Fast Track Projects for todayÆs Refineries

[0707]

"In the 1970s and 1980s, a typical refinery maintenance outage lasted anywhere from 30–45 days and occurred every two or three years. Today, many refineries can run twice as long before they need to shut down for maintenance and the typical outage lasts about half the time. One of the most important processes in a refinery is the fluid catalytic cracking process. This process, which is used in refineries to break down heavy oils into lighter products, allows owners to meet the demand for higher-quality, higher-octane products.
Because of the vital role of this process, refineries that have Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCU’s) generally choose to revamp or upgrade these units during a regularly scheduled maintenance shutdown.
FCCU maintenance projects are driven by operational needs, such as the need to increase the capacity of the FCCU, handle a change in the stream fed into the FCCU, or improve reliability and extend the life cycle of the FCCU. These projects can range from relatively minor repair projects to major revamps that result in, essentially, the installation of a brand new unit."

Fluid Catalytic Cracking
"In-site" Repairing

Advantages:
They are “eventually” less onerous.
We will need minor transport logistics and lighter cranes.

Disadvantages:
We will have great manpower concentration with work specialties conflicts in confined spaces making it difficult to manage simultaneous works.
We will have bigger outage duration.
We will have lesser reply capacity to hypothetical unexpected works.
We will have a less efficient safety management.

Fluid Catalytic Cracking Repairing
Through Kits spare parts

Advantages:
We will have lesser manpower concentration "in site".
We will have lesser outage duration.
We will have Inexistence of unexpected works
We will have a more efficient safety management

Disadvantages
“Eventually” we will have bigger shutdown costs.
We will need bigger transport logistic with heavier cranes.

I invite the forum to comment.

Luis Marques

 

[Comcokid]

I am not in the Petroleum field. However, don't the oil companies mostly practice the "In-site" Repairing approach?

Take the second disadvantage you listed under "In-site":
"We will have bigger outage duration" = Shortage of refined product = Higher prices = More profits from less product = Extra $$$ for the oil companies.

Certaintly, this one "Disadvantage" to the CEOs and stock holders far outweighs any other consideration.

 

[0707]

Comcokid

As you don’t work in a refinery maybe this question is confusing you. Of course during a turnaround everything is done in the field.

The difference between “in site” & “Through Kits spare parts” is as follows:

In site repairing is a repair where the parts have to be rebuilt inside the equipment in confined spaces with lots of people doing several specialties such as cleaning, welding, applying refractory, grinding, hammering, dismantling and so on. If it happens any unexpected repair the planning has to be updated the critical path changes and the outage schedule will be delayed.

The repair through kits spare parts is more accurate, unexpected repairs will be minimized, specialties management will be optimized and with a good planning the outage schedule will be achieved.

This is my opinion based on some life experiences of several turnarounds

Cheers

Luis