Plant managers in a variety of industries know all too well the damaging effects leaks can have on plant performance, especially when they occur after a turnaround or even during an initial plant start-up. Fortunately, those who do realize the serious health risks, environmental hazards and significant loss in operational productivity and profitability, are now taking the critical steps to prevent leak start ups in the first place.

Many plant managers who have partnered with Houston-based Furmanite, an international leader in on-site and on-line plant and pipeline maintenance, for services including leak sealing, controlled bolting, hot tapping, and on site machining, can now turn to their partner for an effective solution for preventing leaks upon plant start-up and after routine turnarounds. Furmanite’s new Pressurized Systems Integrity Management (PSI Management) program is a fully managed engineering solution that provides critical joint integrity in pressurized systems.

“For 75 years, we’ve provided leak management solutions to our customers to help maximize their asset uptime and increase profitability. Furmanite is now building on this expertise with the development of the Pressurized Systems Integrity Management program,” said Gary Gardner, President of Furmanite America. “We are now taking our leak sealing management services a step further with a comprehensive program that will guarantee our valuable customers no leaks during plant turnarounds and the start up process, as well as provide ongoing maintenance to prevent future leaks.”

The Program

The successful program is the result of a combination of on-site engineering skills and sophisticated user friendly software. PSI Management is designed to address every stage of a plant operation including engineering analysis, unbolting and inspection to machining, gasket installation, assembly and controlled bolting, plus full documentation for traceability.

According to Furmanite engineers, PSI Management is designed for application in a wide variety of critical bolted connections, including pipework flanges, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, pumps and compressors and reactors. Furmanite is also applying PSI Management when managing the removal, overhaul and re-installation of flanges during scheduled plant shutdowns.

Realized Results

In fact, long term customers like Western Mining Corporation have already seen the benefits Furmanite’s leak sealing management services. During a scheduled outage at the Western Mining Corporation’s Phosphate Hills fertilizer plant in Australia, Furmanite successfully managed the removal, overhaul and reinstallation of 970 critical flanges. The project, which was performed by 20 Furmanite technicians over a 20-day period, resulted in a no leak start up.

“Using Furmanite in the initial planning stages gave us major benefits and enabled the plant to be brought back to full production within the specified time frame,” said Barry Thake, WMC ammonia/granulation plant maintenance planner.

Furmanite is now introducing the PSI Management program to its U.S. customers in a variety of industries including chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, and national defense.

The Critical Need

The need for a ‘leak-free’ preventative solution is an imperative part of successful and profitable plant operations for industries ranging from oil and gas to the power industry. In fact, according to the Joint Industry UKOOA/HSE (UK Offshore Operators Association/Health Safety Executive Program), 25 percent of critical joints leak on start up and 17 percent of hydrocarbon releases on offshore sites are from leaking joints.

“Leaking joints are a tremendous problem at both offshore and onshore sites,” said Ivor Roberts, Executive Vice President, Furmanite Worldwide, Inc. “They can be extraordinarily costly and hazardous to health, safety and the environment.”

Prior to utilizing Furmanite’s PSI Management services, the Company’s customers report experiencing leaking joints for a variety of reasons including incorrect bolt loads, uncontrolled tightening methods, inappropriate gasket selection and flange distortion.

Invaluable Benefits

The Pressurized Systems Integrity Management program is designed to achieve leak free joints upon plant start up and after turnarounds. This program can produce significant savings to plant operations by eliminating lost production through unnecessary shutdowns, reducing equipment and testing costs, eliminating emissions and maintaining optimum plant performance during operational life. Those plants that incorporate PSI Management can also reduce health and safety risks to employees and protect the environment from emissions, therefore avoiding severe government penalties.

“Plant Operations Managers realize that the risks involved in leaking joints at plant start up are far too high,” said Roberts. “In fact, the cost of a leak is far greater than the cost of avoiding it.”

PSI Management Performance – Step by Step

Plant operations managers that implement PSI Management realize immediate benefits due to the comprehensive components that comprise the program and the experienced technicians managing the program.

Tagging

The first step that is carried out by experienced Furmanite engineers prior to shutdown is a full analysis and cataloging of all critical joints. Working directly with the customer’s engineers, Furmanite technicians identify the flange design, surface finish, bolt type, materials, bolt loading and gasket type. The data is then tagged for immediate status recognition using a series of color coded tags

Transferring Data

The data is then transferred to specially developed windows software, which is accessible to the customer at all times during the shutdown using a password. The system automatically records when work is completed by the Furmanite site managers. Immediate access to the system via the web is available to customers during the shutdown process.

Detailing History

Furmanite engineers then collect detailed information and history on each critical joint. This provides a comprehensive and unique record that is accessible to Furmanite and the customer.

Scheduling Maintenance

PSI Management allows for total control over the operation’s production schedule. Furmanite technicians work with the customer to plan maintenance that fits with the customer’s work/shutdown schedules. This eliminates the need for further delays and unscheduled maintenance.

Providing Expertise

Experienced Furmanite technicians are fully certified within the UKOOA and ISO 9001 guidelines. All receive extensive training allowing them to provide complex difficult services and custom repairs.

“The backbone of the PSI Management program is the Furmanite technicians who are ensuring that this program runs successfully for each customer,” said Gardner. “Furmanite prides itself in providing extensive training for our technicians so our customers can be assured the program will run efficiently.”

Furmanite technicians are qualified to perform a variety of complex repairs including: fastener breakout to disassemble bolted joints, hot bolting (the bolting of components online to prevent or stop leakage), removal and placement of damaged fasteners and bolt stress measuring or applying mechanical or ultrasonic means to measure fastener elongation. Full engineering services, which include CAD systems, are also incorporated to provide tightening, torquing and tensioning procedures and bolting patters for any sizes and range of flange.

About Furmanite

2004 represents 75 years of Furmanite serving as ‘the’ worldwide expert in the field of on-site and on-line plant and pipeline maintenance for a variety of industries – chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, and national defense. Furmanite’s broad array of services and patented technology are critical to the operation and financial success of some of the world’s largest process manufacturers and energy producers and suppliers including Shell, ExxonMobil, Sun Oil, Dominion, Exelon, Cinergy, Entergy and Reliant. Furmanite has more than 40 offices on five continents.

For more information contact Karen Hollas at 1-800-444-5572 or khollas@furmaniteusa.com.