Your marine hoses can make or break your offshore terminal. While many companies feel the need to keep hose maintenance in-house, others are choosing to focus on their core business by bringing in specialist partners to whom they entrust hose management and maintenance instead. Here’s what to consider when deciding whether or not outsourcing hose maintenance is for you.

Hose Lifecycle management

While one may think an in-house team may be more familiar with the terminal and its operating history, this is not always true as an in-house team may inevitably rotate staff and the knowledge built up over time is either lost or taken for granted. 

Outsourcing hose management means that hose assessments are performed to establish an operating history. These records are kept and disseminated to all the appropriate staff at the outsourced partner company who acts as a whole. Such outsourced hose assessments include OCIMFtesting, destructive testing and OEM laboratory testing. 

This data is compared against the basis of design and design criteria which hose specialists will always be well familiar with. Outsourced hose management should support installation, validated methodologies and installed subsea hose profiles. At MASROL we develop a Hose Management Plan encompassing optimal storage, inspections, maintenance and procurement tailor-made for each unique client terminal.

For objective validation and investigation of abnormal events, an outsourced hose management partner will assess the effects on design integrity and life.

Continuous hose assessment objectives:

• Reducing the risk of hose related incidents
• Contributing towards Warranty Extension from OEM & Alliance Partners
• Establishing possible points of failure and mitigation programs
• Cost Certainty
• Maximisation of operational usage of hoses to achieve optimum life
• Contributing to operational and cost efficiencies
• Reducing downtime and interruptions

Hose inventory management, storage and testing

Oil & Gas marine hoses, as the main artery for product transfer, constitute a significant investment that is not always available off the shelf, due to production and other constraints. It is therefore paramount that the hose team takes a holistic approach, considering factors such as environmental influence, purpose, design, inventory management, storage and more. 

Outsourcing hose management to the right partner can mean updated knowledge and experience of all terminal types, business models and operating environments. 

Ideally the hose inventory management and storage program should provide a comprehensive life cycle management service for both subsea and floating marine hoses used in oil and gas offshore terminal loading and unloading facilities. The hose inventory management solution should be based on OCIMF specialist testing guidelines and customised to suit the terminal at hand. 

Here a specialist hose partner also holds the upper hand as they will strictly conform to the latest OCIMF guidelines and should be endorsed by their marine hose manufacturing alliance partners. 

Hose Storage Services should include the following onshore elements

• Procurement and Supply
• Storage Facilities & Services
• Onshore Hose Maintenance
• OCIMF Testing of stored hoses
• Realtime Tracking
• Hose movement through its entire Life Cycle
• Transportation including Handling, Lifting, and Sea Fastening
• Environmentally Safe Hose Disposal
• Performance Monitoring

At MARSOL we have proven that such a comprehensive hose support plan can optimise the quality and stock levels of spare hoses provided either from in-house stock or Marsol regional Service Centres. It also prevents the use of hoses that are beyond set timeframes or identified as not-fit-for-purpose. We aim to avoid premature hose disposal with proper handling, storage and management practices, so as to maximise the hose lifespan and save overall client OpEx.

With vast experience and knowledge of hose behaviour it is possible for an external hose maintenance partner to improve hose reliability, asset integrity and facility availability by minimising operational and production interruptions associated with hose failure or malpractice. This also allows the hose partner to perform asset tracking which leads to historical performance data gathering for the improvement of predictive life models. 

Hose Change Out

Hose Change out solution is an essential component of a comprehensive Hose Life Cycle initiative. The procedure constitutes a significant activity requiring specialised and experienced personnel, combined with proven methodologies to ensure a safe, efficient and cost-effective hose change out. This engineered solution should be custom-designed by the outsourced hose maintenance partner to cater for each client and their specific location, with the endorsement of the hose manufacturing OEMs and Alliance Partners.

Hose Change outs need to be planned in line with OEM recommendations and OCIMF Guidelines. 

Submarine and Floating Marine Hose Change out may include:

•Flushing

•Removal

•Towing

•Disassembly or assembly of strings

•Launch or recovery

•Installation

•In Situ Testing

OCIMF testing

Destructive testing

Our objective is to provide a comprehensive, QHSE-Driven, Hose Change out service customised by MARSOL to optimise a client’s available assets and resources. The service allows the client to focus on their core business activities, without the need for additional investment or specialist in-house capability.

Your hose maintenance partner will aim to reduce QHSE risks during change outs through the use of proven methodologies, qualified and experienced personnel, appropriate vessels and assets to ensure the personnel’s safety, environmental and facility protection. 

As an outsourced hose maintenance partner is held responsible for damage to infrastructure and assets during installation or removal, you can trust that extra care will be taken to reduce the potential of such damage. 

At MARSOL we aim to preserve our client’s corporate reputation and stakeholders’ interests. Choose a hose management partner you can trust. 

SPM hose emergency support

Oil & Gas marine hoses are the primary conduits for offshore product transfer. These critical components constitute a substantial investment, often with long lead times, and are the most vulnerable link in the distribution chain. Oil & Gas marine hoses are exposed to harsh environmental and operating conditions, operating to high levels of availability, yet must comply with exacting QHSE standards. 

Oil leaks, reduced reliability, reduced asset Integrity and unplanned shutdowns, constitute significant QHSE, reputation and economic impacts for the asset owner, all other stakeholders and the environment. For this reason it is paramount that your outsourced hose maintenance partner has a good emergency support plan in place. 

Conclusion

While an in-house team has benefits, a specialist hose management partner can be the better choice. MARSOL provides a comprehensive Hose Management Service which ensures a safe, reliable and fit for purpose operation of marine hoses. The service allows the client to focus on their core business activities without the need for a specialist in-house capability.

Choose a partner you can trust.