Asset Integrity Management Through Lean Engineered Material Handling Study for Oil & Gas Processing Facilities on an Offshore Island Facility

This paper details the implementation of lean engineering principles for formulating the material handling study at an Oil & Gas Onshore Island facility. The paper analyses a case study at a major offshore island facility in the Abu Dhabi region, comparing the traditional methods followed in material handling with the proposed lean method of material handling. Principles of lean engineering such as simplification & standardization have been implemented to create a lean-approach. A key aspect of the lean philosophy is to incorporate a "Fit-for-purpose" design rather than an over design for material handling cases that the facility might never see in its 25-year lifetime. An offshore island brings several challenges with respect to material handling due to its location compared to an onshore facility because of the limited availability of traditional maintenance equipment like Mobile cranes. Following the lean method not only saves manhours while developing the material handling philosophy during the design phase of the project but also helps in lowering the procurement costs associated with the equipment required to aid material handling. This lean engineering approach, when applied to material handling study has resulted in the reduction of both CAPEX & OPEX cost for an offshore island facility. Standardizing the way material handling philosophies are developed in a project helped in improving the overall process efficiency, reducing errors, lowering the time taken for study, improving quality, and client satisfaction. The novelty of the proposed material handling study model involves using lean engineering principles which are typically used in manufacturing/assembly lines in a study for maintenance of equipment on an offshore island.