case-study-category: Energy

Detecting a Bearing Fault on a Top Drive Motor — and Keeping the Rig Drilling Until Planned Maintenance

The Client & Asset

Client: Leading oil & gas operator.

Monitored asset: A National Oilwell Varco TDS11 SA top drive installed on an active drilling rig — a mission-critical piece of equipment operating at height, under variable load, where an unplanned failure halts drilling operations and triggers contract penalties.

The Problem: Advanced Bearing Damage on the DS Motor

On February 19, 2023 at 2:40 AM, Predicore AIâ„¢ detected an anomaly in the DS motor of the top drive and immediately notified the on-duty supervisors with specific inspection recommendations. Vibration levels at the affected bearing were 45% above normal values compared to equivalent top drives operating under the same conditions.

Three days later, a no-load test was performed at 100 RPM. The Monitoring Center analyst confirmed a bearing fault in the DS motor based on elevated impact vibrations and high-frequency noise in the acceleration spectrum — consistent with advanced bearing damage.

Left undetected, the fault would have progressed to catastrophic motor failure mid-operation, forcing an emergency shutdown, emergency part logistics, and a contract breach with the operator.

The Solution: A Controlled Monitoring Plan to the DTM Window

Following Predicore’s recommendations, the team carried out re-greasing and mechanical adjustments, reducing motor vibration by 10%. With 40 days remaining until the scheduled Drill-to-Maintenance (DTM) window, Predicore guided a controlled monitoring plan: biweekly no-load tests, continuous tracking of bearing fault frequencies, and a backup motor prepared as contingency.

The asset reached the DTM window without failure — the fault was fixed on schedule, not in an emergency.

Stats

Proven at scale. Trusted by operations that can’t afford to stop.

  • USD $128,500

    Total estimated savings

  • USD $32,500

    Repair & transport avoided

  • $96,000 — 50 production hours secured

    Drilling continuity

  • Reached planned DTM — zero unplanned stoppage

    Outcome

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a bearing fault detected on a top drive motor? Continuous vibration monitoring compares a motor’s readings against equivalent top drives under the same conditions. Elevated impact vibrations and high-frequency noise in the acceleration spectrum point to bearing damage, often long before catastrophic failure.

Can a rig keep drilling after a bearing fault is found? Yes — with the right monitoring. In this case a controlled plan of biweekly no-load tests, fault-frequency tracking, and a backup motor kept the rig drilling safely for 40 days until its planned maintenance window.

What does an unplanned top drive failure cost? Beyond the repair itself, an unplanned failure forces an emergency shutdown, emergency part logistics, and can trigger contract penalties with the operator — costs that far exceed a planned intervention.

About Predicore

Predicore is a Maintenance Operations Intelligence platform that combines proprietary wireless sensors, purpose-built AI, and a 24/7 certified analyst team to detect equipment faults before they become failures — connecting asset risk with the people responsible for acting on it.

Detecting a Lubrication Failure on a Cooling Tower Fan Before It Caused Catastrophic Damage

The Client & Asset

Client: Leading power generation company.

Monitored asset: A critical cooling tower fan running 24/7, where any unplanned bearing or gearbox failure triggers an immediate production stoppage and requires post-repair cleaning procedures before operations can resume. The asset sits outside standard daily inspection routes — visual checks alone cannot detect or track fault progression.

The Problem: A Silent Lubrication Deficiency

On August 30, the Wiver™ sensor detected a sudden increase in high-frequency vibration on the cooling tower fan motor. Predicore AI™ flagged the change in condition automatically, and the Monitoring Center issued an alert identifying a lubrication deficiency in the motor bearing as the probable cause — confirmed on visual inspection.

A post-intervention analysis revealed the root cause: the automatic lubricators had run out of battery and had stopped dispensing grease, with no periodic verification process in place to catch it. Without continuous vibration monitoring, this failure would have gone undetected until catastrophic bearing damage occurred.

The Solution: Manual Lubrication and a Process Fix

Following Predicore’s recommendations, the maintenance team performed a visual inspection and completed manual lubrication of the affected motor bearing. Vibration levels progressively returned to normal range, confirming the intervention was effective.

The team also identified the need to incorporate periodic verification of automatic lubricator batteries into their maintenance routine — closing the process gap that caused the fault in the first place.

Stats

Proven at scale. Trusted by operations that can’t afford to stop.

  • Avoided

    Catastrophic failure

  • Dead lubricator batteries — previously undetected

    Root cause identified

  • Avoided

    Unplanned production stoppage

  • Restored to normal range

    Asset condition

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a lubrication failure detected on a motor bearing? Continuous vibration monitoring picks up the high-frequency signals that rise when a bearing loses lubrication. The anomaly is flagged automatically and validated by analysts, allowing a fix before the bearing is damaged.

Why do automatic lubricators fail without anyone noticing? Battery-powered lubricators can run out of charge and silently stop dispensing grease. Without a periodic verification step, there’s no visual sign until the bearing starts failing — which is exactly why continuous monitoring matters.

Why do cooling tower fans need continuous monitoring? They run 24/7, often outside daily inspection routes, and a failure forces an immediate stoppage plus post-repair cleaning. Vibration monitoring tracks fault progression that visual checks alone can’t catch.

About Predicore

Predicore is a Maintenance Operations Intelligence platform that combines proprietary wireless sensors, purpose-built AI, and a 24/7 certified analyst team to detect equipment faults before they become failures — connecting asset risk with the people responsible for acting on it.