In complex refinery and gas plant environments, reliability often hinges on how well contaminants are understood and controlled. Failures in filtration and process integrity rarely happen overnight. Instead, they typically build up quietly—solids accumulate, hydrocarbons slip past, and corrosion mechanisms begin to take hold—until the consequences surface as shortened filter life, haze in product streams, or costly equipment damage.

Structured audits are one way operators can stay ahead of these risks. By systematically diagnosing and validating performance at either the filtration system level or across the broader process environment, audits help shift maintenance from reactive to proactive. Jonell Systems, through its IntegraLabs™-powered audit services, offers frameworks that refineries and chemical processors can use to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and optimize system performance.

Filtration Audits: Validating Installed Systems

A filtration audit focuses specifically on existing filter vessels and cartridges. Rather than waiting for performance to decline, the audit provides a structured check that ensures the system is still aligned with current operating conditions.

Typical steps include:

• Targeted sampling upstream and downstream to pinpoint contaminant levels.
• Benchmarking with recognized methods such as TSS (total suspended solids) or PSD (particle size distribution).
• Performance validation under live conditions to confirm filters are delivering expected efficiency.
• Preventive maintenance setup so that changeouts are based on condition, not just plugging events.

Jonell has applied this approach in hydrotreating feeds, amine loop polishing, sour water systems, and fuel gas conditioning—where early detection and filter performance validation can mean the difference between smooth operation and costly downtime.

Process Audits: Understanding the Bigger Picture

A process audit takes a broader perspective, assessing an entire unit—or even interconnected processes—to map contamination pathways and identify root causes of reliability issues. Filters may be part of the solution, but they are not the only focus.

Key areas of a process audit include:

• Contaminant mapping across tanks, transfer lines, and upstream units.
• Linking source to effect, such as identifying how tankage changes introduce gums or waxes that foul downstream exchangers.
• Corrective actions ranging from feed conditioning to tank management practices.
• Alignment with API 571 to address damage mechanisms like corrosion and erosion.

Jonell has conducted process audits in amine systems, sour water units, tail gas treating, and hydrotreaters, helping operators trace contamination back to its source and implement corrective actions that extend run length and reduce OPEX.

Tangible Benefits Across Units

Both filtration and process audits provide operators with data-driven insights that directly improve performance. Documented industry studies show that:

• Preventive vs. reactive maintenance can save 12–18% in OPEX, while predictive strategies add another 8–12% in savings.
• Heat exchanger fouling costs U.S. refineries $1–2.2B annually; optimized cleaning can reduce costs by $40–50K per exchanger per event.
• API-aligned corrosion programs reduce the risk of catastrophic failures and unplanned shutdowns.
• Compressor and burner reliability improves when aerosol and solid ingress paths are eliminated.

By leveraging IntegraLabs’ testing protocols, from contaminant morphology analysis to standardized PSD benchmarking, operators gain not only raw data but also actionable recommendations to extend filter life and safeguard high-value assets.

What to Expect from an Audit

An effective audit doesn’t stop at problem identification. Deliverables typically include:

• A customized sampling and test plan.
• Standardized data reports with contaminant morphology from IntegraLabs.
• Actionable recommendations covering filtration, preventive maintenance intervals, and process adjustments.
• Tools such as fouling dashboards or tank management reviews that give operators visibility into reliability risks.

Jonell also provides optional field trial design and post-audit validation, ensuring that improvements are not just theoretical but proven under operating conditions.

A Proactive Path Forward

In today’s refining and chemical industries, where margins are tight and compliance requirements are stringent, audits are more than a troubleshooting tool—they are a reliability strategy. By moving beyond reactive responses to equipment failures, operators gain the ability to predict, prevent, and improve performance across units.

With Jonell’s Audit Services powered by IntegraLabs, these insights are supported by standardized testing, industry-recognized methods, and decades of application experience. The result is not just longer filter life or fewer shutdowns, but a step toward safer, more sustainable, and more profitable operations.

Discuss your Application Today!