Successful completion of scheduled shutdowns

Pursuing a Stable Course

Scheduled preventive maintenance with complete shutdown has been successfully completed at Khauzak field, nicknamed by mass media heart of the Kyzyl-Kum desert. On the threshold of significant, in terms of their scope and importance, repair and preventive works that could not be performed during operation, but without which safe and reliable operation of the field is impossible, whole field came to a standstill for the entire period of the shutdown.

There were conducted checkup and maintenance inspection of equipment (annunciators, transducers, igniters, cabinets of APC system, on-off valves, ESD system, electric cables and equipment, etc.), exterior and interior inspection of pressure vessels. Besides out-of-repair on-off valves and filter elements were replaced and new component parts were equipped with piping.

Works were performed at the linear part of gas pipelines (installation of insulation joints, dismantling of old and installation of new headers and other works). A number of works and activities were successfully completed at prospective facilities enabling their future putting into service without shutdown of the entire field.

Good Planning is Half the Ending

Of course foundation of successful shutdown had been laid long before the tentative date, starting from December 2012, when both list of works and required resources were finalized.

Specific feature of 2013 shutdown was that this year in addition to the main scope there were made tie-ins required for further implementation of the second stage of Khauzak block construction and upgrading, general scope of work was large and contractors were engaged.

Still success in fulfillment of set tasks would be hard to achieve without high level of expertise and readiness of LUKOIL Uzbekistan operation staff.

New system of scheduled preventive maintenance planning and management, based on stage by stage planning and strict coordination of activity of all subdivisions of the company, involved in the shutdown, which has been used in LUKOIL Uzbekistan starting from 2012, was one of the key positive factors during the shutdown.

At present general management and coordination of preparation for scheduled preventive maintenance is performed by Mechanical and Power Engineering and Metrological Support Section of the service of Deputy Director General for Operations.

In accordance with the system preparing for scheduled preventive maintenance all involved departments and fields shall in due time settle relevant issues of the scope of work, including early purchase of equipment and provision of the shutdown with all required materials, conclusion of service contracts, ensuring availability of required special machinery, equipment and tools.

On Time and Without Accidents

Thanks to efforts and coordinated actions of subdivisions of the service of the Deputy Director General for Operations together with Gas Production Facility management, as well as technical and engineering employees and repair personnel, skillful distribution and application of resources all repair works were completed within five days and a half, i.e. 15.5 hours ahead of schedule (in accordance with approved schedule all repair works were to be completed within six days), which resulted in a considerable economic effect.

It is also worth mentioning that one of the most important indicators of effectiveness of such works is absence of incidents and other accidents throughout the entire period of the works. This result is first of all indicative of the high level of expertise of field employees, it is outcome of thorough preparation and steady activity performed both by employees of Process Safety, Labour and Environment Protection Department and immediate management. These are not mere words, as all works (hot works, gas hazardous works and other works) were conducted day (under scorching sun of the desert) and night.

Success of the Shutdown is Result of Teamwork

Within past months shutdowns were conducted at other LUOC facilities such as Gissar – gas (Djarkuduk) and Gissar – oil (Okkul) as well. Though scope and duration of both Gissar shutdowns were less than those of Khauzak field they were planned and implemented using similar scheduled preventive maintenance planning and management system and pace and specific character of the works were not much inferior to the shutdown at Khauzak field.

In general successful completion of three complete shutdowns for scheduled preventive maintenance at Khauzak and Gissar fields finishes plan of shutdowns for 2013 and opens a new chapter in a succession of future shutdowns for scheduled preventive maintenance.

After each shutdown for scheduled preventive maintenance LUKOIL Uzbekistan analyzes obtained results and draws up final report thoroughly detailing positive and negative aspects and list of planned and performed works, as well gained experience is critically appraised to be taken into account and used during future shutdowns.

That is why summarizing results of completed works we would like to make special mention of excellent cooperation of Khauzak and Gissar field staff and employees of LUOC office, their expertise shown not in word, but in deed, and persistence in fulfillment of set tasks  and we would like to wish them future successful shutdowns without accidents.

The following persons who distinguished themselves at Khauzak field deserve special mention: Leading Process Engineers Artem Kalayev and Sanjar Sagdiyev, Process Installations Repirman Odiljon Turayev, Oil and Gas Production Operators Bakhshullo Khujayev and Otabek Khusenov.