September 18, 2013 by AP-Networks Leave a Comment Calgary, Alberta, September 18, 2013 – Asset Performance Canada has announced a consortium-sponsored industry benchmarking study to take place in the 4th quarter of 2013. This study, the first of its kind, will look at the unique cost challenges associated with Oil Sands turnarounds by quantifying performance and identifying practices that are associated with driving cost efficiencies and achieving superior turnaround cost outcomes. Companies operating in the Alberta Oil Sands must contend with a cost structure orders of magnitude higher than anywhere else in the world. Remote locations, constrained logistics options, and high wage rates for craft workers all combine to drive up operations expenses. Of these operations, turnarounds and shutdowns represent the most resource intensive challenge that Oil Sands facilities face today in terms of both financial and human resources. Oil Sands “mega” turnarounds are among the largest in the world in regards to manpower and peak labor, creating hurdles to worker productivity and management efficiency. Oil Sands SAGD face these challenges as well. As Oil Sands facilities have matured, a new focus on operational excellence has arisen. In pursuit of this goal, turnaround costs represent possibly the largest competitive factor for these facilities. Yet little is understood about the drivers of these costs. The benchmarking study will fill in these blanks, providing a granular analysis of cost with a focus on direct and indirect cost components, as well as controllable and uncontrollable factors. Along with generating baseline cost performance for the Oil Sands region, the study will define key performance drivers and best practices, and produce tailored recommendations for study participants to utilize in improving cost performance. Asset Performance Canada, an affiliate of Asset Performance Networks, is the trusted leader for improving asset and operational performance in petroleum, chemical, and energy companies worldwide. With data from more than 1,000 turnarounds across the globe, the company’s turnaround database is the most comprehensive in the industry. For more information on Asset Performance Canada, please visit http://ap-canada.ca. Media Contact: Nick Mercurio T: 240.683.1001 F: 240.683.1009 E: nmercurio@www.ap-networks.com