March 2019

Heat, contamination and unpredictable weather constantly threaten to disrupt the performance of offshore oil and gas facilities. These unforgiving conditions can be detrimental to the performance of drilling equipment, pumps and extraction machinery — but what steps can be taken to ensure quality engineering at sea? Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings, explains why, sometimes, it’s the little things that count. D owntime is one of the biggest challenges for offshore facilities. In fact, much of the engineering in the oil and gas industry is focused on developing equipment and upkeep methods that enable sites to operate more effectively and require minimal maintenance. Considering the unpredictable nature of these environments, the first step to reducing maintenance requirements is to ensure the right equipment is selected in the first place — and this is imperative for both large-scale machinery and small components. Selecting the right parts Generally, large-scale machinery found on bearings to a wide range of industries. For marine environments, stainless steel bearings immediately spring to mind but which grade of stainless steel? While the material is well known for its corrosion resistant properties, it does not necessarily mean it is ideal for offshore oil and gas applications. 440 grade stainless steel, for instance, is known for its resistance to damp environments. Bearings made of this material are regularly used in environments subject to washdown and exposed to water, such as food and beverage manufacturing. Despite this, 440 stainless steel actually has very poor resistance to salt water. In salt water or salt spray environments, 316 30 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk March 2019 Process, Controls & Plant Focus on: Seals, Bearings & Lubrication offshore rigs, such as marine riser tension systems and cranes, are specifically engineered for use in these environments. Having been designed by a specialist marine engineer and manufacturered by a marine-focused original equipment manufacturer (OEM), this machinery will be built with the unpredictable offshore environment in mind. Smaller components however, are often purchased from suppliers that may not specialise in marine engineering — or understand how these environments would interact with certain components or materials. Consider bearings as an example. Many bearing distributors supply a magnitude of Engineering for unforgiving conditions