RAM analysis experiences ram study services

Compressor Station RAM Study. Petronas Energy Canada Ltd., BC. The Compressor Station is a newly-constructed facility that will receive raw 3-phase production from gathering pipelines from surrounding well pads. Produced gas and condensate will be transported to the nearby PECL Town North Gas Plant via pipeline, while produced water will be stored onsite. The facility consisted of gas compressors, dehydrators, condensate, produced water, fuel gas, VRUs and LP/HP flare, utility, power supply and control. Tasks were to validate Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that have negatively affect the Availability. The study is at final report review stage.

Town North Sour Gas Plant Phase 3 & Phase 4 RAM Study. Petronas Energy Canada Ltd., BC. The phase 3 was in operation and phase 4 design was added to the facility by 2022.  The original RAM study was updated evaluate phase 3 Base Case (phase 1, 2 & 3), phase 4 Base Case (phase 1, 2, 3 & 4), phase 3 Off-design Case, phase 4 Off-design Case, and five (5) Sensitivity Cases . Tasks were to validate Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that have negatively affect the Availability in term of individual outputs of natural gas, LPG and condensate and also in term of process mechanical, electrical and control. The study recommendations has been implemented by the design team.

Canadian Natural MRM Centrifuge Facility RAM Study. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Alberta. This facility consisted of Fluid Fine Tailings (FFT) supply, polymer make-down and dosing system, FFT centrifuges, centrate system, dewatered FFT cake transferring, reclaim/gland water system. Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that have negatively affect the Availability during DBM stage.The RAM study has justified and recommended the most suitable redundancy strategies, which had been implemented by the design. The original RAM study was updated two times after the facility is in operation to evaluate different maintenance philosophies.

Town North Sour Gas Plant Phase 1 & Phase 2 RAM Study. Petronas Energy Canada Ltd., BC. The facility consisted of inlet separator, amine treatment, refrigeration, de-ethanizer, sales gas compression, condensate stabilization, condensate storage and pumping, incinerator, HP flare, utility, power supply and control. Tasks were to validate Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that have negatively affect the Availability in term of individual outputs of natural gas, LPG and condensate and also in term of process mechanical, electrical and control. The study covered both phase 1 and phase 2 of the project and the study recommendations has been implemented by the design team.

PW Pipeline Network RAM Analysis. Seven Generation Energy Ltd., Alberta. This project was completed by two phases with first phase focusing on quantifying the storage requirement and second phase focusing on system production availability optimization with site specific operation and maintenance record data. 

SHELL MRM Power Distribution Upgrade (PDU) Project RAM Study. Shell Canada Ltd., Alberta. This project included a new 260kV substation, a 25kV GIS substation and a 72 kV sub-transmission line system. The tasks were to perform the RAM for the upgraded electrical system to accurately reflect the detailed engineering design of the system configuration with intended operations and maintenance strategies. The study has successfully validated that the proposed design meets the required Availability criteria and identify system bottlenecks that will negatively affect the Availability. My role on the project was to lead the study team, schedule study activities, assign tasks to the team, supervise intermediate/junior engineers, monitor deliverables progress and budget, organize the review meetings with client, conduct QA/QC checking on Reliability Block Diagram (RBD), model input, model output and final report.

The Nexen Oil Sands Long Lake Diluent Tank Project RAM Study. Nexen, Alberta. This project included light diluent supply, heavy diluent supply and dilbit exporting system. Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process bottlenecks. My role on the project was to supervise intermediate/junior engineers, conduct QA/QC checking on the RBD, model input, model output and final report.

The Husky Sunrise SAGD Project RAM Study. Husky Oil Operation Ltd., Alberta. This SAGD project included both well pads and CPFs. The tasks were to perform the RAM for Phase 1A, Phase 1B, Phase 2A CPFs & wellpads and their combination process configurations to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria. The tasks were to lead the study team, schedule study activities, estimate hours, assign tasks to team, organize client review meeting, monitor budget and progress, supervise intermediate/junior engineers, and conduct QA/QC checking on Reliability Block Diagram (RBD), operation logic, maintenance philosophy, model input, model output and final report. The study results will be used to optimize the sparing, operations and maintenance strategies. 

The Aspen SAGD Development CPF RAM Study. Imperial Oil Resources., Alberta. This CPF system included power generation, oil treatment, de-oiling, water treatment using Warm Lime Softener (WLS) and Ion Exchange (IE) technologies, steam generation, Wastewater treatment and disposal, produced gas, slop oil, LP flare and HP flare systems. Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that will negatively affect the Availability. My role on the project was to lead the study team, assign tasks to the team, supervise intermediate/junior engineers, monitor deliverables progress and budget, organize the review meetings with client, conduct QA/QC checking on the RBD, model input, model output and final report.

The Northwest Redwater (NWR) Sparing Validation RAM Study for Utilities and Offsite (U&O) facilities.  North West Redwater (NWR) Partnership, Alberta. This project included cooling water system, steam system, cooling water treatment (ultrafiltration and demineralization) system and wastewater treatment plant with Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process. Tasks were to conduct comprehensive QA/QC checking on the RBD, process operation logics, model input, model output and final report. The study has successfully validated that the proposed design meets the required Availability criteria and identify system bottlenecks that will negatively affect the Availability.

The Jackpine Mine (JPM) Centrifuge Trial Plant RAM Study. Shell Canada Ltd., Alberta. This facility consisted of Mature Fine Tailings (MFT) intake, coagulant and flocculant dosing systems, centrifuge, dewatered MFT cake transfer pumps and conveyors. Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required Availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that will negatively affect the Availability.

The Shell Muskeg River Mine (MRM) Conditioning Slurry Line (CSL) Extension Project RAM Study. Shell Canada Energy. This system consisted of existing slurry hairpin loop with one new CSL booster pump and 1 km pipeline added to each of the two existing conditioning slurry lines with a bypass of the new pipelines to improve the slurry conditioning. Three cases with different operation scenarios were evaluated with RAM modeling.

The SITUCHE Central Development RAM Study. Talisman Energy Inc., Alberta. This facility consisted of production wells with ESPs, CPF system, oil export pipeline and pumping station systems. The CPF system included power generation, oil treatment, water treatment and disposal, produced gas, slop oil, LP flare and ATM flare systems. Tasks were to validate that the proposed facility design meets the required availability criteria and identify process and mechanical bottlenecks that will negatively affect the availability using the historical equipment reliability and maintainability data. Three cases with different equipment redundancy philosophies were evaluated with RAM modeling and recommendations were provided to optimize the equipment redundancy philosophies and enhance the overall availability.

Suncor Pond B/C Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) RAM Study (design capacity is 11,500 gpm), Suncor Energy, Alberta. Task was to establish equipment redundancy and maintenance philosophy through performing the RAM modeling. This task was conducted during DBM stage based on different equipment redundancy scenarios to quantify the plant’s reliability and availability. ram study services