Business Services, construction

How to Maintain a Refinery

Refineries, especially in regions like Southern California, can provide a valuable source of jobs and income for a company. Every day that a refinery remains out of operation is costing the company money, and it’s keeping people out of work. Refineries also need to be maintained, the same as any other kind of facility. The needs may be different, but it still means down time. The goal of construction & turnaround services is to minimize these delays.

Down Time

Typical turnaround can involve months of down time while a facility is brought up to code, or new equipment is added. This means significant downtime for the plant, which cannot continue operations safely under those conditions. This is an expensive proposition for any business because they are essentially paying double for the downtime. Once for the downtime itself, and again for the equipment and labor required to fix the problem.

A poorly managed turnaround can be the downfall of a company.

As a result, there is intense pressure to get these events finished as quickly as possible. Fortunately, most turnarounds are scheduled well in advance. The exceptions being disasters or accidents that can cause irreparable harm without any kind of warning.

There is also time required for inspection and testing. A structural steel expert may be called to verify the integrity of a structure, or to ensure that the steel ordered is what was actually delivered.

Conclusions

In order to handle the immense work, coordination needs to begin early. Planning should begin months or years in advance.

Bio: Lyle Charles Consulting is a firm that helps construction companies with project management, turnaround and planning. Lyle Charles is also available as an expert witness or private mediator.