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Lloyd’s Register Energy has released a new Guidance Note on Risk-based Inspection (RBI) of hull structures. The Guidance Note provides operators of floating units, such as FPSO and FLNG units, with information on how to develop an RBI plan which can replace the traditional prescriptive approach to inspection planning and will minimise downtime, reduce risk and mitigate unplanned dry-docking due to non-conformance with class Rules.
“The Guidance Note outlines Lloyd’s Register Energy’s RBI methodology for the hull structures of floating offshore units. It allows operators to prioritise and plan inspections based on risk, rather than by using traditional time-based inspection plans”, says Tim Walsh, Chief Operating Officer Assurance, at Lloyd’s Register Energy. “They’ve been created in consultation with industry partners who form Lloyd’s Register’s Offshore Technical Committee.”
Compared to a time-based approach, RBI allows operators to prioritise and optimise inspection and maintenance regimes by estimating the likelihood of failures and consequences, identifying high risk components and allocating resource accordingly.
Walsh highlights: “A well-structured RBI scheme will help operators reduce downtime and facilitate continuous operation by focusing inspection and resource on critical risk elements.”
Lloyd’s Register Energy has a wealth of experience in the implementation and management of RBI for static equipment across the upstream and downstream oil and gas industry, as well as the petrochemical and chemical industries, helping operators reduce inspection points by 50% to 90% and reducing risk of failures by 80% to 90%.
The document is designed to guide the industry in how to implement RBI schemes on units Classed by Lloyd’s Register. It is intended to be used alongside Lloyd’s Register Energy’s Rules for Offshore Units as part of Classification, but can also be used when an asset is not classed by Lloyd’s Register.
The new Guidance Note focuses on RBI of hull structures, however the scope of the service offered by Lloyd’s Register Energy also extends to topside static equipment for fixed and floating installations and facilities, both on and offshore.
Download the Guidance Note for free at this link.
Lloyd’s Register Energy
www.lr.org/en/energy/
Filed Under: News, O&M
