Why Reality Capture is a must to report anomalies in industrial inspections
Industrial inspections consist of reporting anomalies to later perform maintenance plans. For this purpose, companies display several methods to inspect assets that can be divided into two major categories: the traditional methods and the digitized ones. In this context, these two groups present clear disparities in the benefits they generate to operators. While traditional methods still expose professionals to risky and time-consuming activities, new digitized ways of capturing reality have intuitively fostered safety and uptime for industrial inspections. Indeed, the new optimized methods of visually inspecting assets have accurately illustrated industrial realities to streamline maintenance actions. Thus, reporting anomalies with [...]
AI-driven Hull Inspections: Streamlining Safety and Efficiency
Vessels are crucial parts of different industrial operations. Considering this, the ship's main body: the hull, must be regularly inspected to ensure high asset integrity, safety, and efficiency standards. Hull damages such as cracks can lead to oil leaks, which can implicate direct emergency costs that surpass USD 50,000,000 according to Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, which is 100x more expensive than the investment to repair the defects on time (before the accident) not including compensations, fines, and asset depreciation. In this regard, hull inspections are a maintenance procedure that helps energy companies and bulk cargo transporters maintain high safety, compliance, [...]
Smart Hulls, Safe Seas: How to keep O&G facilities efficient
Introduction: Tank and hull inspections are critical for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of oil and gas floating production and storage facilities and tanker ships. The challenges of maintaining hull integrity are numerous, including corrosion, fatigue, and structural damage. In this article, we will explore the challenges of hull integrity management, as well as emerging technologies and approaches that may help address the challenges faced by this industry. Challenges of Hull Integrity Management Managing hull integrity presents a multitude of challenges, particularly when dealing with offshore and remote locations. External and internal care of [...]
How APM is enabling longer asset life cycles while reducing downtime
Intro Managing equipment life cycle is a sensitive matter that requires a careful approach from heavy asset industries. In this context, properly addressing maintenance practices lies in reducing unplanned downtime and reactive maintenance strategies with the intent of improving asset availability and readiness. For this reason, Asset Performance Management (APM) is a key concept to understand how this process can be streamlined. However, before getting into how asset life cycles are being optimized, it is necessary to understand the role of APM. What is the role of Asset Performance Management? Asset Performance Management does [...]
Unlocking AI’s accuracy and reliability
AI's growth scenario From its early days as a theoretical concept to today's omnipresent reality, AI's journey has been characterized by exponential growth. According to a 2022 IBM research, more than a third of companies (35%) report the use of AI in their business, a four-point increase from 2021. This illustrates a key change in the way we face reality, but different from other technological revolutions: today’s tool learns from its own experience at increasingly higher speed and scale. These tools are programmed to have a human-like thought process. Moreover, they are now a reality in the [...]
Difference Between Upstream, Midstream and Downstream
Intro: The efficient asset operation in the oil and gas industry has a huge impact on the global economy and the full functioning of society. The activities involved in this industry require meticulous planning and process mapping to improve business outcomes. And, although it moves massive capital flows and employs millions of people, catastrophic risks are imminent in this sector. It is in this field that the concepts of Upstream, Midstream and Downstream come to light, which refer to the supply chain organization and its specifications, targeting at an optimal monitoring of the processes involved in each stage. These sectors [...]
Challenges of Corrosion Under Insulation
Intro Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a pervasive problem in industrial process units that can lead to serious consequences if left unaddressed. It occurs when moisture becomes trapped between the insulation material and the metal surface, leading to accelerated corrosion. In this blog post, we will explore what CUI is, the risks it poses to process units, and the costs associated with it. What is Corrosion Under Insulation? Corrosion under insulation refers to the corrosion that occurs beneath insulation materials used to protect industrial equipment and pipelines. When moisture is present within the insulation, it creates a corrosive environment that [...]
The Role of Digital Analytics in Optimizing Operations in the Oil and Gas Industry
In the oil and gas sector, digital analytics is revolutionizing decision-making and enhancing performance. By harnessing the power of accurate data analysis, companies in this pivotal industry can gain valuable insights and make informed decisions that drive efficiency and productivity. We will explore how oil and gas companies are optimizing operations and reducing costs through digital analytics. Understanding the Importance of Digital Analytics in the Oil and Gas Industry. Digital analytics plays a crucial role in the oil and gas industry by providing valuable insights and data-driven decision-making. With the vast amount of data available [...]
Exploring Remote Inspection Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry
Intro The oil and gas industry plays a critical role in powering our modern world. However, ensuring the integrity and safety of assets in this industry can be a very complex and dangerous task. Traditional inspection methods often involve significant manpower and time, along with potential safety risks due to the nature of offshore production processes. In recent years, remote inspection techniques have emerged as a game-changer, revolutionizing the way inspections are conducted in these kind of facilities. In this blogpost, we will delve into the possibilities offered by remote oil and gas inspection, such as drones and 360 cameras. [...]
Descubriendo el potencial de drones en la industria de gas y petróleo
Los responsables de mantenimiento de plataformas de gas y petróleo se enfrentan a un serio problema: el modo en que la mayoría de los equipos inspecciona y evalúa la corrosión en las instalaciones marinas es anticuado, peligroso, lento y propenso al error humano. En las instalaciones a gran escala, la identificación visual de la corrosión exige la presencia de muchas personas, lo que no solo resulta incómodo, como también inseguro. La buena noticia es que la solución a este problema ya existe, y pasa por utilizar drones y algoritmos de Computer Vision para que los trabajadores sobre el terreno puedan [...]
