Optimal Network Topology and Reliability Indices to be used in the Design of Power Distribution Networks in Oil and Gas Plants

Abstract

The cost of loss of production in oil and gas plants is on average 6.5 times higher than that of plants in any other industry. Thus the reliability performance and analysis of oil and gas plants are unique. There have been many studies that have produced reliability indices for equipment that is used in industrial distribution networks, but these are all industry generic and none are specific to the oil and gas industry. This paper presents a set of equipment reliability indices that has been established from data collected from oil and gas plants and is suitable for use in reliability evaluations of the distribution networks of oil and gas plants. In the design of distribution networks for new oil and gas plants, engineers either do not have enough operational data, enough time or do not know how to perform the analysis required for establishing what type of network topology to use. This paper recommends the optimal network topology to use in such cases and provides evidence to support this proposal.