Client: Santos
Industry: Oil and Gas
Asset: FPSO
Location: Offshore Western Australia
Year: 2021

Challenge

The equipment hired by Santos arrived at one of their offshore assets in poor working condition, posing safety risks to personnel and the asset itself. As such, they had to return the equipment to the vendor and get a replacement, which was not cost or time-effective.

To prevent this issue from resurfacing, Axess Australia was asked to step in to conduct quality inspections on the vendor’s equipment prior to freighting them offshore.

Solution

With over two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, Axess is very familiar with the specifications and regulations related to equipment. Our team of highly qualified and experienced inspection engineers can help to ensure that the equipment is in proper working condition with the right certifications and are in compliance with the relevant regulations. Furthermore, as an independent third-party inspection company, we provide impartial advice and are only influenced by hard data.

In a particular scenario, our inspection engineers from Axess Australia were involved with inspecting a container and its contents (mechanical and pressurised equipment). They reviewed the certifications, carried out the inspections at the vendor’s premises, completed the relevant checklists and conducted function tests wherever feasible.

Documentation were uploaded onto Bridge, an Axess Digital product. It functions as a database for the client to review the findings at any point in time.

Some of the issues raised were incorrect validity dates for pressure gauges and missing Manufacturer Data Reports for accumulators. The team then liaised with Santos and the vendor for corrective actions to be taken. After ensuring that the equipment was compliant, Axess issued a certificate of conformity to allow the container to continue its journey to the offshore asset.

Throughout the entire process, the team maintained close communication with Santos and the vendor to ensure a quick and favourable result for all parties.

Results

By conducting vendor inspections prior to freighting equipment offshore, we eliminated safety risks associated with poor quality or non-compliance of equipment. Moreover, we helped Santos prevent any unnecessary downtime and additional costs to their time-sensitive project.

If you are interested in inspections for your hired or purchased equipment, please reach out to us.