Central Asian refineries face turnaround squeeze as ageing assets and recurring corrosion add pressure
Integrated Global Services (IGS), a global leader in engineered surface protection and asset integrity, has released new research showing Central Asian refinery operators are facing growing pressure to keep turnaround schedules under control as ageing assets and recurring corrosion issues place greater pressure on already limited shutdown windows. In response, 75% of respondents said reducing future turnaround scope is a crucial consideration when evaluating corrosion protection or asset integrity solutions.
The survey of refinery leaders and operators in Central Asia found that short shutdown windows were identified as the biggest challenge when managing turnaround scope for critical process vessels and other high-risk equipment, selected by 39% of respondents. Ageing assets are adding to that pressure. Almost eight in ten respondents said at least 10% of their critical assets are operating beyond original design life, including 29% who said more than half of their critical assets are beyond design life.
The region also suffers from recurring corrosion, erosion and metal wastage issues. The survey found 85% of respondents have experienced the need for follow-up work for these issues across more than one inspection or turnaround cycle, while 34% say this happens frequently or very frequently.
Against this backdrop, 75% cite reducing future turnaround scope as a very important consideration when evaluating corrosion protection or asset integrity solutions.
Norman Kiddie, SVP Strategic Projects, at IGS says: “Turnaround windows are under more pressure, leaving operators with less time to complete maintenance during a shutdown. And the challenge isn’t just the major repair that everyone can see coming. More often, we see smaller corrosion, erosion and metal wastage issues that return cycle after cycle. Long-term asset protection helps operators address those issues earlier, so less work comes back into future turnaround scope.”
Unresolved or repeat issues increase exposure to unplanned downtime between turnarounds. The survey found that 87% of respondents experienced at least some impact from unplanned downtime over the past 12 months, with almost a third reporting significant production or throughput losses, or major financial, safety or reliability impacts. For operators managing ageing critical assets, avoiding unplanned disruption starts with reducing the repeat work and unresolved degradation that can build up between shutdowns.
The findings also highlight the tension between the value operators place on long-term performance and the difficulty of proving the investment case before adoption. Despite proven performance over multiple operating cycles being the factor that carries the most weight when selecting solutions, cited by 29% of respondents, difficulty proving ROI before first use is the main barrier to adopting longer-term asset protection strategies, cited by 35%.
Kiddie continues: “Operators know they cannot keep adding work to already tight turnaround schedules. But the case for long-term asset protection has to be practical and commercial. It needs to show that critical equipment can stay protected across multiple operating cycles, that repeat repairs can be reduced, and that future turnaround scope can become more predictable.”
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