Course Overview

Pumps and rotating equipment are the backbone of oil and gas operations, driving critical processes from upstream production to refining and petrochemicals. Failures in these assets can lead to costly downtime, reduced efficiency, and safety risks.

This 5-day course covers the maintenance and reliability of pumps and rotating equipment. Participants will explore pump operation principles, common failure modes, preventive maintenance, condition monitoring, and troubleshooting techniques. Emphasis is placed on centrifugal pumps, seals, and bearings—critical components in oil and gas facilities.

Through case studies and hands-on exercises, attendees will gain practical skills to optimize equipment performance, improve energy efficiency, and extend asset life while minimizing downtime and costs.

Target Audience

• Maintenance Engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Maintenance supervisors
• Reliability engineers
• Operations personnel

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the design, function, and operating principles of common pumps and rotating equipment
• Identify common failure modes and root causes of breakdowns
• Apply best practices in inspection, lubrication, alignment, and vibration monitoring
• Develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies
• Gain familiarity with condition monitoring tools and techniques
• Learn to troubleshoot operational issues and implement corrective actions
• Apply reliability and risk-based approaches for extending equipment life

Course Agenda

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Pump Operation and Applications

• Basic operating principles of pumps with focus on centrifugal pumps
• Key performance parameters: head, flow, efficiency, NPSH, BEP
• Applications of pumps in oil & gas processes
• Detailed review of centrifugal pump components (impellers, casings, seals, bearings, couplings)

Day 2 – Maintenance Strategies, Materials & Failure Modes

• Overview of maintenance philosophies: corrective, preventive, predictive, proactive
• Materials used in pump construction and their impact on performance and durability
• Common pump failure modes: cavitation, erosion, corrosion, wear, misalignment
• Predictive maintenance tools: vibration, ultrasonic, oil analysis, thermography

Day 3 – Common Failure in Rotating Parts and Condition Monitoring

• Failures in rotating parts of pumps: bearings, mechanical seals, couplings
• Condition monitoring techniques (vibration, performance testing, leak detection)
• Preventive actions and monitoring tools for seals and bearings
• Libration Systems and Maintenance

Day 4 – Troubleshooting & Reliability Approaches

• Systematic troubleshooting for centrifugal pumps
• Correct installation and alignment procedures for pumps
• Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) methodology
• Overview of Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)

Day 5 – Performance Optimization & Energy Efficiency

• Performance optimization strategies
• Energy efficiency considerations
• AI and Maintenance Management
• Recap, Assessment and discussion
• Closing session and course conclusion

Training Methodology

The course combines interactive lectures, group discussions, real-world case studies, and practical exercises. Participants will gain both technical knowledge and hands-on experience in developing maintenance plan and strategies aligned with industry best practices.

Hands-on exercises, technical discussions and case studies covering the following subjects:

• Identifying key components from cross-sectional diagrams
• Failure analysis of a cavitation-damaged impeller
• Reviewing material compatibility in corrosive service
• Demonstration: using predictive techniques to identify early defects
• Diagnosing bearing defects from vibration spectra
• Troubleshooting seal failures using case histories
• Applying RCFA to a pump breakdown case
• Troubleshooting persistent vibration issues in a centrifugal pump
• Identifying opportunities for energy savings in pump systems
• Creating a preventive maintenance checklist and developing an optimization Maintenance plan for a pump system in an oil & gas facility