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Abstract Cost optimization of asset management is a central issue in the offshore oil and gas strategy, and risk-based approaches has been more and more employed to assist the segment in the concretization of that goal. In this sense, the use of Risk Based Inspection by the petroleum industry has significantly increased. The inspection procedure aims mitigating the uncertainty related to the asset degradation state, enabling a better quantification of the actual damage, and, consequently, increases the accuracy of remaining life projections. Since the costs involved in offshore subsea inspections are considerable, inspection plans optimization plays a crucial role in the balance of an asset management program. The present paper discusses the impact of considering the commissioning inspection when defining optimal inspection plans for subsea equipment. A genetic algorithm, an optimization technique inspired in the concepts of evolutionary genetics is used to obtain the optimal inspection plans. The genes are defined in terms of two variables: the type of inspection to be done and in which period it occurs, considering a finite window of opportunities for inspection occurrences. The optimization process considers a multicriteria objective function, consisting in the dimensions time, cost, and risk. Finally, the application of the proposed methodology is illustrated by means of the elaboration of the inspection plans for an Emergency Shutdown Valve and the effects of considering commissioning in the preparation of inspection plans are discussed. This study aims to contribute to improve the decision-making process concerning inspection policies.
Maturana et al. (2024) studied this question.