Reducing Schedule and Cost without Sacrificing Quality and Safety
Plant type: refinery

Client Challenge

With an upcoming 50-day turnaround scheduled, the client required reductions in schedule and cost, while improving quality and safety. The primary objective of the turnaround was to connect new piping from a capital project to an existing coker unit. The scope included included installation of a Distillation Column, Fractionator Tower and knockouts for processing heavy crudes.

With a general contracting resource scoped for the project, the work was to be completed utilizing conventional weld methods. Instead of reducing the schedule, more time would actually be required and there was a possibility of having to delay the turnaround to accommodate GC’s workload. Neither of these possibilities was acceptable to the client.

Aquilex Solution

Client consulted with Aquilex WSI to determine alternative approaches. Aquilex WSI provided a Turnaround Planner to evaluate all welding work scopes and develop a detailed plan.

Aquilex WSI’s approach included automated welding technology which could accommodate the range of required welds from 1.5″ to 36.” The work would be completed by a crew of 18 weld operators and nine pipefitters per shift and all work would be performed under Aquilex WSI “R” stamp and QA program.

Results

Aquilex WSI completed more than 300 welds with only three minor rejects in cap pass. The turnaround schedule was reduced by five days and headcount was reduced by 45 pipefitters compared with the GC, reducing the potential for safety instances. No time was lost to safety accidents during the turnaround.