Setting the stage
Operating one of the largest and most complex pipeline systems in North America, a leading pipeline operator faced the realities of managing aging infrastructure while navigating new pressures from the global energy transition. With assets spread across challenging geographies and a commitment to lowering its carbon footprint, the organization knew that traditional approaches to maintenance would no longer be enough. Having invested in reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) studies more than a decade ago, the company recognized the opportunity to build on that foundation with modern asset performance management (APM) technology.
Business pressures
The pipeline operator needed to modernize how it assessed and managed asset risk. Key challenges included:
Aging infrastructure: Assets installed decades ago required updated strategies as risk profiles have shifted over time.
Balancing cost and performance: The organization needed to optimize operations and maintenance (O&M) spending while ensuring reliable throughput.
Sustainability commitments: Reducing carbon emissions required better decision-making around asset lifecycle investments.
Disconnected systems: Information was siloed across reliability, maintenance and operations, limiting the ability to detect and act quickly on emerging threats.
Priorities
To address these pressures and target changes that would yield the greatest benefit, they used Octave Asset Risk Analyzer (formerly HxGN Asset Risk Analyzer) and identified three key areas for improvement. They:
1. Identified 179 underperforming assets which had the highest cost and risk.
2. Quantified the opportunity of implementing improvements to those assets valued at over $one million USD.
3. Discovered previously unknown failures in an asset class, which resulted in high extended costs associated with provisioning workforce and equipment to address the issues.
Solution chosen
After evaluating various options, the operator utilized Octave Asset Risk Analyzer, giving the reliability team the tools to:
Benchmark equipment failure rates and costs against industry norms.
Establish operational risk scores and prioritize initiatives with clear business impact.
Reveal underperforming equipment, including a fleet of cooling fans that had been causing recurring failures.
This evidence-based approach enabled the team to justify targeted interventions, implement proactive strategies that impact downtime and shift resources from reactive to planned maintenance.
Moving forward
The pipeline operator’s long-standing commitment to reliability was strengthened using Octave Asset Risk Analyzer. What began with static RCM studies has now evolved into living, data-driven asset strategies that adapt as conditions and risks change. By operationalizing strategies and connecting data across the enterprise, the operator has positioned itself to achieve sustainable cost savings, maximize safe production and remain agile.