The rotating equipment maintenance business is changing globally and most significantly in North America. The environment has changed from ‘hardly any new plants within a decade’ to ‘several new major plants in a year’, from ‘peak oil scenario’ to ‘shale oil abundance’. At the same time, the industry is losing a generation of experts; engineers and specialists. The turnaround cycles have been extended from historically 3 - 5 years to up to 10 years and is further limiting individual experience which is a significant factor. Consequently, there are maintenance team members in place for many years, before they experience the first major turnaround event. More often staff is promoted into new positions and thus have not had the opportunity to contribute what they have learned in a second event. Therefore the risk of experiencing poor results is increased in all key aspects of the turnaround: Safety, quality, schedule and costs. All these aspects require a closer look at how turnarounds are being planned and executed. This paper provides an overview of the 5 key tactical requirement areas including the associated tasks, and some key ingredients for success. It further addresses some of the risks involved in large turnaround execution and potential mitigation methods.
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