On the process of maintenance decision-making in the offshore operational environment of the oil and gas industry

Abstract

The overall objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive decision support framework for preventive maintenance program implementations in the offshore operational environment of the oil and gas industry. The thesis investigates the problems surrounding the maintenance decision-making process, which elements are systematically identified and categorized, including organizational aspects. The interface with operations is considered in order to promote integration between maintenance and production schedules. This thesis has been a mix of qualitative and quantitative research. The research subjacent objectives have been to identify, among major oil and gas offshore players, the state-of-practices regarding the maintenance decision-making process and identify, in the literature, the main techniques used for maintenance decisions and optimization in order to propose alternatives for supporting future preventive maintenance program implementations. By means of a Systems Engineering based approach, assisted by a literature review, interviews with experts (in Norway and in Brazil), an on-line survey and case studies, the results of this thesis complement a toolkit for maintenance engineers and managers aiming to facilitate information sharing and interdisciplinary cooperation in the operational environment. The main contributions of this research are: (i) A concept map for the maintenance decision-making process ontology; (ii) A plan for preventive maintenance program implementations; (iii) The suggested cross-sector solution: the minimum equipment list; (iv) A Markovian dependability nomogram; (v) A Markov decision model application.