Equipment Maintenance: What You Need to Know about Your Offshore Platform

An offshore platform is considered one of the most challenging work environments in the world. Unlike traditional workplaces, its surroundings present several issues that put individuals working there at risk. There is a high standard for safety, the responsibility for which mainly falls on the shoulders of maintenance engineers.

Because of the limited space and the remote location of these platforms, there is a need to make sure all systems are performing optimally. Aside from this, any issues can result in downtime that will disrupt operations on the platform. By understanding the challenges of this work environment, you can develop solutions that will keep your team safe and productive.

Current Challenges

Whether you work on an oil rig or an offshore wind farm, some challenges apply to all types of offshore platforms. Familiarizing yourself with these will help you identify red flags from the onset, allowing you to launch solutions immediately.

Unpredictable Weather

Although this is a given, many maintenance engineers fail to prepare their offshore power cables for sudden weather changes. When this happens, you have to find the malfunction immediately to fix it. It puts you and your team at risk, especially if it’s still raining heavily or the winds are still strong.

Change in Temperature

Offshore platforms are prone to experiencing sudden and severe temperature changes. When power cables and other equipment are not treated and protected, their performance is significantly affected.

Complex Repairs

These types of repairs often require special tools and training. There are two types of damage to power cables: physical breakage and performance degradation.

Physical breakage will need you to cut off the damaged parts before splicing the remaining parts together.
Performance degradation is more time-consuming because it requires you to find the affected area’s exact location.

Potential Solutions

Consider reviewing your current processes to identify potential problems and areas of improvement. The following are possible solutions to the challenges mentioned. Determine if they can be included in your new strategies.

Regular Inspection

Whether your offshore platform has a team on-deck or not, consider creating a regular schedule to inspect the systems and other equipment. In doing this, you can identify potential problems before they can affect the platform.

Repairs and Replacements

Take note of older cables and other equipment. Determine if any parts need to be repaired or replaced during your inspection. By pre-empting these tasks, you avoid facing problems that grew because they were left to fester.

High-Quality Equipment

An offshore platform is one of the last places to cut corners. When you’re carrying out repairs and replacements, make sure you’re using tools and equipment that are designed for the environment. These days, there are world-class power cables that are also cost-effective.

Cable Source is a leading supplier and stockist of high-quality cables and wiring. We’ve partnered with the world’s leading manufacturers to bring Singaporeans effective solutions to their offshore platform needs.