The document discusses Shell's minimum intervention strategy for inspections (MISI) which aims to optimize the impact of inspections on operational availability and costs. It does this by assessing alternative inspection approaches like robot-deployed inspections of vessels and tanks, non-intrusive inspections, permanently installed sensors, and enhanced risk-based inspections to eliminate corrosion threats and optimize corrosion control. The document outlines Shell's non-intrusive inspection methodology and discusses challenges of inspecting large areas and obstacles, as well as developments in robotic inspections and permanently installed sensors that can replace traditional inspections.

1. Minimum Intervention Strategies for
Inspection
Martin van den Heuvel
Shell Projects & Technology
Team Lead Inspection Technology Amsterdam

2. 1. Introduction
2. The Minimum Intervention Strategy
3. Non-Intrusive Inspection
4. Robotic developments
Content
 X

3. Shell Projects & Technology – Engineering
Combining the operating experience with proven implementation
skills and advanced technologies
Global coverage
Diverse cultures and
nationalities
Over 50 years of
implementing business
and engineering solutions
Continued investment in
technology innovation
 Regional Materials & Mechanical Integrity groups
 Regional Inspection Technology teams

4. Introduction
 Show how the Minimum Intervention Strategy for Inspection
(MISI) is used to optimize impact of inspection on operational
availability and costs
 With MISI alternative inspection approaches are assessed:
– Robot-deployed inspection
• inside vessels, tanks
– Non-intrusive inspection
– Use of permanently installed sensors
– Materials Selections and Enhanced RBI
• to eliminate corrosion threats and optimizing corrosion
control

5. Allvessels
Increasing Maturity of Minimum Intervention Strategy
Shutdowninspectionscope
RegulatoryInspection
Convent.RBI
EnhancedRBI
OutsideT/A
MISI
potential
Max
T/A scope
Current
T/A scope
Min
T/A scope
Internal
Visual
NII
Robotic IVI
Perm.
Sensors
Base case
RBI & Corrosion
management
review
Alternative
inspection
Synthesis
MISI Process steps
S-RBI = Shell-Risk Based Inspection

6. Opportunity Matrix for Inspection Scope Optimization
 Complete implementation of RBI
 Scope reflects RBI plans
 Greenfield
Opportunity:
Simulation of potential benefits ($, hrs, POB,
etc.)
Calculate T/A resources
T/A Load balancing (resource optimization)
 Complete implementation of RBI
 Corrosion management framework fully in place
 Scope reflects RBI plans
 Evaluation of future scope after T/A
Opportunity:
Calculate resources
load balancing
Alternatives (NII, Robotics)
 No or initial partly RBI done
 Incomplete corrosion control document
 Scope does not reflect RBI plans
Opportunity:
align scope with RBI
show benefit of completing RBI
Simulation of potential benefits ($, hrs, POB,
etc.)
 Implementation of RBI
 Incomplete coverage
 Corrosion management framework partly in place
 Scope reflects RBI plans
 Evaluation of RBI, but no update of future scope
Opportunity:
Calculate resources
Simulation of potential benefits ($, hrs, POB, etc.)
load balancing
Alternatives for selected scope (NII, Robotics)
Effectiveness=Compliance&Coverage
Efficiency = Business impact = inverse of opportunity for scope optimization

7. Shell-Non Intrusive Inspection (S-NII)
• S-NII is a structured methodology for the detailed
design of non-intrusive inspections.
• Non-Intrusive: NDE from the outside, to establish the condition
on the inside, when the equipment is on-stream or off-line
• It is usually applied within a
framework of a Risk Based
Inspection planning
• S-NII helps the user to:
• Demonstrate whether
inspection is effective
• Optimize or improve
inspection plans

8. Key features of S-NII
• S-NII builds on results of a S-RBI analysis
• Fully compatible with S-RBI
• S-RBI due dates are leading; NII may dictate shorter intervals
• S-NII uses quantitative modeling
• Qualitative S-RBI parameters are converted into quantitative data
• This produces probability data, that is used for statistical sampling
and interval calculation
• NII recognizes three Types of Inspection: A, B and C
• The Types of Inspection are governed by the sampling statistics on
which each Type of Inspection is based
• S-NII is compatible with DNV RP-G103 (= HOIS RP on NII).
DNV = Det Norske Veritas
HOIS = joint industry project focused on upstream inspection
(http://www.esrtechnology.com/centres/hois/Pages/default.aspx)

9. A vessel is divided in corrosion zones if different mechanisms are active,
or very different degradation rates can occur
Why zoning? To reduce unnecessary scanning and to obtain a valid NI
Design:
 Same type of defect => select suitable NDT
 Same corrosion severity => same sampling inspection scheme is valid
A wrong division in zones may jeopardize the reliability of NII
 Zoning under QA control: this requires a Corrosion Risk Assessment
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Identifying corrosion zones

10. Challenge 1: large areas – Fast Scanning required
to make NII economically attractive
Area is a challenge
for cost and time:
Example:
Length: 18 m;
diameter: 4 m;
total area: ~ 250 m2
Different zones require
different NDT approach,
nozzles, large area’s,
strong curvature
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11. Challenge 2: Obstacles - versatile scanning required
Shell developed fast scanning
capability for “crowded” vessels
using fast manual scanning with
Time of Flight probe setup (Insight
Vol. 50 No 9 September 2008)

12. Robotic Inspections
• At Nyhamna Gas plant in Norway a scrubber vessel was
inspected in 2011 with a robot arm equipped with a camera
• This avoided extensive isolation work (heavy, unsupported
pipework)
• A reduction in activity resulted from 104 to 28 h (~75%).
Manway
2” Vent nozzle
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Faktisk tid Inspeksjon ved
robot
Tilbakestilling
N2/helium
Spader ut
Lukke mannhull
Inspeksjon
Målinger atm
Avkjøling
Åpne mannhull
Steaming
Sjekk flenser
Blinde av
Gassfri
Trykkavlstning
Tidsbruk
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjqB_c1aols&

13. PETROBOT is about ….
• An EU-co-funded project to
develop two types of inspection
robots:
• To inspect vessels while
taken out of service
• To inspect storage tanks
while in-service
 Project started Sept.’13 under
EU FP7 call for robots in
maintenance
 See http://petrobotproject.eu/

14. First field trials
June 2014 Groningen NL

15. Alternative Inspection - Permanently Installed Sensors
 CHALLENGE: Current sensors for thickness
measurement cover relatively small areas
(range of 1 cm2 to1 m pipe length)
 Current sensors are aimed at corrosion
monitoring, applied to known damage or at
locations where damage is highly predictable.
Examples are:
– Permasense; FSM (Field Signature Method);
Flexible UT foils (like Rightrax)
 To replace inspection, significant areas need to
be covered
– Guided Wave Tomography enters
field qualification trials
– Shell’s WiSense project aims to develop Mega-
Sensor wireless networks, covering large areas
(using magnetometry)

16. NII in Design – A “FIRST” –Chemicals project, Qatar
• Requirements for NII were built into project specification in
early stage
• Fluor, the Engineering Contractor, developed the “NII
Specification” with support of P&T
• Workshops were held recently, to optimize plant/operation
design to optimize NII during
Operations

17. Q&A