N E W S R E L E A S E from FURMANITE AUSTRALIA
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Optimised leak detection and sealing for oil refinery
Atmeco and Furmanite have joined forces to provide a comprehensive leak and emissions detection and sealing service for one of Australia’s major oil refineries. The move has established a service from which other refineries could now benefit.
The alliance combines Atmeco’s component integrity management service (with its focus on leak detection 
and associated systems and support technologies) with Furmanite’s specialist pressure leak sealing expertise. By identifying and fixing any hydrocarbon leaks, the service assists the refinery in meeting high plant safety and healthy working environment demands, and complying with growing global requirements and legislation to reduce environmental emissions, as well as helping to optimise plant performance.
Atmeco director Russell Colman points out: “A typical refinery will have between 50,000 and 250,000 components that could leak, and that doesn’t include flanges. Keeping track of the monitoring of these components and the remedial response actions is a major task in itself.”
By working together, Furmanite and Atmeco maximise on operational efficiencies to deliver an optimal service to the refinery operator that sees any leaks sealed more quickly and efficiently, while minimising demand on the in-house maintenance team.
Colman explains: “Furmanite has access to Atmeco’s web-based system, enabling their field crew and management to log-on for remote access to assess quickly the site job status at any time. Accessing this system provides Furmanite with real-time information on the current number of leaks, and those approved for repair. The Furmanite team can then identify the leak sealing jobs to be done, knowing that all permits and support will be planned and ready. Once the work is completed, Furmanite can then log on, record actions and outcomes, and clear the component for final testing by Atmeco and inclusion in the invoicing schedule.”
A further development could see a leak sealing clamp database built up by the alliance, logging all boxes and clamps with details of where and when fitted, and monitoring the number of subsequent injections performed, ensuring their planned removal within outage schedules.
The alliance provides multiple advantages. The refinery operator benefits from early identification of leaks and minimised delays in sealing, in turn avoiding the chance of it becoming a larger and more serious problem. Compliance with strict environmental regulations also becomes easier to manage. Additionally, the refinery workforce welcomes the measures to minimise exposure to harmful emissions from process streams.
As Furmanite regional sales manager Neil Hibbert comments: “The customer gains significant speed and efficiency benefits, plus their reduced direct involvement as the process is effectively self managing, Equally, Atmeco gains the ability to check response status and progress at any time, and avoids many common site communication problems. And Furmanite achieves improved resource utilisation with its technicians better able to plan their work. It’s an approach to leak management that pays dividends all round.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
Furmanite, the global technical services company geared to maximising asset uptime, is headquartered in Dallas, USA, with offices and service centres in Australia, Asia Pacific, USA, UK, Europe, Scandinavia, the Caspian region and the Middle East. It offers a wide range of on-site and on-line services and technologies to help industry operators around the world keep their assets earning, minimise downtime and maximise production efficiency. Services, all delivered by highly qualified multi-disciplined technicians, include on-line pressure leak sealing, pipeline intervention (hot tapping, line plugging and pipe freezing), on-site machining, on-line valve testing and repair, Pressurized Systems Integrity Management and controlled bolting, and composite repair, among others. The company also specialises in designing and developing bespoke engineered solutions to meet specific requirements.
Atmeco Pty Ltd was formed in 2002 to provide services to help companies improve the component integrity in their plants and facilities. The company brings decades of combined experience in the fields of environmental and maintenance risk management, emissions monitoring and reporting, software design and development, data management, facility surveys and business performance improvement. Atmeco serves clients in industry sectors including oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical, and pharmaceutical. Its services, training, software systems and support include operational integrity of plant components, product and energy loss prevention, environmental and OH&S performance, cost-effective maintenance management and regulatory compliance, which combine to comprise the Atmeco Component Integrity Management System (CIMS).
For more information, please click here to contact Furmanite at your nearest regional sales office.
For further press information contact:
Sarah Manwaring-White, Keep in Touch Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)1451 844 488 Email: sarah_mw@keepintouch.co.uk
Issued on behalf of Furmanite Australia