Engineering consultancy Magma Products said its newly launched a shutdown division aims to bring a fresh approach to this complex arena of the oil and gas industry.
The Aberdeen-based provider of commissioning and decommissioning services said it decided to launch the new division following an increasing number of requests from clients. The business plans to use its commissioning expertise to deliver a phased resumption of production, while still allowing for essential maintenance work to take place.
Philip Tweedy, managing director at Magma Products, said, “Using our commissioning expertise, we are bringing a systematized approach to shutdown projects with work being carried out in stages. This option has the scope for the asset to be producing rather than not producing at all. We are confident this will be a successful addition to the engineering solutions we offer the market.”
Stephen Potts, who has been appointed ad shutdown director to lead the new service offering, said, “Magma is able to fill any knowledge gaps and deliver a road map that keeps projects on schedule and on budget through a phased and structured approach.”
Identifying the capability of the project team and shaping a clear plan, Potts said, are key steps to saving millions of pounds on shutdown projects, with reducing downtime the prime consideration.
He added, “Initially you have to look at the capability within the shutdown project team, identifying the strengths and areas where improvements need to be made. The next step is project planning with clear communication – everyone involved needs to know their role, what they are doing and when they are doing it. The scale-up phase where numbers – both people and costs – start to rise also needs to be managed. In short, a robust process and project expertise can lead to significant savings further down the line.”
Potts brings to the role more than 30 years’ experience and a reputation for the delivery of successful shutdown programs. He has led an onshore team to develop strategies for shutdowns as part of the redevelopment of the Montrose and Arbroath platforms in the UK North Sea. He has held a number of roles for operators including shutdown manager, offshore delivery manager, flotel campaign manager and OIM (offshore installation manager).
Magma, which also has offices in Great Yarmouth and Bucharest, has carved out a niche in the commissioning area, managing all the checks, inspections, certification and tests that need to be carried out on components, systems and infrastructure before handover to the operator, duty-holder or project lead.
It used this experience to deliver decommissioning projects in recent years and is now again broadening its capability with the addition of a shutdown division. The company also delivers engineering support from front-end engineering design studies to upgrades of existing infrastructure.
Subscribe
