Technical Articles & Abstracts

So your pipe burst, your pump shaft snapped, or your welded joint split, and you need to figure out why and how to fix it. The next steps you take can make the difference between finding answers and leaving the mystery unsolved until the next failure.

We have many options for conducting root cause analyses (RCA) including TapRooT™ and CAST/STPA. The method described here is the method developed by GATE to simplify the analysis while maintaining adequate rigor.

Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) is a systems approach to hazard analysis. It is based on the premise that accidents happen when we lose control. They are a control problem, not a failure problem.

The GATE approach to risk ranking makes risk assessment easier, more accurate and more repeatable by incorporating LOPA insights into the risk matrix approach.

HAZOP is the most commonly applied process hazard analysis (PHA) methodology in the processing industries. It is also the most flawed!

This article discusses high-level technical considerations when refitting an existing offshore infrastructure for CCUS applications.

Energy is changing. Because of the increasing threat of the consequences of a warming planet, new sources of energy are being developed that are expected to slow this planet-wide change. Some of these are well-known, such as nuclear, wind and solar, while others require more work, such as hydrogen, 3rd generation concentrated solar and fusion.

The overall aim of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is to store carbon dioxide (CO2) in geological formations in order to reduce the amount in the environment and lower the risk of catastrophic climate change. The rate of CO2 emission and the amount of it in the atmosphere has been increasing steadily since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early part of the 19th century.

There are several developments in the area of electrolysis which seek to reduce the cost, increase the yield, or even change the source of transportable hydrogen.

Making Risk Assessment Better, Less Ambiguous and Repeatable - And more Actionable

The recent global over supply of crude oil and soft demand has resulted in oil companies shutting wells in to prevent destroying value and to protect their balance sheets. The time frame, until production startup becomes economic, is uncertain and therefore, it is imperative that appropriate actions are taken to maintain and manage the integrity of shut-in wells and associated delivery systems.

The time frame, until production startup becomes economic, is uncertain and therefore it is imperative that appropriate actions are taken to maintain and manage the integrity of the available Installed Production Capacity during shut-in.

Circuitization aims to reduce overhead inspection costs through the thoughtful break down of a system into smaller sections.

This information provides insight to aid in preventing common failures and improving industry practices to reduce incident rates in addition to saving time and money.

Now its time to assess the TOLC risk and the corresponding locations in the system where TOLC may occur. From there we can determine the appropriate mitigation and control strategies.

At GATE Energy, we have the technical knowledge and experience to apply our own approach to souring prediction which can enable design and operational decisions to be made to mitigate the risks associated with such H2S production.

Seawater injection is a vital tool for the economic success of some projects and those projects need to ensure that the seawater can be effectively delivered from the seawater source to the reservoir.

In Part 2 of this GATEKEEPER series, we will look at the different approaches available to assess risk in the system and will discuss the mitigation options available to us.