GRIF at the heart of industry – When field applications truly bring the tool to life

Through the “GRIF at the heart of Industry” series, we highlight concrete uses of the GRIF software suite and how it integrates into projects and professional practices across the industry. Used across all TotalEnergies business segments, GRIF supports teams involved in a wide range of activities.

In this second edition, we give the floor to three GRIF users at TotalEnergies, representing the Exploration & Production (EP), Gas, Renewables & Power (GRP), and Refining & Chemicals (RC) branches:

• Azul Guzman, Instrument Lead within Exploration & Production activities
  Exploration & Production (EP) refers to the activities through which TotalEnergies explores for, develops, and produces oil and gas to meet global energy needs.
• François Beau, Operations and Maintenance Manager within Gas, Renewables & Power
  The Gas, Renewables & Power (GRP) branch brings together activities related to gas, renewable energy, and electricity, with the objective of evolving the energy mix toward lower-carbon solutions.
• Denis Voorspoels, Process Automation Engineer within Refining & Chemicals
  The Refining & Chemicals (RC) branch covers industrial activities that transform crude oil and natural gas into finished products or intermediates, particularly for use in the chemical industry.
   

1. How long have you been using GRIF?

François Beau
“I first started working with the GRIF team as a client and obtaining results from them in 2012. At the time, I was involved in an Oil & Gas project in Congo, and we conducted PAS studies with Nicolas Clavé. The objective of these studies was to assess the production availability of the facilities.
Regarding GRIF Wind, in the Offshore Wind sector, I have been involved in this topic with Nicolas Clavé, Maider Estéchandy, and Baptiste Bougoüin since January 2024. I wasn’t part of the GRIF team, but I was the client with whom the team developed GRIF Wind. So, in a way, I was involved right from the early stages of this initiative.”

Azul Guzman
“Since 2015.”

Denis Voorspoels
“I have been using the GRIF SIL module for about 5 years.”

2. What types of studies do you use GRIF for in your business line (SIL, Risk, Tree, others), and on what types of systems at TotalEnergies?

François Beau
“We work exclusively with GRIF Wind for production availability studies. We’re aiming for one thing: to estimate the availability of our wind farms through the most realistic modeling possible. This availability is essential to determine our production expectations.
From these studies, there is also a range of data that is of interest to us. It allows us to define an operating model and to obtain data, such as the number of vessel hours used and the number of helicopter flight hours… A whole set of data is derived from the model, which we then use to estimate OPEX, operations, and so on.
The main objective remains to calculate availability and to define the best scenario to optimize it.”

Azul Guzman
“Mainly TREE. I am responsible for SIL verification, so it is my primary tool. In general, I use the Bool module directly, which allows me to work across the different modules of the Boolean package.
I also use Risk (less frequently) for SIL allocation; I mainly use it to support the engineer responsible for that step.”

Denis Voorspoels
“I use GRIF to perform SIL calculations in order to determine the required SIL level based on HAZOP studies.
The systems involved are polyethylene reactors and their associated recycling units.”

3. What does GRIF bring you in conducting these studies?

François Beau
“The value of GRIF, and I’m specifically referring to GRIF Wind, although this also applies to PAS studies in Oil & Gas, lies not only in calculating availability, but more importantly in optimizing it.
If we only calculate, it is somewhat limited. The goal is to optimize. In both Oil & Gas and wind energy, we can act on various factors to optimize availability: design or operating model (number of technicians, spare parts, etc.). Availability directly translates into financial performance, as it means more production time and fewer technical shutdowns. In wind energy, maximizing farm availability is key, as there is very little redundancy.
Thanks to the precision of its models, GRIF enables the optimization of logistics and operational schemes, which then define the operation and maintenance strategy. For example, we compare different logistics scenarios: should we deploy two SOV vessels (with accommodation and motion-compensated gangways), or one SOV combined with a smaller vessel and a helicopter? We compare scenarios, calculate availability in each case, and identify which model is the most effective. We also consider costs to select the optimal solution. This is the main strength of GRIF Wind.
It is an essential tool for our offshore wind business. Offshore logistics challenges are critical and very costly. Vessels and helicopters are expensive, so it is not an option to have too many or too few, we need to find the right balance. Too many means excessive costs and reduced project profitability. Too few means lower production and lost revenue opportunities.
This is a key issue for developing wind projects, and GRIF makes it possible to strike the right balance.”

Azul Guzman
“Mainly information on the architecture of Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF), as well as on test intervals, which may differ from those initially defined during design.
Another key outcome of the studies is the assessment of whether Partial Stroke Tests are required for certain SIFs.”

The example below provides a concrete illustration of this type of study, based on a real case from the Fenix project.