Using FRACAS (failure reporting, risk analysis, corrective action system) to establish stability and performance improvements in a distressed asset

A mature asset (Floating Production, Storage & Offloading - FPSO) in the UKCS had not produced for over 2 years and struggled to sustain stable production after restart. Equipment failures and process trips were commonplace, causing serious disruption to production, interrupting planned activities while adding risk & complexity to operations in a remote and harsh environment. Maintenance backlog increased as did the burden on personnel, indicating management had failed to recognise its responsibility and had not prepared for the latter lifecycle of the asset.The asset team readily accepted failures, production operators had stopped reporting issues as they became inured to long term outages of critical equipment. Equipment failures and subsequent reactive work scopes were destroying asset performance, reputation of the operator and profitability for the client. It was accepted by all that the current situation was unsafe, unprofitable and required a change in operating philosophy with a recovery plan to secure a long term sustainable future.Preparing an asset for the cumulative demands of the ageing process must start at the earliest opportunity. Recognising best practice, reflecting this with new and improved processes delivered a fresh proactive approach and changed expectations for all members of the asset team.