A Risk Based Inspection Framework for the Colombian Oil & Gas Sector

The chemical and petrochemical industry is vulnerable to macroeconomic events such as the oil prices decline experienced since late 2014, making it a challenge for all organizations to carry out optimized operations with the highest efficiency possible. This is accomplished through work in many elements, but a central one is mechanical integrity (MI) management. MI’s importance is found in the budget assigned to it and the way it is spent, having as goal to characterize the mechanical state of the processing equipment and assuring it is within acceptable operating conditions (e.g. adequate thickness, stresses, vibration) through the performance of inspections and testing. To optimize the inspection activities of the MI element, methodologies such as Risk Based Inspection (RBI) have been formulated since around the 1980s, most notably the API RP 580/581 and DNV RP G-101. However, each RBI methodology has a specific application scope, therefore it is recommended that they are adjusted to the characteristics and requirements of each particular system. This paper presents an RBI tool package developed for the oil & gas production sector, the challenges and benefits obtained from it and a case study, showing that RBI should not be treated as a product, but as a program. If the RBI program is performed adequately it can deliver major benefits for the Latin American productive industries, such as those presented in the case study.