TOOL # 3

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

Introduction Tool 3 Good Practice Guidance

This is a collection of good practice guidelines a Bolted Joints Guidelines

developed by the oil and gas industry to address the b Flexible Hose Guidelines
main leak areas identified from the Hydrocarbon
Release Database. c Small Bore Tubing Guidelines

d Vibration Guidelines

e Corrosion Management Guidelines

a Bolted Joints Guidelines

A bolted joint is one of many safety critical components
of a pressurised system. Dependent upon the contents
and pressure of the system, leakage or failure of a
bolted joint can have potentially catastrophic ANALYSIS,
OWNERSHIP
LEARNING AND
consequences. To meet this challenge, every operator IMPROVEMENT

of pressurised systems should have in place a system

to positively and actively manage the integrity of MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY
bolted joints. It is expected that such a system will OF LEAKS AND PRACTICE

be built around the principle of continuous

improvement (see Figure 1.1).
IN-SERVICE CRITICAL
The Oil & Gas UK/Energy Institute Guidelines for INSPECTION ASSESSMENT

the Management of Integrity of Bolted Pipe

Joints for Pressurised Systems 2nd Edition (June RECORDS,
DATA TRAINING AND
2007) describes the principles and good practice for MANAGEMENT
AND TAGGING
COMPETENCE

the establishment of a management system for bolted

joints in pressurised systems. The individual sections
provide details of what is considered good practice
in the key areas of ensuring joint integrity. Together
they provide the framework for a management system. Essential Elements of a Management System

The publication is not intended as a design guide for

bolted joints, but as a guide on how to manage joints
during construction and commissioning phases and
through their operational life. It provides a framework
to achieve this based on working with a correctly
designed joint.

08
TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE
b Flexible Hose Guidelines
Flexible Hose Assemblies (FHAs) are complex
components used extensively for delivery of products
or hydraulic power on a wide range of process, drilling
and service/utility systems. Failures in their integrity
can create hazards such as leakage of flammable or
toxic substances. Failures or defects can compromise
the operation of safety and control systems, impact
on the safety of personnel or cause environmental
problems.
FHAs are often an integral part of pressurised systems
carrying hydrocarbons (liquids and gases), high-
pressure water, chemicals, fuels and high-pressure
power fluids. They are also used in many drilling/well
engineering applications and extensively used during
bulk loading and unloading operations.
Effective management, in particular the assurance of
personnel competency and hazard awareness, is key
to ensuring the quality of the whole lifecycle
management of FHAs. To ensure the integrity of
flexible hose products, it is necessary to establish
performance-based maintenance and inspection
strategies in accordance with approved guidelines
and inspection practices.
The UKOOA/IP Flexible Hose Management
Guidelines address many of the good practice issues
concerning design, installation, maintenance,
inspection and testing of hoses in all possible
applications. They also cover required skill levels,
training and overall competency of personnel.
09
 TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

Flexible Hose Assembly

Safety Management Lifecycle Objectives and Activities table, Issue No.1 – Jan 2003
This table has been extracted from the UKOOA/IP guidelines:

Lifecycle Phase Objectives/Deliverables Activities Documents

Conceptual Design To ensure that the use of a flexible
hose assembly can be justified as
the optimum technically safe
solution, and that all lifecycle
aspects are considered.
• Safety assessment These Guidelines
• Technical evaluation ISO 8331
• Lifecycle cost analysis
• Identification of
alternative methods

Risk Analysis To identify and evaluate any risk • Risk assessment These Guidelines
posed by the use of FHAs in any • Identification of
specific application, classify the Opportunities for risk
FHAs by risk category, and to ensure reduction
that risk reduction measures have
been fully considered.

Detailed Design Detailed design, materials • Hose performance These Guidelines

specification, operating conditions, • Compatibility ISO 8331
procurement and storage. • Operating parameters
• Procurement criteria
• Certification

Construction To ensure that FHAs are • Installation and testing These Guidelines
/Installation transported, sorted, installed to • Storage and ISO 8331
/Commissioning design, and that commissioning transportation
is satisfactorily completed. • Hose routing
• Commissioning

Operations, Maintenance, Development of a Maintenance • Tagging and These Guidelines

Inspection and Testing and Inspection Strategy for FHAs. documentation
The strategy should ensure that • Inspection strategy
inspection frequencies align with • Pressure testing
the FHAs’ Criticality and Risk • Rejection criteria
Assessment.

Modification To ensure that the integrity of • Risk analysis These Guidelines

FHAs is retained, both during and • Detailed design All of the above
after modification or charge of • Change management
service conditions.

Decommissioning The integrity of the FHAs is • Risk analysis These Guidelines

retained during decommissioning. • Decommissioning
/Removal
• Change management
• Documentation and
closeout

10
TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

c Small Bore Tubing Guidelines

Small bore tubing systems are a significant contributor
to the incidence of process containment failure in
hazardous plants. When incorrectly designed, selected,
modified, installed or maintained, small bore tubing
systems will inevitably degrade and can rupture
catastrophically leading potentially to large
hydrocarbon releases.
The purpose of the Guidelines For The
Management, Design, Installation and
Maintenance of Small Bore Tubing Systems is to
provide operators of offshore installations and onshore
plant with a reference framework of management
and technical controls and procedures necessary to
ensure the continuing integrity of small bore tubing
systems.
The guidelines apply to small bore tubing used for
instrumentation and control purposes. They provide
an outline approach to the specification, design,
operation and maintenance of small bore tubing
installations and set out issues to be considered and
recommended principles to be followed:
• Principles of hazard management should be integral
to the design, maintenance and operation of small
bore tubing. Root cause analysis of failures is
essential and any lessons learned should be fed
back into the management of these systems.
• Requirements for setting up a standardisation
policy to specify the permitted combinations of
fittings and related devices for use when considering
a new installation or altering an existing installation
site.
• The principles of making up various fittings.
• Maintenance and operations, including the need
to ensure that any changes to the systems do not
adversely affect the small bore tubing.
• Field installation covers the installation aspects of
some of the most commonly encountered
components.
The control and standardisation of fittings, tube types
and brands on individual installations and plants are
essential to reduce the incidence of defective work.
A policy for the technical management and
minimisation of the valve, fitting and tubing types
should be developed, documented and implemented
for each new or existing installation or plant.
The policy should be made visible to, and understood
by, all personnel involved in the design, installation,
commissioning, maintenance, operation and
purchasing of small bore tubing systems and
equipment.

• A management system should be established to

ensure competency of personnel and identify the
requirement for a register of ‘Authorised Personnel’.
An e-learning course, ‘Compression Fittings and
Small Bore Tubing Awareness’, has been developed
as a result of a Joint Industry Project to deliver the
awareness training requirements of these
guidelines.

• Performance standards and their typical content

should be considered, if a hazardous situation
could arise as a result of fittings failures.

11
 TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE
d Vibration Guidelines
Fatigue failure from vibration in pipework is a common
source of leaks. Vibration causes dynamic stresses
which, if above a critical level, could initiate fatigue
cracks. Fatigue cracking can lead to through-thickness
fracture and subsequent rupture. Fatigue life of the
component can be relatively short (minutes or days)
or long (years) if the vibration is intermittent.
Three of the vibration related problem areas addressed
by the offshore industry are: continuous vibration
from steady-state plant operation (the commonest);
transient vibration (shock/impact loading from rapid
valve closure etc.); and vibration in flexible risers from
subsea lines.
1 Continuous Vibration
Guidelines for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced
Fatigue in Process Pipework, were produced by
the Marine Technology Directorate (MTD). They
address:
a Different vibration mechanisms and their effect
on pipework and small bore connections (SBCs)
b Assessment methodology for the likelihood of
failure of piping systems and SBCs for the various
excitation mechanisms
c Possible design solutions/best practices for piping
systems or SBCs susceptible to vibration
d Survey methods for vibration measurement and
assessment of pipework fatigue in operating plant
Key Areas:
Identification
Good awareness programmes enable the workforce
to identify and record potential threats from vibration.
Anomaly reports detail which system has been affected
and under what conditions this problem was observed.
Assessment
Risk assessment should be applied to all main lines
and SBCs, ensuring all types of excitation are
considered. The risk associated with the whole plant
under different operating conditions should also be
assessed.
12
Remedial Action
Whenever possible and practicable reduce vibration
at source (reduce the level of excitation) by installing
appropriate supports/dampening etc. For new
construction the use of one piece short-bodied forgings
rather than weldolet and nipple is preferred.
2 Transient Vibration
Transient Vibration Guidelines for Fast Acting
Valves Screening Assessment, produced for HSE
(OTO 2002/028).
They cover theory and screening methods to assess
piping local to various types of valves. The output
from the assessment, in conjunction with the SBCs
screening assessment in item 1, provides a risk rating
which can be mitigated against by applying the
recommendations from these same guidelines.
3 Vibration in Flexible Risers
A Joint Industry Project (JIP) was established by BP,
ExxonMobil, Statoil, the HSE and Bureau Veritas.
In the last few years several assets that utilise flexible
risers for gas export have experienced high levels of
piping noise and vibration resulting in piping failures
and significant reductions in gas exports rate. The
vortex shedding phenomenon within the flexible risers
is the suspected cause.
The JIP deliverables include:
• Guidance to operators
• Increased awareness and understanding of the
problem
• Screening methods to identify if a problem might
be experienced
• Short-term integrity solutions
• Longer-term design guidance to avoid the problem
TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

e Corrosion Management Guidelines • reducing the number of corrosion related

“The loss of hydrocarbon containment on offshore
processing facilities due to corrosion can result in
severe consequences upon safety, the environment
and asset value.”
The Energy Institute/Oil & Gas UK document,
Guidance for corrosion management in oil and
gas production and processing, provides general
principles, engineering guidance and requirements
for improving corrosion management practices in oil
and gas production and processing. It has been
produced by an oil and gas industry workgroup with
the objective of:
hydrocarbon releases and other safety related and
environmentally damaging outcomes;
• identifying good practices for setting up an optimal
corrosion management scheme, and
• providing an overview of the top corrosion threats
to production and processing facilities downstream
of the wells.
Corrosion management has been defined as the part
of the overall management system that develops,
implements, reviews and maintains the corrosion
management policy and strategy and includes a clear
set of corrosion management system requirements
that can, and should, be considered normative.

Health
and safety, Getting it
integrity and right
corrosion
issues

Clear policies
a and objectives

Reports
used to achieve
Organisational improvements
b structure and
responibilities

Reviews
Corrosion risk used to provide
c assessment correction
and planning

Implementaton
d and analysis

Monitoring and
e measuring Yes No
performance

Meeting
Review the control
f system criteria?
performance
Independent
g audit

13
 TOOL # 3
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE
To supplement this previous publication The Energy
Institute, in association with Oil & Gas UK and The
Health & Safety Executive, has produced the Corrosion
threats handbook for upstream oil and gas
production plant.
The handbook has been commissioned as a concise
reference tool to provide practical information to
illustrate the corrosion degradation mechanisms likely
to affect upstream oil and gas production systems,
structures and components. The guide outlines the
causes of the corrosion threats, shows typical locations
for their occurrence and gives examples of how the
threats may be managed.
The guide is intended for use by plant engineers and
personnel with direct and indirect responsibility for
the long term integrity of production facilities. It
should assist system housekeeping and more formal
integrity audits, and should also be of value to
practitioners of Integrity Management, especially those
less familiar with corrosion issues specific to oil and
gas production plant.
14
The information should allow the user to:
• Understand the key corrosion threats (both internal
and external corrosion)
• Understand the typical appearance of the main
threats
• Understand where the threats may occur
• Identify the conditions which may give rise to
threats
• Consider actions to mitigate the threats
The majority of the corrosion threats apply to carbon
steel, the most commonly used material for upstream
oil and gas production systems, structures and
components. Threats to other material are identified.
The information in this guide should NOT be used to
the exclusion of established and applicable codes,
standards and criteria; nor should the threats and
their manifestation described in this guide be seen as
exhaustive. Please notify and consult with the relevant
technical engineering authority/discipline specialists
for investigation of potential threats or actual
degradation that may be observed.
The corrosion threats in this guide are presented either
as specific corrosion mechanisms, e.g. microbial
corrosion, erosion corrosion; or by location, e.g.
external corrosion under insulation. In addition to
the threats which are strictly corrosion, three other
degradation processes are included in this handbook.
They are: erosion, fatigue and fretting. In practice,
corrosion may be driven by two or more mechanisms.
Typically, the resultant corrosion rate is faster than
would be anticipated from a single mechanism.