The refining industry worldwide suffers from problems such as
delayed planned turnarounds, off-spec products, frequent outage of
process units, etc. Six Sigma is a proven management system that
can be applied to resolve such issues effectively and achieve
lasting business leadership with top class performance.
Completion of turnarounds within scheduled duration followed by a
flawless start-up poses a big challenge for refineries worldwide.
Its economic fallout in terms of revenue loss may well be on the
order of millions of dollars per year.
KNPC Shuaiba Refinery, Kuwait had historically suffered from this
malady. Between the years 1994-2005, 76% of planned turnarounds
carried out were delayed resulting in estimated cumulative loss of
US$240 million.
Six Sigma techniques, if applied effectively, can help in
completing the planned turnarounds in schedule duration by:
- Identifying factors critical to quality and success.
- Eliminating defects in existing processes.
- Performing appropriate risk assessments.
- Exercising tighter control of activities duration.
- Optimal utilization of resources.
This presentation shares the success story of implementing Six
Sigma techniques in the management of General Refinery Turnaround (GRTA)
of the Shuaiba Refinery in 2006, which aided in the completion of its
turnaround 10 days ahead of the planned duration.
Key Words: Six Sigma, DMAIC,
SIPOC, DPMO, GRTA’06, Fish Bone Diagram, Risk Assessment, RAM, PPE’s, Reliability Management, Mechanical Availability
