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TOPIC- RISK BASED MAINENANCE OF OIL AND GAS PIPELINES

AIM

The project aims to investigate factors affecting the failures of oil and gas pipelines

and develop of a risk based approach for pipeline management in Nigeria in order to

prioritise pipelines for effective inspection and maintenance.

BACKGROUND

Transportation of oil and gas through pipelines is a vital process in the oil and gas

industry.Oil and gas pipelines are exposed to the environment as any crack or

exposure the pipelines can cause oil/gas spill resulting in huge negative impacts on

marine lives (Dey, Ogunlana and Naksuksakul, 2004). However, the associated

complexity of oil and gas pipeline projects results in issues of safety and

environmental issues. This leads to the need for effective risk management and risk

assessment approach (Veritas, 2001). Li et al., (2013) contend that though risk

management and assessment protocols are well established in the countries of the

West, their application is relatively limited in developing countries like Nigeria.

Nigeria is well known as one of the world leaders in the production of oil with the

industry contributing over 30% of the country's GDP. The promotion of national oil

corporations across the country has resulted in the development of over 5000 km of

pipeline running through the country. Udoh and Ekanem (2011) argued that the lack

of clear risk based managed approaches has resulted in increasing pipeline ruptures

across the country. In contrast, Wright et al., (2000) report that well established

policies of risk assessment and management in countries like UK and US has

resulted in 30% reduction in accidents due to the pipeline rupture over the last fiveyears. Given this scenario, this research will compare the risk management and risk

assessment policies of UK and Nigeria in order to identify the effect of major risk

management and develop effective risk based management approach in Nigeria.

A CNN (2011) report of 200 human fatalities due to a pipeline explosion is a good

example (Udoh and Ekanem 2011). Risk based approach to maintenance of

pipelines is defined as the process of identifying the likelihood of occurrence of

negative consequences of a hazard to the pipeline and undertaking specificcontingencies to mitigate the risk (Jo and Ahn, 2005). Risk Based Methodology

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(RBM) is a process of identifying and evaluating business risk levels, health, safety

and environmental issues of equipment and assets. These risks may be active or

impending.Maintenance and management procedures have been through a major

process of metamorphosis, from focusing on periodic overhauls to the use of

condition monitoring, reliability-centred maintenance, and expert systems. Most

recently, risk-based maintenance methodologies just started to emerge, this

methodology is comprised of four modules: identification of the scope, risk

assessment, risk evaluation, and maintenance planning. Using this methodology, the

study will try to assess risk generated by the sudden failure as a function of the

probability and the effect of failure (Krishnasamy, Khan and Haddara 2005).

Maintenance of the pipeline is estimated based on the risk analysed, which helps in

reducing the overall risk associated with the pipeline (Krishnasamy, Khan and

Haddara, 2005). Risk assessment harmonizes reliability, safety and environmental

issues and could be used as a preventive maintenance planning tool. In this

dissertation, the risk assessment, risk analysis and risk-based maintenance

methodologies will be identified and classified into suitable types. In determining the

consequences of hazardous events, the risk values will be derived from the product

of frequency of failure and results, and then be applied into pipeline integrity

maintenance decisions. The background to the proposed framework will be

discussed, so will the classes of risk affecting the quality of risk analysis be identified

and analysed (Arunraj and Maiti 2006). The applications, input data and output data

will be considered to understand their functionality and efficiency with conformity to

cost reduction acceptable risk criterion so that the maintenance decision will be

carried out transcending acceptable company and civil risk. In the end, the author

hopes to achieve that maintenance based on risk analysis prunes the probability of

system failure and reduces cost. This will hopefully aid pipeline integrity companies

and multinational oil and gas production companies to avoid cost implications for

compensations during oil spills and improve their preventive maintenance policy.

OBJECTIVES

Review relevant literature information, past and existing related with Risk-

Based-Maintenance (RBM) for oil and Gas pipelines.

Investigate and determine factors affecting failure of oil and gas pipelines in

Nigeria.

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Investigate and determine factors affecting failure of oil and gas pipelines in

the United Kingdom.

Identify the current level of pipeline risk in Nigeria

Critically evaluate the policies for Nigerian National Oil Companies (NNOC)

and International Oil Companies (IOC) in Nigeria and the United Kingdom

respectively and identify differences in risk management practices.

Formulate an effective risk based management strategy for oil and gas

pipelines for Nigerian companies

Conclusions and recommendation

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Sources of information required for this dissertation will include; Related Books,

journals articles, technical papers, company magazines, review papers, MS

excel/STATA 13 data statistical software. Data will be obtained from Pipeline

integrity companies like in the United Kingdom, DNV Aberdeen and Oilserv Limited

Nigeria.