9
I N N O V AT I O N S • A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 4
SmartPlug technology, was involved in planning
meetings from the start. For the project, they
worked through various scenarios and emergencies:
How will communication work? How will the
diving control center on the vessel get information
on the status of the isolation? What’s considered
a sound isolation, and what should be done if
something does not meet the criteria?
The collaborative planning proved to be worth it.
After the technicians deployed and activated the
SmartPlug tools on each side of the target area, one
of the seals wasn’t keeping the pressure consistent
enough. While the pressure was in normal range, it
did not seal to the operator’s unique requirements.
These project-specific limits were specifically
designed to provide additional diver safety during
the operation.
Now, the teams had the ability to follow the
established contingency plan. They quickly pulled
the plug and replaced it with a backup plug at
another location in the pipeline, which worked.
Due to the pre-planning, the teams didn’t need to
stop and develop a response to the setback.
A New Mode of Operation
Some service companies are taking their
involvement in risk assessment and planning one
step farther. For example, at TDW, technicians
receive specific training aimed at getting them to
see things from the operator’s perspective. In the
training, engineers teach technicians how to read the
P&ID (called either a Piping and Instrumentation
Diagram or a Process and Instrumentation Diagram,
depending on the company) and to analyze and
understand the full environment surrounding
the isolation operation, not just in relation to the
particular tool.
By thinking beyond how the tool operates, to
how it impacts and is impacted by what’s happening
on the platform or facility where the isolation is
taking place, the technicians are better prepared to
consult operators in the project planning phases.
Larry Ryan, Director of SmartPlug Operations
for TDW, says this new way of doing business isn’t
always easy, but it’s certainly worth it. “The P&ID
diagrams are highly technical, so learning how to
read them is like learning a different language. But
with this added knowledge, our technicians can sit
in the HAZOPs and discuss what would happen
if things don’t go exactly as planned. They can’t
do that unless they can understand the diagrams.
Without that understanding, we can’t effectively
engage in high-level risk discussions. We’d be too
tool-centric and not environment-centric.”
Cool-headed Decisions
When service company personnel and operator
staff share knowledge from day one, the team as
a whole is better equipped to handle situations
that arise and keep a cool head when things don’t
go correctly.
“When you’re offshore, and you’ve got your
whole field shut down on a huge pipeline and
infrastructure, time is not your friend,” Ryan said.
“So the last thing you want to do is make decisions
in the heat of the moment. You want to make them
in the cold light of day when everyone is sitting
around onshore, before anything happens.”
