Enhancing Asset Integrity by Gamma Online Scanning

Abstract Performance of industrial static equipment depends upon its mechanical design and chemical process optimization. Any degradation of the static equipment due to corrosion issues and process abnormalities, can cause material degradation and huge production loss which eventually result in high revenue losses. To avoid such scenarios and in line with ADNOC unwavering commitment towards 100% HSE and asset integrity, ADNOC GAS, Habshan-5 plant recently deployed Gamma scanning known as Accu-Scanning that works on the principle low curie radiography for scanning the entire static equipment surface. The purpose of this paper is to present the successful deployment and highlight the key benefits and value created from having such technology. Using the conventional, such as Ultrasonic and Radiography methods for inspecting static equipment found to be challenging one and has its own limitations. To inspect such assets, the usual requirement of having complete isolation, manual entry and examine the condition of internals using conventional Ultrasonic and Radiography technique found to be time consuming activity and by which complete 100% inspection also not found to be feasible, due to large are coverage requirement and inaccessibility of the locations. Hence, it gives some uncertainty in evaluating the Asset Integrity of such static equipment. But, with this Gamma Scan technology that operates based on simple Radiography based technique, the complete thickness profile of the shell surface along with equipment internal insight being captured. This Diagnostic scan in-addition to identification of thickness reduction along the periphery, it provides the condition of the internals, mechanical damages and hydra-dynamic abnormalities such as flooding that normally occur in the static equipment such as towers and columns. Moreover, this technology can be deployed during on-line condition, without the need of equipment shutdown and isolation requirements and the output produces massive digital and accurate measurements that can be later fully utilized to perform fitness for service and remanent life assessment in line with API. Post-deployment and to validate the technology, the data obtained from the Gamma Scan has been validated with conventional Ultrasonic and Radiography, the results revealed more confidence on the technique that confirms the accuracy and reliability. Looking ahead, having this massive digital accurate and reliable inspection date will be utilized in Machine Learning platform for future prediction to further optimize inspection intervals of Static equipment.