New Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015

HSE recognises importance of reliability and integrity in new regulations

The newly issued Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 that came into force on 19th July has new requirements for the management of reliability and integrity. These include evaluation of the reliability and integrity requirements of all safety and environmental-critical systems together with reliability assessments for safety and environmental-critical systems. There is also a requirement to adopt suitable measures to promote the reliability of the collection and recording of relevant data.

New training dates and course discounts

Additional course dates now released to support growing demand for reliability engineering as part of risk based integrity management

Astrimar have always tailored their training courses for the industry. We are therefore offering additional course dates to meet the growing demand for application of reliability engineering as part of risked based asset integrity management and drilling operations. This is key to driving down operating costs and delivering production efficiency without compromising integrity or availability.  

We also want to make sure our training continues to offer best value and so, recognising the current industry financial constraints, we have reduced all our courses fees by 25%, including our early booking, multiple course and group discounts.  Our one day courses are now available for less than £300/$450. More details are available on our training pages http://www.astrimar.com/training.aspx or from our training department training@astrimar.com

Free pilot of The Alliance services

Trial of production efficiency services offered to the industry

The Alliance members are each offering a free pilot of production efficiency services to enable companies to realise the value of these without upfront investment. Pilot services include:

• Production/injection loss reporting system

• A facility optimisation exercise with the operating and subsurface teams

• Operation efficiency diagnostics

• Initial review of reliability, integrity and maintenance practice and performance with the operations team

More details can be found on Pilot Service Offer

Astrimar EI Accreditation

Astrimar CEng professional development scheme for graduates has been accredited by the Energy Institute

Following implementation of a formal company graduate training scheme early in  2014 and accreditation of the scheme by the IMechE earlier this year, Astrimar are delighted that the scheme has now also been accredited by the Energy Institute.  This again reinforces Astrimar's commitment to its graduates and the company's long term graduate recruitment and development program.

Industry input requested for technology qualification standard

Astrimar is keen to capture input from industry on requirements for improved technology qualification guidance in API RP 17Q

Astrimar are leading work to scope out potential new guidance to be provided in an updated API RP 17Q on technology qualification for the subsea industry. As part of this work Astrimar is seeking industry input and perspectives on the level of guidance considered useful for determining and implementing technology qualification activities. More information about this work can be downloaded from here.

If your organisation would like to contribute please email info@astrimar.com or telephone one of our offices before the end of May 2015:

     Cranfield (London area): +44 (0) 1234 436090

     Inverurie (Aberdeen area): +44 (0) 1467 620692

     Houston area: +1 281 994 7816

Astrimar IMechE Accreditation

Astrimar CEng professional development scheme for graduates has been accredited by the IMechE

Following implementation of a formal company graduate training scheme early in  2014, Astrimar are delighted that the scheme has been accredited by the IMechE. We were delighted with the feedback from the IMechE which includes:

• There is clear evidence of high level support

• There are very good opportunities for gaining the UK-SPEC competencies

• The mentors are enthusiastic, trained and well aware of the UK-SPEC

• The developing engineers are enthusiastic, committed and demonstrate early competence

This reinforces Astrimar's commitment to its graduates and the company's long term graduate recruitment and development program.

InnovOil examines key challenges and innovations in the pipeline sector

Astrimar joins other pipeline experts discussing pipeline inspection challenges in April’s InnovOil NewsBase

Astrimar director Caroline Roberts-Haritonov discusses how risk-based inspection can be used to drive efficiencies in pipeline inspection to reduce both inspection costs and overall uncertainties in pipeline condition.  

Read the full article here

The latest edition on InnovOil can be found at http://edition.innovoil.co.uk

Strategic Alliance aims to combat oil industry challenges

Astrimar joins leading independent specialist companies to form The Alliance

In response to the oil price cloud that is currently engulfing the oil & gas industry, four leading independent specialist companies have come together to form The Alliance - a practical, realistic solution to improving both production and operational efficiencies simultaneously.

The Alliance partners and recognised industry experts, Hamilton Caird LLC, Peak Global, Young Light Technologies and Astrimar, together deliver an unrivalled and holistic solution to the current challenges.  By combining their wide range of skills and expertise, The Alliance will work with operators and partners to increase production, reduce operating costs, extend asset lifecycles and improve safety as outlined in our recent press release http://www.agcc.co.uk/news-main/item/27202-strategic-alliance-aims-to-combat-oil-industry-challenges/

The Alliance partners will be speaking on the issues affecting the industry and the solutions at the Topsides UK Launch event at the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen, Trinity Hall on Tuesday 17th March, To find out more about The Alliance and its partners please contact enquiries@thealliance.uk.com or visit www.thealliance.uk.com

Astrimar joins Oil & Gas UK

Astrimar are pleased to become corporate members of Oil & Gas UK

Joining Oil & Gas UK is part of our ongoing commitment to support the drive for production efficiency in the UKCS and technical excellence to support the global market. We are keen to build on the benefits already established through our membership of The Energy Institute, SubseaUK, SUT and the Offshore Engineering Society to promote and support learnings across our industry and implementation of best practice.

New Technology Qualification Training

2015 training date announced with SUT for The Qualification of New Technology course

Following on from the success of previous courses, Astrimar are very pleased to be running The Qualification of New Technology training course again with SUT. This year's course will take place in Aberdeen on Wednesday 27th May and bookings can be made online on the SUT website http://www.sut.org/event/qntcourse2015/

Astrimar exhibits at Subsea Expo 2015

Astrimar will again be exhibiting at Europe's largest annual subsea exhibition and conference taking place in Aberdeen on 11th to 13th February 2015

Astrimar will be at stand 66 this year and we look forward to seeing you there, www.subseaexpo.com.

Astrimar training approved by EI

Astrimar are delighted to be granted approved training provider status by the Energy Institute

Astrimar are delighted to announce that they have been granted approved training provider status by the Energy Institute. This reflects the experience and knowledge of our trainers and the excellent feedback we have received for the training courses we offer the industry.

Attendance certificates will be provided to all future training delegates to support CPD logs.

Astrimar to present at North Sea SSIC

Astrimar to present at the Subsea Integrity Conference North Sea 2014 on the 2nd and 3rd of December in Aberdeen

Following the successful SSIC 2014 conference in Houston in September, Dr. Caroline Roberts-Haritonov, a Director and Chief Consultant at Astrimar, will be talking about methods for estimating equipment reliability and integrity performance from inspection, test and monitored data at the follow-up conference in Aberdeen in December. Caroline’s talk examines ways to:

• Measure reliability and integrity performance from measured defects, damage and detected failures

• Understand the procedures to support analysis of defect and failure data for risk control

• Interpret failure data patterns and use of Weibull and reliability growth analysis to ensure reliability of subsea assets

Caroline will also take part in the panel session discussing prioritizing and leveraging subsea data.  

More details about the conference can be found at http://www.decomworld.com/subsea-integrity-north-sea/

Astrimar to present at Production Efficiency 2014

Astrimar to present at the IMechE Conference Production Efficiency 2014: Reversing a Declining Trend on the 11th and 12th of November in Aberdeen

Dr. Caroline Roberts-Haritonov, a Director and Chief Consultant at Astrimar, will present a talk on “Managing Reliability and Integrity to Deliver Production Efficiency” at Production Efficiency 2014. Caroline’s presentation will outline how unreliability is a major contributor to production inefficiency.  Her presentation will look at how better use of reliability and integrity data and models can be used to measure, forecast and improve production efficiency.  Caroline’s talk will also introduce ways in which reliability engineering techniques can be used to identify potential causes of unplanned failure and critical nodes in the production and delivery infrastructure, and how the use of the techniques can support prioritisation of actions to minimise the potential for, and mitigate the effect of, unplanned failures.

For more information on the event please go to http://www.imeche.org/events/C1419

Astrimar participates in Prioritizing and Leveraging Subsea Data Webinar

Astrimar joins Chevron and GE Oil and Gas on July 24th 2014 in a webinar looking at strategies for effectively prioritizing and leveraging data for maximum subsea integrity.

Astrimar Technical Director John Strutt joins Gary Giordano from Chevron and Jens Abrahamsen from GE Oil and Gas in a webinar chaired by Philip Chadney from Decomworld on Prioritizing and Leveraging Subsea Data for Maximum Reliability and Integrity. The webinar, presented in association with the second annual subsea integrity conference SSIC 2014 in Houston in September, is available on the conference website at http://www.decomworld.com/subsea-integrity/content-webinar-download.php. John will also be taking part in the conference panel session on  Prioritizing and Leveraging Subsea Data

Astrimar exhibits at SSIC 2014

Following last year's successful event, Astrimar will again be exhibiting at the annual Subsea Integrity Conference taking place in Houston on September 24-25, 2014

Astrimar are exhibiting at the annual Subsea Integrity Conference in Houston in September and we look forward to seeing you there. Astrimar technical director John Strutt is also supporting the conference sessions. John will be providing an update on the recent changes to API RP 17N and participating in a panel discussion on Prioritizing and Leveraging Subsea Data.

More details about the conference can be found at http://www.decomworld.com/subsea-integrity/ 

Astrimar Technical Director receives citation at API Summer Conference

Astrimar Technical Director John Strutt receives citation at the API 2014 Summer Conference in Chicago for services in delivering API RP 17N

Astrimar Technical Director John Strutt together with Don Wells of Hess Corporation, Mark Siegmund of BP, and John Allen, industry advisor, received a citation at the API 2014 Summer Conference in Chicago for services in delivering Recommended Practice Subsea Production System Reliability, Technical Risk and Integrity Management API RP 17N.  John, Mark, Don and John have all been instrumental in delivering both the original edition of this Recommended Practice and the industry requested current update, the draft of which will be ready for wider review following confirmation of decisions related to other 17 series documents at this week’s conference.

Key changes to the document include the addition of integrity management guidance at each life cycle stage together with more detailed guidance on technology qualification and also for the post design stages for delivery of integrity and production assurance.  The 12 key management processes have been extended to encompass wider aspects of reliability, technical risk and integrity management such as configuration data and human factors. Astrimar consultants have acted as lead technical authors bringing together the input from the different working groups supported by a number of organisations from across the industry. 

Astrimar to present at IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference

Astrimar to present at the IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference on September 16th and 17th in Galveston

Dr. Prasanna Tamilselvan, a Consultant at Astrimar, will present a talk entitled “The Role of Prognostics & Health Management Tools in Subsea Drilling” at this year’s IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference in Galveston, Texas. The presentation will cover the application of a Prognostics and Health Management framework in the drilling industry and the risk and reliability tools needed to support a prognostics informed decision making process including: data collection, diagnostics tools, data analysis, and system reliability and risk analysis. The benefits of prognostics and diagnostics in managing reliability and integrity in the subsea industry will also discussed.

For more information on the event please go to http://www.iadc.org/event/2014-iadc-advanced-rig-technology-conference-exhibition/

Astrimar consultant receives Ph.D.

Astrimar consultant Prasanna Tamilselvan receives his Ph.D. from Wichita State University

Dr. Prasanna Tamilselvan, a Consultant at Astrimar, received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Wichita State University at their graduation ceremony on May 17 2014. Prasanna’s research focused on advanced failure diagnostics and prognostics for complex system health management

Astrimar to present at IMechE 2014 Subsea Engineering Conference.

Astrimar to present at the IMechE’s 2014 Subsea Engineering Conference: Designing for Integrity and Operation on the 13th and 14th of May in Aberdeen.

Dr. Caroline Roberts-Haritonov, a Director and Chief Consultant at Astrimar, will present a talk entitled “Asset Integrity: Managing the Risks” at this year’s IMechE Subsea Engineering Conference, in Aberdeen. The talk will cover key issues related to managing Asset Integrity during Operations for new and existing infrastructure as well as the use of specialist reliability engineering techniques. The talk will discuss proactive application of such techniques to manage integrity and the risk of failure throughout the asset’s life cycle. The talk will also give a brief overview of the updates included in the 2nd Edition of API RP 17N to address integrity management. The updated RP, for which Astrimar was the leading drafting author, is set for release later this year.

For more information on the event please go to http://www.imeche.org/events/C1402