Best Practices in Asset Integrity Management System
Authors: Dutta Rajdeep , Madi Massin 
Published: March 2015

The main objective of an Asset Integrity Management System (AIMS) is to ensure that the physical assets of facilities and pipeline system are operated in a reliable, efficient, and safe manner. Such motives can include the fitness to function safely and reliably; Consistency with all industry requirements and international standards; Compliance with company's AIMS Philosophy, Operating & Maintenance Philosophy & Engineering Standards/Specifications as well as industry regulations. The AIMS goals shall demonstrate the persona of the company where an inward look into the company's values and shall be subjected to evolution rather than revision.

At Dolphin Energy Limited (DEL), the QHSE philosophy of - zero injuries, zero accidents, zero releases and no (minimal potential negative) impact to the public, the surrounding environment, and customers (Zero Leak Thresholds) was support by DEL's implementation of the most appropriate technology available in the world along with KPI development in areas of defect management; specified tolerances; assessing infrastructure fitness-for-purpose & measuring the effectiveness of AIMS activities.

This review paper will demonstrate DEL's great focus on proactively understanding the type, extent, and the effect of all potential defects and by implementing a process where such learning is re-injecting and the results are structured and documented. The importance of regular internal reviews of the AIMS to ensure internal conformance, and the appropriate evolution of such approach as well as measuring its effectiveness are all important in making the right decisions in cases where emerging issues are supported and maintained. The AIMS approach shall be proactive where asset safety and reliability start with prevention by utilizing rigorous QA/QC related to design; materials, coatings, cathodic protection system infrastructure, and non-destructive examination. Participation in the initial project development teams & project approval processes and providing Integrity related input/approvals of projects design bases and construction activities are of an extreme value to Asset Management.

Generally, aging infrastructure does become susceptible to the manifestation of time-dependent failure mechanisms where monitoring programs shall be structured usually into Operational Monitoring programs as well as large-scale monitoring programs such as (ILI) for pipelines. Any potential issue identified through risk assessment and/or monitoring activities shall be effectively mitigated to ensure Asset Integrity. Mitigation programs of AIMS shall also be addressed and may include regular preventative maintenance programs & repair activities. On the engineering Asset Integrity side, defect data validation studies and Failure Investigation & Root Cause Analysis, defect Assessments and feature growth analysis, risk based inspections (RBI) shall be considered within the AIMS overall structure. Another important component of AIMS is the utilization of application software that will assist in decision making which also can be based on a GIS based platform tool for integrity-related decision making. Such application can perform comprehensive Risk & Data Management capabilities.

This review paper shall demonstrate how AIMS at Dolphin Energy Limited has been evolving in the UAE by highlighting the best practices in the industry.