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Asset Performance Management Systems Boost Reliability and Profitability
a report by
Eric Fidler
Director, Oil and Gas Segment Marketing, Rockwell Automation
The challenges facing today’s oil and gas producers are complex and implemented these solutions saw a ≥10% reduction in maintenance
Engineering & Construction
extensive: rising global demand, harsher and riskier exploration costs, according to a study by the Aberdeen Group.
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Companies that
and production environments, declining production from older were not using these solutions averaged only 81% for on-time
fields, consolidation of operational assets, increased safety, deliveries and just 58% for overall equipment effectiveness.
environmental and economic constraints, a shrinking pool of
knowledgeable personnel and constant demands to reduce One oil and gas company that participated in the study and
operating expenses while boosting uptime. That is the bad news. implemented these solutions reduced its annual maintenance costs
The good news is that improvements in predictive technologies hold by more than 60%, while simultaneously increasing the lifespan of
the promise of enabling energy companies to deal more effectively its machines from six months to more than five years on average. In
with many of these challenges. addition, some of the company’s production facilities that were
operating at partial capacity are now completely operational and
Thanks to the expanding class of asset performance management running at full capacity.
(APM) tools and solutions, improving asset availability is now
attainable for oil and gas companies. APM technologies offer energy Harsh Environments Demand Automated Analytics
companies an effective and efficient means of automating the Exploration and production systems typically operate in harsh
integration, gathering and analysis of vital data from across environments with a constant risk of breakdown and malfunction.
production facilities; in turn, this simplifies network analysis for Process systems in these environments handle harsh fluids that stress
operators, improving asset reliability, minimising downtime and bearings, seals and the metallurgy of moving parts.
reducing operating costs.
For example, the wet saline environment of subsea production
An additional benefit of applied analytics operating in well-designed intensifies these challenges and adds pressure to the systems, that is
APM systems shifts companies from reactive and costly repair- far greater than that experienced by surface facilities. These
focused asset-maintenance plans to proactive and preventative conditions stress systems and increase the incidence of breakdowns
reliability-focused maintenance plans. This reduces overall and need for repairs. Subsea repairs can be costly and typically
maintenance costs and boosts production uptime, which gives involve the use of remotely operated vehicles, requiring expertise to
these energy companies a competitive advantage in the marketplace drive the vehicles and service the equipment from surface facilities.
compared with those who are not capitalising on predictive
APM technologies. In addition, while subsea production can be a less costly method of
extracting oil and gas, the individual pieces of equipment necessary
Thanks to the flexibility of these analytical solutions and tools, there for production represent a tremendous capital investment. Optimal
is another clear benefit: companies can incrementally build powerful utilisation for the planned life of that equipment is essential in order
APM programmes, starting with incorporating small improvements to achieve the desired financial results from the facilities. Operations
that make a difference over the life-cycles of the assets. officers are tasked to drive performance from equipment they
cannot see and in conditions they do not necessarily comprehend.
Easy Integration and Big Payback The challenge becomes one of striving for more uptime through an
APM tools in a well-designed network are helping oil and gas APM plan that monitors assets and process conditions and provides
companies boost their bottom lines: 27% of companies that automated analytic tools to drive better business decisions.
Critical Actions to Drive Success
Eric Fidler is Director of Oil and Gas Segment Marketing
for Rockwell Automation. During his 25-year-career in
As with other investment-intensive heavy industries, energy
the global exploration and production environment, he companies are turning to innovation to help increase profits by
has held numerous positions with Rockwell Automation,
maximising existing equipment utilisation. Increased utilisation
including Business Solutions Leader, Gulf Coast Region
Manager, Manufacturing and Process Solutions,
through enhanced asset availability enabled by APM is an
Americas and Petroleum and Mining Manager, Asia
efficient way to boost throughput, thus increasing asset return, with
Pacific. In his current post, he draws on his knowledge
and experience in applied automation and information
minimal investment.
solutions to create bundled system solutions and establish strategic alliance partnerships.
He holds a BSc in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
According to a recent study on APM conducted by the Aberdeen
E: esfidler@ra.rockwell.com Group,
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one of the main pressures driving companies to focus on
asset management is the need to achieve a competitive edge in the
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