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A substantial number of production assets in the offshore oil and gas industry are facing operation beyond their anticipated design life, thus necessitating a service life extension program in the future. Selection of the most suitable strategy among a wide range of potential options to extend the lifetime of equipment (e.g. re-using, reconditioning, remanufacturing, refurbishing and adding on safety/process control measures) remains a challenging task that involves several technical, economic and organizational complexities. In order to tackle this challenge, it is crucial to develop analytical tools and methods capable of evaluating and prioritizing end-of-life strategies with respect to their associated costs and quantifiable benefits. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper presents a life-cycle cost-benefit analysis approach to identify the most suitable life extension strategy for ageing offshore assets by taking into account all the capital, installation, operational, maintenance and risk expenditures during the extended phase of operation. The potential of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study involving a three-phase separator vessel which was constructed in the mid-1970s.

The results from the application case indicate that the capital expenditure (CapEx) accounts for the largest portion of life cycle cost for the replacement strategy, while risk expenditure (RiskEx) is the major contributor to costs associated with life extension. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to identify factors having the greatest impact on the optimum life extension solution, including oil price, production rate and money interest rate.

In the past, the decisions about life extension or replacement of in-service equipment were often made in a qualitative way based on experience and judgment of engineers and inspectors. This study presents a “quantitative” framework to evaluate and compare the costs, benefits and risks associated with life extension strategies and subsequently to select the best strategy based on benefit/cost ratios.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, no studies before have applied life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis methods to prioritize the potential life extension strategies in the oil and gas industry sector. The proposed approach not only assists decision makers in selecting the most suitable life extension strategy but also helps duty holders reduce the costs corresponding to life extension execution.

The use of CO₂ as a replacement for conventional air in combustion gas streams of gas turbine power‐generation equipment is a novel idea and a potential method of providing an almost pure CO₂ stream for subsequent disposal/sequestration. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of this novel gas environment on conventional gas turbine component part materials over the same range of temperatures found in service.

Test samples of candidate materials were tested in simulated environments using controlled gas and steam supplies to sealed horizontal laboratory furnaces. Conventional weight change tests, metal loss tests and electron microscope examination were used to assess the performance of the materials and compare the oxidation morphology. Spectra of the oxidation products were also used to determine the nature of the oxides formed on selected materials.

It is found that changes in the percentage of steam in the novel gas environment made little difference to the performance of the selected alloys. However, when the results of the program are compared with typical data from previous works, where the same alloys are exposed in air, there is a distinct trend. Comparison between the data from air exposed samples and data from those in this paper show the high CO₂ environment, envisaged for the GAS‐ZEP concept, to be more aggressive to all of the alloys tested.

This paper describes the first investigation into the performance of candidate materials for the various components around a GAS‐ZEP system in the novel operating environments anticipated. The work has shown that current power plant materials can be considered for use in first generation GAS‐ZEP systems, but that care is required in their selection at the higher operating temperatures.

The purpose of this paper is to obtain a single setting (optimal setting) of various input parameters of pack cementation process, i.e. halide salt activator, powder of master alloy and wt% of Y₂O₃ to obtain a single output characteristic as a whole namely resistance of hot corrosion for T91 steel.

The multi-criterion methodology based on Taguchi approach and utility concept has been used for optimization of the multiple performance characteristics namely hot corrosion rate K_P1, K_P2 and K_P3 for pack cementation coated T91 steel in chlorine and vanadium environment.

All the three pack cementation parameters, namely, halide salt activator, powder of master alloy and wt% of Y₂O₃ had a significant effect on the utility function based on analysis of variance for multiple performances. The percentage contribution of halide activator (1.54 percent), master alloy powder (4.66 percent) and wt% Y₂O₃ (93.79 percent). The results indicated the beneficial influence of yttrium on the chemical stability of the protective layer in presence of chlorine and vanadium environments. The optimal parameter settings obtained in this study is A2B2C1, i.e. halide salt activator (NaCl), powder of master alloy (92Cr-8Al) and 1wt% of Y₂O₃.

The outcome of this study shall be useful to explore the possible use of the developed coating for high temperature components. Unfortunately, the pack cementation was normally limited by the diffusion and reaction kinetics involved, which has a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties of work pieces. Therefore, reducing pack cementation temperature is required for widespread application of the pack coatings.

Pack coating at optimum conditions can be used for surface coating technologies to economically improve high temperature oxidation, corrosion resistance of components.

The multi-criterion methodology based on Taguchi approach and utility concept has been used for first time for parametric optimization of wt% Y₂O₃ modified chromium- aluminide coatings for T91 steel.

This paper aims to propose an efficient artificial neural network (ANN) model using multi-layer perceptron philosophy to predict the fireside corrosion rate of superheater tubes in coal fire boiler assembly using operational data of an Indian typical thermal power plant.

An efficient gradient-based network training algorithm has been used to minimize the network training errors. The input parameters comprise of coal chemistry, namely, coal ash and sulfur contents, flue gas temperature, SOX concentrations in flue gas, fly ash chemistry (Wt.% Na₂O and K₂O).

Effects of coal ash and sulfur contents, Wt.% of Na₂O and K₂O in fly ash and operating variables such as flue gas temperature and percentage excess air intake for coal combustion on the fireside corrosion behavior of superheater boiler tubes have been computationally investigated and parametric sensitivity analysis has been undertaken.

Quite good agreement between ANN model predictions and the measured values of fireside corrosion rate has been observed which is corroborated by the regression fit between these values.

This paper aims to design a hybrid model of knowledge-based performance management system (KBPMS) for facilitating Lean Six-Sigma (L6s) application to increase contractor productivity without compromising human safety in Indonesian upstream oil field operations that manage ageing and life extension (ALE) facilities.

The research design applies a pragmatic paradigm by employing action research strategy with qualitative-quantitative methodology involving 385 of 1,533 workers. The KBPMS-L6s conceptual framework is developed and enriched with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to prioritize fit-for-purpose Key Performance Indicators. The application of L6s with Human Performance Modes analysis is used to provide a statistical baseline approach for pre-assessment of the contractor’s organizational capabilities. A comprehensive literature review is given for the main pillars of the contextual framework.

The KBPMS-L6s concept has given an improved hierarchy for strategic and operational levels to achieve a performance benchmark to manage ALE facilities in Indonesian upstream oil field operations. To increase quality management practices in managing ALE facilities, the L6s application requires an assessment of the organizational capability of contractors and an analysis of Human Performance Modes (HPM) to identify levels of construction workers’ productivity based on human competency and safety awareness that have never been done in this field.

The action research will only focus on the contractors’ productivity and safety performances that are managed by infrastructure maintenance programs for managing integrity of ALE facilities in Indonesian upstream of oil field operations. Future research could go toward validating this approach in other sectors.

This paper discusses the implications of developing the hybrid KBPMS- L6s enriched with AHP methodology and the application of HPM analysis to achieve a 14% reduction in inefficient working time, a 28% reduction in supervision costs, a 15% reduction in schedule completion delays, and a 78% reduction in safety incident rates of Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), Days Away Restricted or Job Transfer (DART) and Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC), as evidence of achieving fit-for-purpose KPIs with safer, better, faster, and at lower costs.

This paper does not discuss social implications

This paper successfully demonstrates a novel use of Knowledge-Based system with the integration AHP and HPM analysis to develop a hybrid KBPMS-L6s concept that successfully increases contractor productivity without compromising human safety performance while implementing ALE facility infrastructure maintenance program in upstream oil field operations.

This study aims to investigate the influence of consumer value on women’s attitudes towards their intention to adopt menstrual cups. Drawing on consumer value theory, the research seeks to provide an empirical investigation of value-attitude-behaviour, an extant exploration of value concept in behaviour.

Data for this study was collected through survey questionnaires administered to 304 Indian women and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The study’s finding indicate that emotional values (EVs) significantly predict women’s attitudes towards their intention to use menstrual cups. In addition, the desire for knowledge, price and quality considerations and awareness of the environmental impact were also found to influence women’s attitudes towards their behavioural intention to adopt menstrual cups.

This study contributes valuable empirical evidence supporting the importance of consumer values in shaping attitudes and behavioural intentions towards menstrual cups in a social marketing context. By understanding the role of EVs, social marketers can design more effective campaigns to encourage the adoption of menstrual cups. Promoting the sustainable aspects of menstrual cups, such as reduced environmental wastage, can further facilitate behaviour change among women.

This study demonstrates the value-attitude-behaviour framework, which has been a subject of very little research in the context of menstrual cup adoption in a developing country.

The most significant sources and environmental pathways of manmade radionuclides have recently been examined by the RADPATH (Biochemical Pathways of Artificial Radionuclides) project, which was initiated under the auspices of the SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment) unit. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, with its associated radionuclide release, has provided an unexpected data source concerning movement of materials within various environmental compartments. Outlines some of the findings of the SCOPE‐RADPATH project, a particular focus of which was the Chernobyl accident, with reference to the atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic and urban environments.

Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.