Oil and Gas Asset Integrity: Risk-Based Inspection

Explore risk concepts and apply risk based inspection to subsea assets, prioritizing high risk components such as wells and Christmas trees to improve safety and asset integrity.

Define and apply subsea risk-based inspection (RBI) to prioritize inspections by risk, considering probability, consequence, and IMR strategies to protect asset integrity and safety.

Risk-based inspection targets high-risk subsea components, prioritizes inspections by actual risk, reduces costs, and enhances safety, reliability, and production continuity through dynamic, continuous risk assessment.

Define risk as the probability of failure times the consequences, and explore how physical, environmental, modeling, and human uncertainties drive decision making for risk-based inspection in subsea operations.

Assess uncertainty and integrate qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate likelihood and consequences, enabling informed risk decisions for subsea operations.

Apply the ALARP concept to subsea risk by balancing risk, cost, practicality, regulatory requirements, and industry standards to achieve as low as reasonably practicable safety.

Apply risk-based decision making to subsea operations by quantifying risks and mitigation costs using alarp. The numerical example compares two designs to balance risk reduction with cost.

Explore how subsea systems and field architecture shape risk evaluation in oil and gas, and how cost-benefit analysis and qualitative vs quantitative approaches guide decisions.

Explore the subsea production system (SPS) moving oil and gas from well to host facility and the subsea distribution system (SDS) delivering power, signals, and injections.

Analyze subsea field layout to optimize risk-based inspection planning for oil and gas professionals. Develop practical insights for subsea field layout and risk-based inspection.

Identify galvanic, pitting, and microbiologically influenced corrosion in subsea systems and tailor risk-based inspection and maintenance strategies using sacrificial anodes, coatings, and biocide treatments.

Explore biofouling and scaling on subsea equipment, where organisms attach and obstruct internal flow, degrading surfaces. Use antifouling coatings and periodic cleaning to prevent fouling and manage scaling.

Explore two critical subsea failure modes—leaks and blowouts—highlighting seal degradation, environmental and operational impacts, and measures like material selection, regular inspections, and robust pressure control including blowout preventers.

Fatigue, erosion, and impact loads threaten subsea assets; use material selection, design features, protective coatings, and robust procedures to inform risk-based inspection and maintenance.

Assess structural failures such as buckling, cracking, welding defects, free spans, and vortex-induced vibration to support risk-based inspection of robust subsea pipelines and risers, enhancing safety and system reliability.

Explore hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking in subsea systems, and examine environmental factors such as temperature and pressure, plus prevention measures like material selection and protective coatings.

Apply risk-based inspection concepts to subsea visual inspection using ROVs, divers, or underwater cameras to detect corrosion, wear, cracks, and free spans.

Learn radiographic testing using x ray or gamma rays to reveal internal defects in subsea components, and assess cathodic protection systems by measuring potential and current distribution to prevent corrosion.

Master ultrasonic testing for wall-thickness and internal flaw detection, including corrosion and erosion assessment in subsea components, and magnetic particle testing for surface and subsurface cracks in magnetic materials.

Discover how remotely operated vehicles enable subsea inspections, acting as the enabler for deep waters, and learn Norwood classifications, the five ROV classes, their applications, and environment and cost considerations.

Learn how a risk matrix combines probability and consequences to score risks in risk-based inspection. Apply the scoring system (1-5) to prioritize inspections, allocate resources, and guide maintenance decisions.

Identify risks and compile a risk register to map likelihood and consequences, then prioritize high-risk subsea components for inspection and mitigation using risk metrics and the risk matrix.

Use bow tie analysis to visualize the central hazard, causes, consequences, and controls in subsea systems. Identify risks, apply preventive and mitigative controls, and enhance safety.

Employ bow-tie analysis to bolster safety and compliance by structuring risk management, shaping emergency response plans, and enhancing training and communication with clear visual risk controls.

Identify subsea risks using historical data, design specifications, and current operations, then assess probability and consequences to safeguard safety, environment, and production.

Collect historical data, inspection records, and failure reports to refine risk-based inspection and use current results, condition monitoring, and real-time sensor data to adjust schedules and mitigate risks.

Explore how Petronas applied a risk based inspection program to subsea assets, extending inspection intervals to three years and cutting costs by a factor of three while maintaining safety.

Identify hazards and degradation mechanisms in subsea assets, translate them into credible failure modes, and drive a risk-based inspection (RBI) plan using observable underwater parameters and the Petronas risk matrix.

Define the battery limits for a risk-based inspection program for subsea systems, outlining key components such as subscale head, instrumentation, template manifold, PLIM/PLAT, umbilicals, and subsea hubs for focused inspection.

Tag assets to identify, locate, and manage subsea components for targeted inspections and risk ranking and mitigations, using a standardized system with a unique tag number, location, system, and subsystem.

Determine RBI inspection frequency by the highest risk exposure, using the shortest interval among subsea equipment. Align scope with RBI findings and adjust within maximum intervals based on post-inspection assessment.

The RBI final outcome shows how risk-based inspection creates a component-level plan for subsea systems—covering Christmas trees, manifolds, and wellheads—using baseline surveys and risk ranking to set intervals.