Preventive Maintenance in the Oil and Gas Industries: A Complete Guide

Over the years, the oil and gas industries have followed consistent patterns. Oil and gas producers that limit machine failure downtime often generate increased production and success. Over time, maintenance methods within these industries have transitioned from reactive maintenance to preventive maintenance.

Today we will discuss the reasoning behind this shift, the current technologies that preventive maintenance requires, and the many benefits of using LLumin’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS+) software for preventive maintenance.

Shifting to Preventive Maintenance in Oil and Gas Industries

Preventive maintenance refers to the scheduled cleaning, repairing, or replacing of machine components based on machine service lifespan data. Preventive maintenance in the oil and gas industries has proven to be a superior maintenance strategy. Industry technology has changed significantly over time, resulting in a change in best practices for preventive maintenance.

The shift to preventive maintenance has occurred for several reasons, all of which aim to limit machine failure-driven downtime. Preventive maintenance offers many benefits, which include:

• Planning and scheduling downtime
• Being able to order and prepare replacement components
• Maximizing production while limiting machine running time

We will discuss each one of these benefits of preventive maintenance and the technology that makes these benefits possible. 

Scheduled “Planned” Downtime

One of the major issues with reactive maintenance is that halting one element of production might require you to halt other elements as well. By scheduling downtime based on the predicted maintenance of machines, you can maintain several assets simultaneously. Scheduled maintenance also prevents the continual stops and starts of production that occurs with reactive maintenance, ultimately leading to an increased and more effective machine running time.

Preparation for Replacement Components 

When a component fails, reactive maintenance requires you to order a replacement component and wait until the part arrives to install it. The time you have spent waiting for the replacement’s delivery slows down the entire operation. With preventive maintenance, however, you can order a component before the expected replacement time. This process prevents the bottlenecks in processing that slow the entire production timeline.

Maximize Production While Limiting Machine Running Time

When an unexpected machine failure occurs, it can be difficult to turn off other machines even if an upstream failure has lowered their efficiency. However, by utilizing preventive maintenance, you can sync machines so they optimally turn off in unison. During this time, you can also maintain many different assets at once while completing regulatory and safety checks.

Preventive maintenance limits downtime and increases production efficiency. The technology to best optimize preventive maintenance has changed over time. These technological breakthroughs have altered how to optimize a preventive maintenance strategy.

Technologies for Preventive Maintenance in the Oil and Gas Industries

A variety of technologies have accelerated the shift to preventive maintenance. These technologies utilize service life data and data collected during production to determine planned maintenance.

Major technological breakthroughs include:

• Internet of things (IoT)
• Industrial internet of things (I-IoT)
• Artificial intelligence (AI)

Below, we will discuss how each of these technologies contributes to preventive maintenance, keeping assets running at maximum efficiency.

IoT

The IoT is a term that describes physical objects, “things” with sensors connected in a network. At a fundamental level, you can visualize this collection of data as operators who make changes throughout the system. The sensors can also collect data on these objects and transmit that data to receivers in other physical objects, possibly resulting in a programmed and automated change in operation.

I-IoT

The I-IoT uses smart sensors and actuators to enhance industrial operations by connecting smart machines to each other. Each smart machine individually collects and records data, indicates machine issues, and allows operators to manipulate the machines. These smart machines can also analyze data in real-time to determine if machine issues are occurring. The I-IoT enables you to analyze the data and make predictions based on the compiled data from all of the smart machines.

AI

AI utilizes the data collected from operators, machine sensors, and logs to determine when machines will require maintenance. AI continually collects this data through the I-IoT. Using this information, AI determines when to make replacement component orders and when to schedule downtime. As the system collects additional data, it simultaneously analyzes it to learn and improve predictions as to when machines will require scheduled maintenance (predictive maintenance).

The above technologies have all increased the benefits of preventive maintenance. Yet, technologies continue to advance. Utilizing LLumin’s advanced CMMS+ software will allow you to improve the efficiency of your preventive maintenance strategy in the oil and gas industries.

How Can LLumin’s CMMS+ Software Help With Preventive Maintenance?

LLumin’s CMMS+ software is cloud-based, allowing you to instantly compile data from sensors and operators to track upcoming maintenance needs. LLumin’s CMMS+ software automates replacement component orders, including shipment tracking and delivery verification, to allow for increased speed and efficiency. The software can also integrate data, component delivery, and employee schedules to optimize preventive maintenance scheduling. The CMMS+ software is easy to deploy, and your dedicated project manager will help you throughout the implementation process.

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Getting Started With LLumin

LLumin develops innovative CMMS and asset management software to manage and track assets in industrial plants, facilities, municipalities, and universities. If you want to know more about preventive maintenance in the oil and gas industries and how LLumin can help, we encourage you to schedule a free demo or Contact the experts at LLumin.