2nd Oman Inspection & Integrity Conference

As the eyes of the world prepare to fall on the Middle East for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar there have been regular reminders in the media, of the importance the oil and gas industry plays in this region. Oman is no exception to this, with oil and gas accounting for 71% of the government’s revenues in 2018 (Source - Oman budget 2019 KPMG Insights), with state-owned Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) holding most of Oman’s oil reserves.

Oman has been exporting oil since 1967 and, like many maturing regions, a significant portion of the country’s oil infrastructure is aging, meaning investment focus has turned towards cost-efficiency and using innovative technologies to cut costs and eliminate waste.

Sound familiar?

PIM has been driving cost-efficiencies and championing the use of innovative technologies for Integrity Management in the North Sea for over a decade now, so when we were invited to take part in the 2^nd Oman Inspection and Integrity Conference on 19^th & 20^th September 2022, it was an opportunity too good to miss.

Organised by the American Society for Non-destructive Testing (ASNT) and chiefly-sponsored by PDO, the 2-day conference was an opportunity for PIM to showcase our software PIM Optimum, for full lifecycle Asset Integrity Management and PIM Relief, for complete PSV management, on the stand we shared with our friends at Apave International. It also gave our Technical Manager, Fraser Balsillie, the opportunity to give a presentation to the hundreds of international delegates present, including the Oman Minister of Energy and Minerals, Salim bin Nasser bin Said Al Aufi.

The focus of the presentation was on how we offer solutions to industry problems, rather than simply providing a discrete service.

In our industry, if you compartmentalise and outsource tasks that require expertise, e.g. performing an RBA, then you are not maximising the potential of the isolated data and it will be expensive. Furthermore, when different tasks are performed by different companies, or different departments within a large organisation you can have problems when the different outputs aren’t compatible. The administrative friction this causes leads to increased costs, as well as the potential for systemic failures.

PIM’s software solutions bring together isolated tasks to offer a full networked solution for Integrity Management, based on solid fundamentals we call Integrity Management Foundations.

Scalable systems providing data integrity and consistency.
User/role specific interfaces designed within a robust workflow.
System that can incorporate new technologies, such as 3D laser scanning.
Visibility of the overall system, e.g. condition, risk, tasks.

The advantages of PIM’s software applications, highlighted in the presentation, were shown to delegates via live demonstrations over the course of the 2 days by Fraser and Software Specialist Colin Shields. Delegates from PDO and other Major Operators were impressed not only with the measured efficiencies achieved (e.g. 75% less workpack preparation time, 50% less time for RBA/WSE assessments, 50% less time for inspection to reporting) but also the intangible benefits (e.g. seamless anomaly process, integrated mechanical and fabric maintenance repair process, instant condition status and clarity on outstanding tasks).

Overall it was a very successful and enjoyable experience. Much like the sport of football, popular throughout the entire world, Inspection and Integrity Management problems are familiar whether in Oman, the North Sea, or anywhere else the oil and gas industry operates, leaving PIM ready to enact solutions on a truly global scale.