A 118 page review by TA Cook Research investigates scheduling practices for turnarounds and shutdowns. The report includes interviews and contributed articles from industry thought leaders. To give some examples, Martin Karges (Voith) offers a case history of the 2011 conversion of a catalyser at Total’s Antwerp refinery. TA Cook’s own Gert Müller writes on advanced schedule optimization. Tectura’s Udo Ramin reports on shutdown management with Microsoft Project Server. Tim Taylor, McLaren Software, discusses document management and control in support of ‘successful and efficient plant shutdowns and turnarounds.’
Taylor observed that lost production during process industry turnarounds can seriously impact the bottom line. Such ‘opportunity costs’ often exceed the labor and material costs of the turnaround itself. This highlights the value of planning, scheduling and procurement. But also key is good document management in support of planning. As built documentation needs to be revised and new documentation created prior to shut down. After the intervention, new documentation must validated before use by operations.
While there is significant marketing content in the study, the report does provide up to date information on turnover and project management and offers a good introduction to major players in the EU. The study is in two parts. Part I: Current status & market insights (117 Pages) is a free download. Part II: Best practices and potential (121 Pages) costs €2,200. More from www.oilit.com/links/1109_16.
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