INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT OF AGEING OFFSHORE ASSETS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TOWARDS LIFE EXTENSION AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

摘要

An important part of the worldwide population of offshore units is ageing and now reaching end of designed life which brings integrity challenges at complete fields' level in various areas. Ageing assets are facing Integrity Management Challenges. Operational Integrity as well as Life extension problematic requires efficient supporting partners, solutions and systems. In parallel to process integrity management and obsolescence considerations, structural Integrity is one of the most challenging and sensitive points. After a brief overview of the actual worldwide fleet status, the author proposes to go through the presentation of a didactic process in order to better decide the feasibility of life extension of offshore assets in answering a few questions: 1.How to ensure a correct knowledge of the offshore facilities' condition? 2.What are the main degradation processes threatening the facilities? 3.What will be the response of a facility in its aged condition? 4.How to implement a cost-effective Inspection Strategy covering a high number of facilities? By reviewing the process of condition assessment, remaining life assessment, and definition of an appropriate Risk-Based Inspection strategy this paper aims at presenting a didactic view of ageing assets and life extension challenges of floating structures.