integrity can be maintained throughout the full asset life cycle.
Corrosion has always been one of the biggest threats to the oil and gas industry and the cost of careful monitoring and management can be high, both financially and in terms of safety.
Having a robust and effective corrosion management plan is essential.
Rosen Group’s Aberdeen-based consultancy arm is all about understanding degradation processes and assessing the condition of assets – from pipelines, subsea and topsides facilities to onshore terminals.
With a sound understanding of the fundamental mechanisms, in particular corrosion, and an in-depth knowledge of industry codes and regulatory demands Rosen applies scientific, academic and analytical approaches to determine the condition of assets and assess how their life can be extended and continue to perform safely and economically.
Rosen Group has been supporting operators in this way, understanding the factors that influence asset deterioration to therefore minimise future risk, for more than 20 years and brings considerable expertise to the table.
An experienced team of industry experts based in Aberdeen, who have all worked in operations and therefore have a detailed understanding of the challenges faced from both sides of the fence, allows Rosen Group’s consultancy arm to effectively service the onshore and offshore oil and gas market in the North Sea directly on their doorstep.
With support and access to more than 170 staff in Aberdeen and Newcastle, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities (materials, coatings, corrosion, welding, failure investigation), reliable field service technicians (CP, coatings, annulus testing), and the latest finite element and flow assurance software, the company is ideally placed to develop strategies for asset life extension.
Dave Flett, principal pipelines engineer, who has more than 25 years’ experience, explains: “Having seen the industry from both sides is proving to be a real advantage in enabling us to help clients navigate their way through the legislative requirements of dealing with regulators such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
We speak their language and have inside knowledge of legislation and technical authority practices. Dealing with the regulatory body carries its own challenges – and every operator needs to comply with the regulations. In my experience this is something all companies worry about and it’s our job to help them demonstrate compliance.”
Mr Flett concludes: “Today’s economic situation is a tough one and clients know they can depend on Rosen for a cost-effective response. At the end of the day it’s all about giving the customer what they need to keep producing oil and gas efficiently and most importantly, safely.”
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