Oil analysis

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11. What is oil monitoring? The monitoring of equipment lubrication and wear conditions (hereinafter referred to as oil monitoring) is an essential foundation for implementing lubrication management and condition-based maintenance of equipment; it is also an important means of improving equipment reliability and ensuring its safe operation. Oil monitoring technology involves the regular tracking and assessment of the physicochemical properties of the lubricating oil in use in equipment, as well as of worn metal particles and contaminants. This allows for timely understanding of the equipment’s lubrication and wear conditions, helps to diagnose the type, location, and causes of wear-related failures, and provides a scientific basis for equipment maintenance. It also guides companies in carrying out condition-based maintenance and lubrication management, thereby preventing serious equipment failures and reducing maintenance costs. ☆ Statistical data on equipment failures show that 80% of such failures are caused by abnormal wear resulting from lubrication problems ； About 70% of problems in diesel engines are caused by fuel contamination, of which 50% are due to wear ； Approximately 40% of failures and damages in rolling bearings are caused by improper lubrication ； Approximately 51% of gear failures are related to poor lubrication and abnormal wear ； Approximately 70% of failures in hydraulic systems are caused by contamination of the hydraulic fluid, resulting from an excessively high level of contamination ； Energy consumed due to friction accounts for 1/3 to 2/3 of the total energy consumption ； ☆ What can oil monitoring do? Lubrication condition evaluation: By conducting regular monitoring of the lubricating oil in use in equipment, it is possible to identify promptly the causes of oil degradation and contamination, thereby enabling the selection of appropriate lubrication methods and oil change intervals for the equipment ； Wear fault diagnosis: By analyzing wear metal particles in the oil used by the equipment, it is possible to predict the condition of the main friction pairs in the equipment, diagnose the location, cause, and severity of faults, and guide maintenance efforts as appropriate ； II. What benefits can oil monitoring bring to petrochemical enterprises? 1. Improve the reliability of equipment and prevent major accidents: By using various professional testing methods to continuously monitor the oil used in equipment, potential hazards that could lead to accidents can be identified, the occurrence of major accidents can be predicted, and thus the reliability of the equipment can be enhanced. 2. Save on maintenance costs by guiding repairs based on actual needs – fixing things only when they break (letting them fail). Is your business or your equipment still in such a state? Preventive maintenance (following rules strictly) – leads to excessive maintenance, with 1/3 of the maintenance costs still being wasted. Predictive maintenance (preventing problems before they occur) – Taking action based on signs of problems to significantly reduce maintenance costs. Proactive maintenance (precautionary measures) – an advanced maintenance philosophy that **reduces a company’s overall maintenance costs**. 3. Extend the service life of equipment and create greater production value. Equipment is fundamental to the survival and development of enterprises; through professional oil monitoring, it is possible to improve the level of equipment management and effectively extend the service life of such equipment. 4. Achievements of typical enterprises in carrying out oil monitoring 1. China’s largest Sino-foreign joint venture – CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd. CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd. invested $4.2 billion to build and operate a petrochemical complex of world-class scale in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong; it is the largest Sino-foreign joint venture project in terms of investment amount to date in China. CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd. attaches great importance to the lubrication management of its equipment, and has established a long-term cooperative relationship with Guangyan Testing. Guangyan Testing has carried out oil monitoring on the oils used in over 200 key production devices at CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd., thereby improving the reliability and stability of its operations and significantly reducing maintenance costs and labor expenses resulting from lubrication problems. According to incomplete statistics, since the implementation of oil monitoring, the practice of changing oil based on its condition alone has enabled CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd. to save millions of yuan in maintenance costs each year compared to the previous routine oil change schedule. 2. China’s largest container port – Yantian Container Terminal Co., Ltd. Yantian International Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (YICT) was established as a joint venture between Hutchison Port and Shenzhen Yantian Port Group, and began operations in 1994. With a total investment of over HK$13 billion, it is the largest container port in the country. To improve the lubrication management of port equipment and ensure its safe and stable operation, Yantian International Container Terminal Co., Ltd. began collaborating with Guangyan Testing in 2003 on oil monitoring tasks. Through its long-term oil monitoring activities, Guangyan Testing has predicted dozens of potential lubrication failure issues for YICT, and these were confirmed, thereby preventing several major or extremely serious transportation accidents. It has received unanimous approval and high praise from the equipment management staff at YICT. 3. Steel and metallurgy enterprises such as Maanshan Iron & Steel Group, Lianyungang Iron & Steel Group, and Zhujiang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. – whether they are established steel companies in the interior like Maanshan Iron & Steel Group and Lianyungang Iron & Steel Group, or emerging steel enterprises along the coast such as Zhujiang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. – have all collaborated with Guangyan Testing to carry out oil monitoring of equipment, achieving good results. For example, since it began conducting oil monitoring in 2004, Zhujiang Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. has saved over 4 million yuan in benefits resulting from extended equipment lifespan; it has avoided losses due to lubrication-related failures worth over 3 million yuan per year, and has saved more than 5 million yuan in oil costs. 4. China National Offshore Oil Corporation The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (hereinafter referred to as CNOOC) is China’s third-largest oil company. It is responsible for carrying out joint operations in Chinese waters to exploit offshore oil and gas resources, and it is China’s largest producer of offshore oil and gas. In recent years, its 6 offshore drilling platforms have successively partnered with Guangyan Testing to carry out oil fluid monitoring for the equipment on these offshore drilling platforms. **It improves the safety and reliability of equipment on offshore drilling platforms. Appendix: List of Collaborations between Companies Affiliated to CNOOC and Guangyan Testing
No. | Name of Company Affiliated to CNOOC | Number of Monitoring Devices (units) | Start Date of Monitoring
1 | CNOOC ACT Operator Group | 175 | July 2002
2 | CNOOC ConocoPhillips China Co., Ltd. | 94 | December 2002
3 | CNOOC Panyu Operation Company | 97 | January 2003
4 | CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd. | 143 | August 2006
5 | CNOOC Yacheng Operation Company | 26 | September 2006

V. Contents of Oil Monitoring Activities Using Corporate Equipment
(A) Inspection of new oil quality:
1. Importance of inspecting new oil: For companies, it is not sufficient to rely solely on the product certification provided by oil suppliers in order to confirm the quality of the lubricants purchased. Since new oil can be contaminated or affected by other factors during transportation, storage, and use, it is necessary to conduct thorough tests on it before use to ensure its quality. 2. New oil testing items and testing purposes ； (1) Viscosity (2) Viscosity index (3) Water content (4) Flash point (5) Total acid value II. Continuous monitoring of oil in use 1. Determination of monitoring equipment ； 2. Determine the sampling points and sampling methods ； 3. Determine the sampling period and frequency ； 4. Oil monitoring parameters and their significance for the oils used in equipment (1) Viscosity: Basic concept – Viscosity is a measure of the internal friction force when a fluid flows, and it is used to determine a fluid’s ability to resist flow at a specific temperature. Testing method: The kinematic viscosity of the oil is determined using a capillary viscometer. GB/T 265, ASTM D445 – Purpose of testing: The main basis for classifying oil grades; the primary criterion for selecting oils; an important indicator of oil degradation; helps determine whether the appropriate oil is being used. (2) Water content – Basic concept: Refers to the percentage of water contained in the oil (free water, emulsified water, dissolved water). Testing method: Determined using distillation ； Purpose of testing according to GB/T 260 and ASTM D95: Moisture destroys the oil film, reduces lubricity, and accelerates wear of frictional components. It can also react with the oil to form acids, gums, and sludge; additives in the oil can precipitate out, thereby reducing the oil’s performance. At low temperatures, it impairs the fluidity of the oil and causes corrosion of the metal materials in equipment. (3) Flash point: Basic concept – the lowest temperature at which vapor from the oil ignites under specified heating conditions. Testing method: ASTM D92 GB/T 267. Purpose of testing: The flash point can be used to determine the lightness or heaviness of the composition of an oil fraction ； The flash point is a safety indicator for oils ； The flash point can detect the presence of light fuel oils mixed in lubricating oil. (4) Total acid value: Basic concept: A parameter that measures the total amount of acidic substances produced as a result of oxidation. Detection method: The amount of base required to neutralize all acidic components in 1 gram of the sample. Purpose of GB/T 7304 and ASTM D664 testing: To determine the degree of refinement of base oil ； Measurement of acidic additives in refined petroleum products ； An important indicator for determining the oxidative deterioration of oils during use. (5) Contamination analysis: Basic concepts: Detecting the size, quantity, and distribution of contaminant particles in oil. Detection method: Automatic particle counting method (light-blocking method) NAS 1638, ISO 4406. Purpose of detection: To quantitatively determine the number of contaminant particles in lubricating oil as well as the level of contamination ； In precision hydraulic systems, solid particle contamination will accelerate the wear of control components ； In turbine systems, solid particle contamination will exacerbate the wear of components such as bearings. (6) Spectral element analysis: Basic concept – detecting the levels of worn metals, contaminant elements, and additive elements in the oil in use. Testing method: ASTM D6595 emission spectrometry (particle size