Quest Reliability specializes in inspection, assessment and monitoring of critical plant assets for the petroleum refining sector. Through our global service network, we provide high value risk-based asset management, fitness-for-service and plant lifetime optimization services to refineries, processing plants and offshore structures.
Quest Reliability's services and products are responsive to our customers’ following objectives:
- Improve management of asset integrity
- Avoid waste due to unplanned shutdowns and failure of critical equipment
- Maximize the reliable service life of critical equipment
- Identify greatest failure risks, target maintenance and inspection programs
Benefits We Offer
- Consultation for all material issues in plant and equipment, from conception and design to end of life
- Information to make better maintenance and repair decisions
- Implementation and use of risk-based inspection to minimize inspection and maintenance costs and improve plant reliability
- Plant life assessments; safely extend plant life and save money through deferred replacement expenditure
- Solutions to problems, not just test results
Our Expertise
Core areas of expertise include:
- Reliability management
- Risk-based asset management
- Fitness-For-Service and Structural Integrity assessments of critical plant and equipment
- Corrosion
- Metallurgy
- Materials engineering
- Finite element modeling and analysis
- Creep rupture analysis
- Remaining life assessment
- Process engineering
- CFD modeling
- Root cause failure analysis
- Specialized NDT (non-destructive testing)
Our specific plant expertise includes:
- Furnaces and fired heaters
- Reformers
- Pressure vessels
- Hydrotreaters
- Methanators
- CO2 Removal Units
- Shift Conversion Units
- Piping
- Coke drums
- Pumps and valves
- Pipelines
- Storage and process tanks
Quest Reliability is involved in many research programs that support our products and services.
Facilities and Equipment
- State-of-the-art diagnostic and non-destructive testing tools
- Research and testing facilities for simulating aggressive environments over a wide range of temperatures and conditions
Advanced Inspection and Analysis Tools
The Quest Integrity Group applies a portfolio of innovative, advanced inspection and Fitness-for-service assessment tools; representative technologies include:
Select Recent Projects
- Risk-Based Assessment of the Furnaces at a Refinery
Quest Reliability was contracted to improve the maintenance, inspection procedures and reliability of 17 furnaces at a refinery. This project involved:
- Compilation of data and setup of databases
- On site inspection and analysis
- On site creation of an improvement plan
- Development of inspection test plans
- Completion of condition and risk assessments for all furnaces
This project provided the client with a detailed understanding of the present condition and reliability of their furnaces, and knowledge of how to utilize risk-based inspection and management principles to improve furnace reliability.
- Fitness-For-Service Assessment of Condensate Flash Drum
Quest Reliability conducted a Fitness-for-service assessment on a condensate flash drum after ultrasonic inspection reported significant internal corrosion in the shell section. Level 2 Fitness-for-service assessments were carried out in accordance with the procedures in API 579 Sections 4 and 5 on general and local metal loss to allow Quest Reliability to recommend:
- The duration for which the condensate flash drum would remain fit for service
- Inspection activities, with specific acceptance criteria to remain reliably and safely in service
- Remnant Life Assessment of High-Energy steam Pipework
Defects were discovered in terminal welds in high energy steam pipework. Quest Reliability performed a critical engineering assessment to predict the time for the flaw to grow to the maximum tolerable size, before resulting in prospective failure. The plant returned to service without delay, informed with an appropriate re-inspection schedule for the steam pipework.
Flaws were discovered in the welds of a motive fluid tank. Quest Reliability conducted a defect assessment in accordance with BS 7910:2005 to:
- Determine the maximum tolerable embedded flaw size
- Define the operating time required for the flaws to grow (by fatigue) to the maximum tolerable flaw size
- Recommend a future inspection interval for the tank based on this information
Further Information
For further information about the consulting services and products that we offer to the Refining industry, please contact us.