Obtaining Operational Efficiencies by Applying Process Safety KPIs Developed for Offshore Production Installations

Abstract

The authors of this paper use Process Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to improve safety and operational efficiency by studying Safety Critical Equipment (SCE) reliability on Exploration & Production (E&P) offshore installations. This gives E&P Operations and Maintenance Departments the ability to optimize operational safety and production efficiencies. Details of the methods utilized and the process of selection of SCE and KPIs and the study and findings are presented in this paper. The authors used recognized international recommended practices as suggested by The American Petroleum Institute (API), (Process Safety Performance Indicators for the Refining and Petrochemical Industries, RP-754, April 2010), The Oil and Gas Producers (OPG), (Process Safety-Recommended Practice on Key Performance Indicators, Report No. 456, November 2011) and The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), (Guidelines for Process Safety Metrics, ISBN 978-0-470-57212-2, October, 2009). However, the identification of risks associated with high hazard operations, usually conducted upfront (HAZIDs, HAZOPS, FMEAs, etc.), do not necessarily show the whole picture. Advanced targeted analyses into some of the leading KPIs helps eni improve its Operations and Maintenance Departments. Process Safety Tier 1 and Tier 2 events are well known, but they are lagging indicators and do not predict failure. This study focuses on Tier 3 and Tier 4 events that are statistically valuable and provide insight to eni's activities. These KPIs capture the number of demands on emergency shut-down systems, abnormal safety system and permissive overrides for operational purposes, asset integrity stressing, and corrective and preventive maintenance activities. Analyses and control chart comparisons of the process as it reaches or exceeds the process control limits gives an understanding of the functioning of the SCE and an understanding of the sensitivities of the processes changing conditions. Identifying process variations that exceed control limits helps eni to improve process safety, reduce production downtime, and increase profitability.