Petroquantum

Refinery operations are at the core of the Oil Supply Chain and have a big 

impact on the recovery of the available margin. Poor availability/reliability 
and high operating costs will erode the margin capture. 

Reliability, or minimising downtime, has become the key refinery performance

measure, after safety. Balancing production (throughput and margin) against

protection (safety, plant integrity and reliability) is a difficult but necessary task.

Refineries are complex, technical 
businesses and operational 
performance is influenced 
by a number of factors, many
 of them relate to the hardware
that a refinery has installed
 such as size, configuration,
design, complexity and the
sophistication of the instrumentation
and control systems.

Given the hardware, how it is utilised determines the actual margin captured. How do we understand, measure and manage the integrity, reliability and overall refinery performance? Although performance statistics can give good insights into why some refineries perform better than others, it is important to look behind the numbers, to the practices that produced them. Any refinery improvement plan must address the practices not the performance measures. 

This is where PETROQUANTUM can add value. Our Refinery Management FrameworkTM (RMF) provides us with a platform to better understand how well the refinery business processes, systems and practices are established and how well they operate. The Refinery Management Framework is a complex model of the processes, systems and practices for the modern business environment. The RMF is essentially a set of three complementary models that we use to compare specific and generic refinery management and operating practices against international best practices. The RMF has a modular design and can be used across the whole refinery or on specific target areas, in conjunction with established performance measures. The RMF is also used to guide the development and implementation of refinery performance improvement projects — influencing behaviour, practice and performance. 

The Refinery Management Framework gives us a sound, consistent and structured platform to assess refinery performance and help refineries improve — through their people. Specific services we provide to support operational excellence include: 

         • Assessment of Refinery practices using the RMF:
                     • Refining Business Management Model
                     • Supply Chain Management Model
                     • Asset Management Model

         • Self-assessment Models:

                     • Refining Business Management
                     • Supply Chain Management
                    • Asset Management
                     • Turnaround Management

        • Turnaround Management and Optimisation

        • Due Diligence Reviews

        • Insurance or pre-insurance Risk Assessments

        • Refinery and Operations Organisational Reviews

        • Operational Safety Management Reviews

        • Planning and Scheduling Practice and Systems Review

Click on the links to see a more detailed explanation of the RMF models and  the Self Assessment

Refinery Managers are finding it difficult and expensive to develop and maintain the fluctuating level of specialist equipment and people needed in the modern competitive environment, particularly as technology becomes more complex, process equipment becomes more reliable and turnaround intervals increase. PETROQUANTUM can assist the refinery manage the risks associated with this difficult environment by providing the benefit of their experience and knowledge along with innovative techniques and tools.