A turnaround shrinks the list of valves to open only if suitable valves are treated online first. Before the shutdown, clean, lubricate and seal valves with injection fittings, so passing or stiff valves leave the outage scope. During the outage, treat the valves that must be worked and record results. After start-up, a light programme of cycling and top-ups holds the gain.
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Supporting a turnaround: valves to treat before, during and after
Treat the right valves before, during and after a turnaround to cut scope and hold the schedule.
1. What a turnaround does to valve scope
A turnaround scope grows when valves that looked acceptable on paper turn out to be passing or stiff. Sorting them out inside the outage window consumes time, crane calls and workshop space. A valve pulled into the workshop without need takes space that another valve may genuinely need.
The failure pattern behind this is well known. A risk-based valve integrity study of upstream and midstream sites was published by Valve World. It reported passing seats at 61 per cent of failures, and seized valves at 28 per cent. Distributions vary by valve population, but these two categories dominate. Both often respond to cleaner, lubricant or sealant through existing fittings. That is the basis of choosing an online valve maintenance provider for turnaround work.
2. Reduce the scope before the shutdown
Start with a condition survey months before the outage, not weeks. Our valve condition surveys split the list into three groups. Some valves can be treated in service, some must enter the workshop, and some need only monitoring. Valves with no records deserve special care, and baselining valves with no service history is a task of its own.
Treatment has gates, and we state them plainly. The valve needs injection fittings in good condition. Its design and service must suit injection, and the permit-to-work must allow the job. Where OEM documentation exists, we consult it for limits and warranty terms. In-service treatment is not possible for every valve, and we say so early.
Where the gates pass, we inject controlled amounts of cleaner, lubricant or sealant. Amounts stay within equipment and fitting ratings, and we watch the pressure response throughout. We stop if pressure rises without movement. A passing valve that responds leaves the outage list.
3. Protect the schedule during the outage
During the outage, the schedule rules every decision. A valve that fails a test on the critical path needs an answer within hours. A debate across departments can cost a day, and a day is expensive.
Our field teams travel worldwide from India, and they can join a turnaround crew for the outage window. They treat the valves the plan flags. They also advise on valves found faulty during execution, which every turnaround produces. They can service injection guns and pumps on site, so a worn gun does not stop the crew.
Honesty protects the schedule as much as speed. If a valve does not respond to injection, the finding should surface early. The escalation when injection does not restore the valve is workshop repair or replacement, while crane time remains. For a valve that turns critical near start-up, emergency call-outs provide urgent cover.
4. Evidence and follow-up after start-up
Evidence decides what the turnaround achieved. A pressure decay trace or a quiet vent is screening evidence, and it only suggests a tight seat. The confirming test is a seat-leak test under agreed conditions. Pressure decay across the closed valve, double block and bleed monitoring, or a witnessed leak test all qualify. API 598 and ISO 5208 are factory acceptance references, not field results.
Record every treated valve, the products used, and the test outcome. That record becomes the baseline for the next outage.
Then keep the gain. Industry practice is to cycle valves at least twice a year to prevent seizing, with periodic top-ups of lubricant. The route from a single outage to a routine is described in from one-valve trial to a programme. Maintenance contracts carry that routine between outages.
5. What to send us for turnaround support
The best time to talk is while the outage list is still a draft. Early details let an engineer flag what is realistic before the plan is frozen.
- Valve type, size and pressure class for each valve on the list.
- The service, the symptom, and how long it has been present.
- Whether each valve has injection fittings, and their condition.
- The outage window, and when decisions must be made.
Send this by WhatsApp or through the contact form, and an engineer replies within 24 hours. To study the cleaner, lubricant and sealant ranges first, request the product guide through an enquiry. An engineer sends it and can suggest likely treatments against your list.
Common questions
Turnaround valve support questions, answered directly
Which valves should be treated online before a turnaround?
Valves with injection fittings in good condition, whose design and service suit injection, and where the permit allows the work. Passing or stiff valves in that group are the priority, because treatment can remove them from the outage scope.
What can a valve service provider do during a turnaround?
Treat the valves flagged in the plan, advise on valves found faulty during execution, and escalate honestly when a valve needs workshop work. On-site support keeps decisions on the critical path short.
How do you prove a valve stopped passing after treatment?
Screening signs such as pressure behaviour or sound only suggest a result. The confirming test is a seat-leak test under agreed conditions, for example pressure decay across the closed valve or double block and bleed monitoring.
What valve details should I send when planning a turnaround?
Send valve type, size and pressure class, the service and symptom, whether injection fittings exist, and the outage window. An engineer replies within 24 hours by WhatsApp or the contact form.
Planning a turnaround valve list?
Send the valve list. An engineer replies within 24 hours.
Include valve type, size, class, service, symptom, fittings and outage dates.