DEVELOPMENT OF A MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR TRIPLEX PUMPS IN ENAFOR COMPANY

Abstract

This thesis investigates the development of a specialized Preventive Maintenance Plan (PMP) for National P-Series Triplex Mud Pumps operated by the Algerian national drilling company ENAFOR, under the extreme environmental conditions of the Saharan desert. The study addresses the critical operational challenge posed by accelerated mechanical degradation caused by abrasive silica sand infiltration, severe thermal fluctuations ranging from below 0°C to above 50°C, and the use of high-solids drilling mud — factors that render standard manufacturer maintenance protocols inadequate in the field. A comprehensive four-phase methodology was applied: a theoretical review of maintenance principles and classification frameworks; a detailed technical and failure analysis of the National 9- P-100 and 12-P-160 models, including a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Ishikawa root-cause diagrams targeting the most critical failure modes such as valve cover O-ring failure, liner scoring, and power end contamination; the formulation of a structured preventive maintenance schedule encompassing daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and semi-annual tasks tailored to Saharan operational conditions; and the design of a digital maintenance tracking tool built on Microsoft Excel, featuring a traffic-light hour-based alert system and a calendar-based programming interface to support proactive spare parts procurement and real-time monitoring. The results demonstrate that transitioning from the prevailing corrective "run-to-failure" approach to a structured time-based preventive framework can significantly reduce Non-Productive Time (NPT), extend Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), and lower emergency spare parts expenditure. The digital tracker further strengthens this framework by providing field technicians with an intuitive decision-support tool adaptable to remote rig-site conditions. This work represents a practical engineering contribution toward the digitalization and standardization of maintenance practices within Algeria's upstream oil and gas sector.