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.

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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

b Flexible Hose Guidelines Effective management, in particular the assurance of

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

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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 • Safety assessment These Guidelines
hose assembly can be justified as • Technical evaluation ISO 8331
the optimum technically safe • Lifecycle cost analysis
solution, and that all lifecycle • Identification of
aspects are considered. 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

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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

c Small Bore Tubing Guidelines

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

• 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.

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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.
Remedial Action
Three of the vibration related problem areas addressed Whenever possible and practicable reduce vibration
by the offshore industry are: continuous vibration at source (reduce the level of excitation) by installing
from steady-state plant operation (the commonest); appropriate supports/dampening etc. For new
transient vibration (shock/impact loading from rapid construction the use of one piece short-bodied forgings
valve closure etc.); and vibration in flexible risers from rather than weldolet and nipple is preferred.
subsea lines.
2 Transient Vibration
1 Continuous Vibration
Transient Vibration Guidelines for Fast Acting
Guidelines for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced Valves Screening Assessment, produced for HSE
Fatigue in Process Pipework, were produced by (OTO 2002/028).
the Marine Technology Directorate (MTD). They
address: They cover theory and screening methods to assess
piping local to various types of valves. The output
a Different vibration mechanisms and their effect from the assessment, in conjunction with the SBCs
on pipework and small bore connections (SBCs) screening assessment in item 1, provides a risk rating
b Assessment methodology for the likelihood of which can be mitigated against by applying the
failure of piping systems and SBCs for the various recommendations from these same guidelines.
excitation mechanisms
c Possible design solutions/best practices for piping 3 Vibration in Flexible Risers
systems or SBCs susceptible to vibration
d Survey methods for vibration measurement and A Joint Industry Project (JIP) was established by BP,
assessment of pipework fatigue in operating plant ExxonMobil, Statoil, the HSE and Bureau Veritas.

Key Areas: In the last few years several assets that utilise flexible
risers for gas export have experienced high levels of
Identification piping noise and vibration resulting in piping failures
Good awareness programmes enable the workforce and significant reductions in gas exports rate. The
to identify and record potential threats from vibration. vortex shedding phenomenon within the flexible risers
Anomaly reports detail which system has been affected is the suspected cause.
and under what conditions this problem was observed.
The JIP deliverables include:
Assessment • Guidance to operators
Risk assessment should be applied to all main lines • Increased awareness and understanding of the
and SBCs, ensuring all types of excitation are problem
considered. The risk associated with the whole plant • Screening methods to identify if a problem might
under different operating conditions should also be be experienced
assessed. • Short-term integrity solutions
• Longer-term design guidance to avoid the problem

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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

e Corrosion Management Guidelines • reducing the number of corrosion related

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

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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

To supplement this previous publication The Energy

Institute, in association with Oil & Gas UK and The The majority of the corrosion threats apply to carbon
Health & Safety Executive, has produced the Corrosion steel, the most commonly used material for upstream
threats handbook for upstream oil and gas oil and gas production systems, structures and
production plant. components. Threats to other material are identified.

The handbook has been commissioned as a concise The information in this guide should NOT be used to
reference tool to provide practical information to the exclusion of established and applicable codes,
illustrate the corrosion degradation mechanisms likely standards and criteria; nor should the threats and
to affect upstream oil and gas production systems, their manifestation described in this guide be seen as
structures and components. The guide outlines the exhaustive. Please notify and consult with the relevant
causes of the corrosion threats, shows typical locations technical engineering authority/discipline specialists
for their occurrence and gives examples of how the for investigation of potential threats or actual
threats may be managed. degradation that may be observed.

The guide is intended for use by plant engineers and The corrosion threats in this guide are presented either
personnel with direct and indirect responsibility for as specific corrosion mechanisms, e.g. microbial
the long term integrity of production facilities. It corrosion, erosion corrosion; or by location, e.g.
should assist system housekeeping and more formal external corrosion under insulation. In addition to
integrity audits, and should also be of value to the threats which are strictly corrosion, three other
practitioners of Integrity Management, especially those degradation processes are included in this handbook.
less familiar with corrosion issues specific to oil and They are: erosion, fatigue and fretting. In practice,
gas production plant. corrosion may be driven by two or more mechanisms.
Typically, the resultant corrosion rate is faster than
would be anticipated from a single mechanism.

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