Emerson Process Management and Bjorge Solberg & Andersen, the Norwegian agent for Emerson valve products and services, have established a control valve diagnostic centre that utilises asset optimisation services, to monitor control valve performance on the Norsk Hydro, Oseberg platform. The Fisher® FIELDVUE® -instrumented valves will be monitored utilising AMS-ValveLink® performance diagnostic software. The service that is being provided includes the remote monitoring of control valve performance indicators and status alarms in order to predict when maintenance may be required. Emerson and Solberg worked closely with Norsk Hydro to define procedures that would guarantee the safety of plant personnel and assets at the offshore installation, the diagnostics centre was established to meet these requirements. Work processes were developed for the handling of device alarms so that the information reaches the people who require it, in a timely manner. The Oseberg South monitoring project was established as a trial in June 2002 and will last for one year. It is the first offshore project of this type to be undertaken by Emerson. At the outset of the contract, Emerson and Solberg worked with Norsk Hydro to identify the valves to be monitored, as well as establishing a control group against which the monitored valves could be compared. Success factors were agreed upon that will be reviewed in June 2003 to determine what benefits control valve performance monitoring provides. There have no unpredictable stoppages caused by a valve failure, maintenance costs are down, and there are fewer and shorter maintenance intervals. Emerson and Solberg are working with Statoil on similar contracts.
