From Risk to Resilience: How GE Vernova’s Software Business Transforms Mechanical Integrity

Energy companies that operate high volumes of pressurized equipment, carrying flammable and toxic process fluids such as piping systems, vessels, exchangers, tanks, and boilers, are susceptible to Loss of Pressure Containment (LOPC), leaks, and corrosion, all of which can be detrimental to their bottom line. Nearly a decade ago, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) published a report estimating the global cost of corrosion at $2.5 trillion, with roughly 60% attributed to the industrial sector. Fast forward ten years, and this remains a significant concern for reliability and maintenance departments striving to maximize asset uptime and availability without compromising safety. While mitigation techniques like corrosion inhibitors are available, a more sustainable solution is implementing software tools that align with a Mechanical Integrity (MI) program to reduce risks, optimize inspections, and ensure compliance.

Our Mechanical Integrity application, part of GE Vernova’s Asset Performance Management (APM) suite, equips users with an integrated set of tools to mitigate risks, corrosion, leaks, and other challenges associated with critical stationary equipment in your facilities. It includes:

• An industry-leading Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) capability supporting qualitative/semi-quantitative (RBI-580) and quantitative (RBI-581) risk engines, adhering to best practices as outlined in API 580/API 581.
• A flexible and configurable inspection database management solution that can support large-scale inspection, corrosion, and thickness measurement programs in the Oil and Gas industry.
• A state-of-the-art mobile application designed for efficient data collection.
• Contextual visualization (2D/3D visualizations) to support the implementation of a true digital twin.
• The ability to provide dynamic risk analysis with Integrity Operating Window (IOWs).

The RBI module in our Mechanical Integrity application provides users with a framework to assess the likelihood and consequences of failure of their fixed equipment. Furthermore, risk values can be integrated into inspection management and maintenance programs to ensure early identification and mitigation of issues that can be resolved by inspectors and technicians in the field. Here are some of the unique features of GE Vernova’s RBI approach:

1. In addition to the risk engine prescribed by API 581, GE Vernova provides Flexi RBI to users, allowing them to model damage mechanisms as per corporate standards or any RAGAGEP’s, e.g., thermal fatigue, creep, etc.
2. Certified RBI engines: RBI-580 is Exida Certified (recertified in 2023) to ensure customers can seamlessly transition from a time-based to a risk-based approach. In some states in the US, this document must be submitted for auditing purposes. RBI-580 is certified by industry experts against API 580, 3rd edition, and undergoes recertification every three years.
3. New user experience enhancements minimize the number of clicks and reduce navigation effort for RBI analysts to locate critical equipment.
4. Bulk evergreening of RBI analysis: We provide bulk capabilities (copy, calculate, finalize) to ensure we can keep RBI analyses evergreen. We can trigger evergreening based on various factors such as time, turnaround events, IOW excursions, etc. The evergreening process also facilitates the integration of information from inspection and thickness monitoring programs.
5. RBI 581 2nd addendum changes: As an industry-leading RBI calculation engine, we ensure that we keep up with the changes in API 581 specifications. We recently incorporated the changes as per API 581, 3rd edition, 2nd addendum.
6. RBI 3D Visualization, in conjunction with our partner Visionaize, allows users to dynamically visualize the ISO risk plot across a unit and drill down into assets that are prone to failure.

See case studies from APM Integrity users:

Learn how energy company OQ utilized risk-based inspections and saved $59 million in avoided turnaround events and unnecessary maintenance.

Read how ADNOC Gas Processing, a division of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, reduced inspection tasks by 44% with improved asset integrity.

The next step involves integrating a mechanical integrity program and inspection initiatives across an enterprise. This necessitates a centralized platform that can manage inspection plans for various asset classes, document the condition of each asset, and track inspection recommendations to closure. With the Inspection Management module in our Mechanical Integrity application, inspectors and asset integrity managers can easily log inspections, manage inspection tasks, complete inspection reports, capture images, and create recommendations for static assets in their facility. Despite extreme asset operating conditions and safety challenges, inspectors deployed to the field can now utilize GE Vernova's Integrity Mobile application, launched earlier this year. Built on Microsoft's Xamarin platform, Integrity Mobile enhances inspector productivity and mitigates on-site risk. In addition to functional parity with our desktop application, Integrity Mobile offers the following unique features

• Image tagging and annotation: This capability enables users to annotate critical sections of an asset and capture real-time observations. Users can now add formatted text, freehand drawings, and shapes, and make image enhancements (e.g., brightness, contrast, etc.).
• Schematic visualization of Scope of Work: Users can view the scope of inspection in an image or equipment drawing, providing greater clarity on requirements.
• Smaller Form Factors: In addition to hand-held tablets, users can now use their mobile phones (iOS and Android) to collect data with minimal clicks.

The Thickness Monitoring module in our Mechanical Integrity application provides users with a framework to manage their corrosion and thickness measurement programs, improve the accuracy of end-of-life estimation, and reduce equipment failures. Early identification of corrosion or erosion on-site further mitigates safety and environmental risks. A key differentiator of our solution is scalability. As users need to load and implement multiple TMLs/CMLs – in many cases 50,000+, the Thickness Monitoring module ensures that their operations remain compliant. Additionally, our new 2D visualization capability allows users to render any image (.DWG, .PDF, .SVG), map TMLs, and embed critical information such as minimum thickness and last inspection date to improve contextual awareness.

To learn more about the added capabilities of automated data collection using dataloggers, the Tmin calculator for minimum thickness levels, stress tables, the corrosion analysis tool for budgeting and turnaround planning, and more, check out our recent blog How Thickness Monitoring Programs Help Safely Operate Static Equipment.

Since risk continues to change with time, operators need a reliable, scalable, and dynamic risk evaluation tool that allows users to visualize the risk profile of their critical assets and make swifter, intelligent actions. With Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs), GE Vernova offers an optimal framework to re-evaluate risk and subsequent mitigation actions. Data can be set up from APM as well as 3rd party IT and OT systems, and currently, IOWs include content for 12 damage mechanisms.

See how a leading Oil and Gas company in the APAC region saw $250k annual manpower cost savings by automating their IOW program with GE Vernova.

• Challenge: Integrity engineers at the facility were spending excessive time manually monitoring critical assets and IOW parameters. Additionally, the manual nature of the existing process also posed the risk of human error, thereby increasing the risk of a high consequence Loss of Containment event.
• Automated IOWs with GE Vernova: Listed below are the steps followed for a successful implementation:
  • GE Vernova SMEs engaged closely with the integrity leads to set up an automated IOW program — this included the collection of relevant technical information related to process historian tags/measurement locations, excursion limits as well as the company standard workflows for IOW tracking.
  • GE Vernova SMEs worked with the users to develop policies in APM to monitor the tags using the defined logic and alert the users for any excursion.
  • The policies developed calculated corrosion, H2S partial pressure, and H2S cracking susceptibility and evaluated the ER probe data.
  • Lastly, the policies were configured to execute the logic automatically with integrity engineers managing by exception ‚ thus replacing the existing manual Excel-based process.
• Result: Reduced labor cost and risk by eliminating time-consuming and error-prone manual processes.

With an integrated set of tools such as Risk-Based Inspection (RBI), Inspection Management (IM), Thickness Monitoring (TM), and Compliance Management, our Mechanical Integrity application allows users to create a closed-loop mechanical integrity program within their enterprise. The ability to understand current risk levels and drive optimization will help lower costs, improve asset availability, and enable quicker repair decisions. Furthermore, as net-zero goals and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiatives continue to gain momentum, we believe that our Mechanical Integrity application in APM is a core component to ensure safety and compliance at your facility.

Want to see it all in action? Check out our interactive demo where a reliability manager and his team of RBI analysts, inspectors, and corrosion analysts navigate challenges associated with an FCC unit in a facility.