4/23/2017 SmallBoreFittings:yourhiddenriskSVTArticlesSVTEngineeringConsultants

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SmallBoreFittings:yourhiddenrisk
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http://www.svt.com.au/articles/entry/smallborefittingsyourhiddenrisk.html 1/4
4/23/2017 SmallBoreFittings:yourhiddenriskSVTArticlesSVTEngineeringConsultants

WorkingHere

SmallBoreFitting(orsmallboreconnection)failuresareamongstthehighestcausesofhydrocarbonreleasesin
theoilandgasindustry.

OilandgasfacilitieshavehundredsofSBFs,includinginstrumentationtubes,measurementpointsand
thermowells.FailureoccurswhenfloworstructuralexcitationcausesanSBFtovibrateoutofsyncwiththemain
pipe.

Therisktosafetyiswellunderstood:anignitionsourcenearagasleakcancauseamajoraccidentevent.

OperatorshavetoldSVTthatanSBFfailurecancostanywherebetweenA$1millionandAU$10milliondueto
lostproductionandrepairs.

TheOffshorePetroleumandGreenhouseGasStorageAct2006regulatessafety,environmentalprotectionand
wellintegrityforpetroleumfacilitiesinAustralianwaters.

TheActrequiresthatoperatorsofpetroleumfacilitiesreduceriskstohealth,safetyandtheenvironmenttoalevel
thatisaslowasreasonablypracticable(ALARP).ALARPisthepointwherethecost(intermsoftime,money
andeffort)offurtherrisktreatmentisgrosslydisproportionatetothereductioninriskthatwouldbeachieved.

TheNationalOffshorePetroleumSafetyandEnvironmentalManagementAuthority(NOPSEMA)ischargedwith
regulatingtheAct.Duetoanoverallincreaseinthenumberofreportablehydrocarbonreleaseincidentsandthe
discoveryofSBFfailuresbyNOPSEMAinspectors,theenforcementofALARPrequirementsaroundSBFshas
increased.

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4/23/2017 SmallBoreFittings:yourhiddenriskSVTArticlesSVTEngineeringConsultants

WhySBFsfail
Design

OperatorsexpectvibrationvulnerabilitytohavebeendesignedoutoftheirSBFs.However,designstudiesonly
consideralimitedoperatingenvelope.Wheneverprocessrateorconditionschange,thereisthepossibilityof
newlyexcitedresonancesthatcauseSBFstofail.Additionally,changesinpersonnelandresponsibleentities
betweenprojectphasesmayresultintherecommendationsofSBFdesignstudiesnotbeingcapturedinfinal
designs.

Installation

Installationcanintroduceadditionalvulnerabilities.Smallborepipingrunsareoftennotdocumentedindetail,
whichmeansthattheinstallerhassignificantlatitudetodecidetheasbuiltcondition.SBFinstallersmaynothave
managementprocessesinplacetoensurethatSBFinstallationsarefitforpurposewithregardtovibration
vulnerability.

Processchange

AcousticandflowinducedSBFvibrationisstronglydependantonprocessconditions.Smallchangesingas
composition,pressureorflowvelocitycanmovethepeakfrequenciesofthesesourcestooclosetoanSBF
resonance.Theresultingstepchangeinvibrationlevelsignificantlyincreasestheriskoffailure.

WhatyoushoulddoaboutyourSBFrisk
SBFRiskRegister

MaintainingaregisterofyourSBFsisthebestwaytoassessandmanageyourrisk.IdentifyallSBFsandwhere
theyareandthenratethemusingyourriskmatrix.Bydocumentingtheriskoffailurethoroughly,youcango
somewaytodemonstratingthemanagementofrisktoALARP.

VisualAssessment

Itispossibletoidentifysomevibrationissuesbyvisualinspection.SBFsthatarevisiblymovingarealmost
certainlyvibratinginexcessoftheacceptablelevel.

Vibrationmeasurement

MostSBFvibrationissuescanonlybeidentifiedbymeasuringthevibrationlevel.Includingvibrationsurveyson
highriskSBFsinyourconditionmonitoringprogramshouldbelowcostrelativetothereductioninriskachieved.
Ifthatisthecaseonyourfacility,itshouldformpartofyourALARPposition.

Bracing

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4/23/2017 SmallBoreFittings:yourhiddenriskSVTArticlesSVTEngineeringConsultants
Oftenthefirstactiontakenwithavibratingsmallborefittingistobraceit.Thisworksinthemajorityofcases,
provideditisdoneintherightway.Planesofvibrationneedtobeconsideredcarefullybyaspecialistifthefixis
toworkandtheelementtowhichyoubracetheSBFneedstobeselectedproperly,otherwisetheriskoffatigue
canbeincreased.

Contactourintegrityteamtofindoutmore.

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