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Project Summaries and Case Studies
Every project has a unique set of challenges and objectives, including scope, budget, time frame, regulatory requirements and more. MAVERICK addresses each concern in developing custom solutions that meet each customer’s needs.
Oil & Gas Projects
- Hydrotreater Advanced Process Control Improves Control
of Product Sulfur Content
Due to frequent changes in the compositions and charge rates of mixed middle-distillate
streams, the final product sulfur content of a diesel hydrotreating unit was subject to major
upsets, thereby jeopardizing the ability of the refinery to maintain final blended diesel within
mandated sulfur specification limits. Control of this most important process variable was a
constant challenge for the process operators and a source of major frustration.
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- Major American Oil Refinery Upgrades Automated
Cooling Water Treatment Systems
A major refinery in the southeastern U.S. needed to begin upgrading its water treatment
systems. The refinery consists of seven areas, each served by separate cooling systems.
Each of these systems will be upgraded in this ongoing project.
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- Industrial Gas Improvements
A set of industrial gas clients required ASU s, CO2 plants and HyCO units, utilizing a broad
spectrum of DCS and PLC / HMI platforms. The projects required changes in electrical design,
instrument design, control systems, Point / Logic configuration and site support, as well as
improved automation capabilities.
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- Liquid Power Plant Increases Productivity and Profitability with Liquid Power Web Server Solution
In 1997, the client had automated its liquid power plant using Wonderware InTouch and Sequencia Open Batch. The plant then installed InTouch Industrial SQL to access the InTouch data — along with a second SQL Server to access the Open Batch data. Having to use two separate servers was not ideal; plus, the InSQL product’s client tools were difficult to configure and expensive to license. The client’s main goal was to implement a better tool to efficiently access all plant data. MAVERICK Technologies recommended Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS), formerly called Internet Information Server, and Active Server Pages (ASP). Over time, MAVERICK and the client have worked together closely to adapt these tools to meet the client’s specific needs and requirements.
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- Major Petroleum Refinery Converts to New Digital Automation System
The customer wanted to complete a platform migration as Phase I of a plant-wide modernization project. The client requested a Wonderware human machine interface (HMI) for the newly developed graphics.
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- Advanced Process Control for a Refinery and Chemical Complex in Germany
A large global energy company operates an integrated, high-conversion refinery, an olefins plant and several petrochemical and chemical units at a single site near Cologne, Germany. The site has utilized Honeywell DCSs, first TDC 2000 and later TDC 3000. MAVERICK has implemented several major APC projects at this site, including projects on an aromatics complex which first distilled reformate for recovery of a C-8 heart cut and then processed this stream utilizing UOP’s Parex™ and Isomar™ processes to recover pure para and orthoxylene.
Another project implemented APC on a vacuum resid partial oxidation unit producing syngas, which was then reacted to form methanol. The most recent project implemented inferred properties and model-predictive control (utilizing RMPCT™) on a crude distillation unit and associated debutanizer for LPG recovery.
| 2002–03 |
Crude Distillation Unit (with Naphtha Splitter) APC Project implemented RMPCT controllers and inferred properties (TDC 3000) |
| 2002–03 |
Resid Gasification/MeOH Synthesis/H2 Production & Purification APC Project implemented APC (TDC 3000 AM) |
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- Advanced Process Control for German Refinery
A large global energy company operates an integrated, high-conversion refinery in Germany. Most refinery units are operated with TDC 3000. MAVERICK has implemented two major APC projects for this refinery. There are two separate crude distillation units, one of which is operated as a single train with two delayed cokers. The original project implemented inferred properties and APC on the crude / vacuum / coker train. One of the most effective controls was the coke drum outage minimizer. This control utilized a coke-make model and predicted coke drum filling during each drum cycle. The control continuously adjusted coker fresh feed rate to maximize drum filling. A post-project audit quantified an average 0.5-meter reduction of the outage in each drum, which represented an average coker throughput increase of 3.3 percent, a benefit worth several million Euros per year.
A more recent MAVERICK project implemented a comprehensive set of inferred properties and APCs on the second crude distillation unit. An especially effective control managed the atmos column pumparound heat removals according to a complex constraint control strategy. The project was very successful, as evidenced by high operator acceptance and utilization.
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- Gas Development Projects in Thailand
MAVERICK’s vice president of the Global Business Unit, Mark Hall, was formally the senior manager of global automation and application engineering for one of the largest global independent energy companies. In his role, Hall was responsible for overseeing design, implementation and commissioning of automation systems worldwide, including new capital projects in Thailand and Indonesia. He oversaw the entire project lifecycle for new gas plant development projects in Southeast Asia and coordinated with the capital projects team to define the project scope, working with the engineering, procurement and construction firm on the automation design, standards definition and project management, and oversaw the project execution with the automation vendor / systems integrator. MAVERICK Technologies continues to provide ongoing support for plant operations and process automation through its global engineering service agreement with this company.
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- Oil & Gas Development Project in Indonesia
One of the largest global independent energy companies operates a large oil and gas facility in Indonesia. Gas is produced at a wellhead platform located offshore and is transported via pipeline to an onshore processing facility. From there, treated gas is supplied to the 2,200 MW PLN power station. The gas is sold to PLN under a 20-year gas sales agreement, which provides for a total volume of 440 billion cubic feet of gas over its life.
Phase II of the field development will add new offshore and onshore facilities to develop Ujung Pangkah’s associated oil reserves. Phase II is expected to deliver approximately 25,000 barrels per day (B/D) of oil and condensate and 6,000 B/D LPG (gross) when the additional production and process facilities are brought onstream in the early part of 2009.
MAVERICK’s project deliverables include:
- DCS, ESD & F&G specifications review (block and architectural diagram, ICSS specs, ESD and F&G specs, and interface with business / accounting systems)
- Development of process system engineering and data acquisition standards and guidelines, including HMI design, DCS hardware configuration, process control systems configuration, network and security planning architecture guidelines
- Oversight of process automation implementation including database and graphics development, operational reporting requirements, process historian implementation and PLC / controller logic
- Process control network design including fault—tolerant implementations, firewall design, network switch configuration, IP addressing, network registration and network domain design using network security best practices
- FAT / IFAT / SAT and commissioning support
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- Oil Field Development in Indonesia
Two large energy companies are jointly developing a new oil field in an oil & gas block that is Indonesia's largest oil discovery in three decades. The field is expected to produce 20,000 barrels of crude oil a day at the initial stage, starting in early 2009, before rising to its full capacity of 180,000 bbl/d.
MAVERICK Technologies was selected in 2007 to perform the FEED work for the process automation aspects of the project, leveraging its main instrumentation and control contractor (MICC) status and Engineering Services Agreement. The facility includes four well pads comprising 34 producing wells and 15 injection wells, a centralized processing facility, an onshore pipeline system, an offshore pipeline and mooring tower, and interface to a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel. MAVERICK engineers worked locally in Jakarta, Indonesia, with representatives from the process engineering firm as well as the owners, to execute the project.
MAVERICK’s role in the project was to develop and provide technical specifications for many systems and aspects of the facility, including overall automation requirements, process control systems, safety and emergency shutdown systems, fire and gas systems, the security integrity program, equipment health monitoring, the human machine interface and more.
Deliverables include:
- DCS, ESD & F&G specifications (block and architectural diagram, ICSS specs, ESD and F&G specs and interfacing with business / accounting systems)
- Interfacing with packaged systems, electrical system, interface strategy in general, pipeline & FSO, design specs of pipeline leak detection system and SCADA, layout and other detail of control equipment in remote marshalling buildings, electrical MCC and local equipment room
- Maintenance and development of InTools database for final I/O and instrument list
Work was completed in Q1-2008
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- Offshore Telemetry SCADA System for a Petroleum Company
MAVERICK implemented remote control and monitoring systems for four manned and unmanned gas production platforms, as well as 10 unmanned wellheads. The systems can be controlled from a remote land location during severe storms. Each wellhead contains a control panel with an Allen-Bradley MicroLogic PLC, RTU, 900 MHz radio transceiver, antenna, DC solar power / charging system and required instrumentation. Each production platform contains an Allen-Bradley PLC for platform control and remote wellhead control and monitoring.
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- Integrated Production and Drilling Platform I in Angola, Africa
A large global energy company’s drilling and production platform is situated in approximately 1,300 feet of water 45 miles off the coast of Angola.
MAVERICK Technologies became involved in the project during the second quarter of 2003, with initial front-end engineering and design (FEED). MAVERICK completed factory acceptance testing in Houston, Texas, during the spring of 2005, before participating in fabrication installation support and testing during the summer of 2005, and startup activities for production during the second quarter of 2006. MAVERICK continues to support the platform with engineering services for day-to-day operations and new project implementation.
Work included fire & gas systems, ESS, compressor controls, condition monitoring systems, machinery monitoring systems, subsea, well testing, metering systems, power management and distribution systems and HVAC systems.
The 15,500 I/O point system delivered by MAVERICK Technologies consisted of:
- Process Control System (PCS) — Yokogawa CS3000 (1,800 I/O points)
- Electronic Safety System (ESS) — Yokogawa ProSafe PLC (1,900 I/O points)
- Fire & Gas System (FGS) — Yokogawa ProSafe (1,300 I/O points)
- Serial Interface — to more than 25 third-party vendor packages (7,000 I/O points)
- Information Management System (IMS) — Yokogawa Exaquantum
- Asset Management System (PRM) — Yokogawa Plant Resource Manager
- Subsea Interface — ABB (3,500 I/O points)
- Onshore Interface — Wonderware InSQL / Active Factory
- Simulation — Cape Software / Test Function
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- Wellhead Platform in Angola, Africa
A large global energy company built a 20-slot wellhead platform in 160 feet of water off the coast of Angola, Africa.
MAVERICK Technologies started on the project during the second quarter of 2007, with initial front-end engineering and design (FEED). MAVERICK completed factory acceptance testing in Houston, Texas, during the fall of 2007, with plans to participate with fabrication installation support and testing during the summer of 2008, and startup activities into production during the first quarter of 2009.
The project consists of seven third-party interfaces with the Yokogawa CS3000 system. The third-party systems are generator control panels, motor control centers (MCC), downhole VFD, downhole monitor gauge panel, fire panel, flow computer and instrument air skid.
The 23,000 I/O point system delivered by MAVERICK Technologies consisted of:
- Process control system (PCS) — Yokogawa CS3000 (300 Hardwired and 125 Fieldbus I/0)
- Fire & gas system (FGS) — Yokogawa ProSafe RS, programming performed by YCA with PCS interface performed by MAVERICK Technologies
- Serial interface — to seven third-party vendor packages (OPC CIP Ethernet)
- Panel design and I/O database management
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- Water Injection Platform Front-End Engineering and Design in Angola, Africa
A global energy company built a water injection facility with oil processing and gas compression in 110 feet of water off the coast of Angola, Africa. The facility is bridge-connected to another platform. The flare caisson is located approximately 1,500 feet northwest of the platform site, in 110 feet of water. Risers associated with the water injection facility include two water risers, four production risers, two gas risers, and four future risers.
The platform consists of redundant Siemens Moore APACS for the process control system (PCS) and redundant Siemens Moore QUADLOG for the safety instrumented system (SIS). The third-party package units consist of Allen-Bradley–based systems.
MAVERICK Technologies oversaw the FEED design incorporating the integration of electrical and programming (PCS and SIS). Deliverables included:
- Installation of a multi-phase pipeline pig receiver
- Installation of a high-pressure pipeline pig launcher, piping from the launcher to the new water injection pump discharge and the pump drain instrumentation
- Modifications to the crude oil transfer pump discharge piping and controls
- Installation of a new water flood pump and associated instrumentation
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- Conversion to New Digital Automation System
A major petroleum refinery needed to migrate from its Honeywell and Moore DCS systems to an integrated Emerson DeltaV platform as phase I of a plant-wide modernization project. The client requested a Wonderware human machine interface (HMI) for the newly developed graphics.
MAVERICK Technologies upgraded three control rooms monitoring seven different units in the petroleum refinery. The existing configuration was analyzed and reconfigured using the new DeltaV system. This analysis provided the opportunity to clean up mistakes in the existing configuration, to eliminate midnight workarounds and to disable forgotten interlocks that had accumulated over the years, allowing the plant to restart with a clean implementation of its control strategy.
Configuration consisted of standard analog indication and feedback control, ratio and feed-forward control, and pressure and / or temperature compensation of flow and oxygen measurement, as well as process and safety interlock logic. A newly designed control strategy was also implemented in the form of distillation column control and cross-limited burner combustion control.
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- Control System Retrofit for Industrial Gas Plant
MAVERICK performed a control system retrofit in order to upgrade an industrial gas plant from a Bailey Net90 DCS to a Siemens Moore APACS / Wonderware DCS platform with design documentation to support FDA validation. Control system design and configuration consisted of approximately 750 field I/Os to be connected to the new DCS. The scope included the verification and correction of existing design drawings and creation of new design documents, including P&IDs and loop diagrams. A control system specification was created for the project, providing a detailed description of the hardware, software and configuration portions of the system — including a complete control narrative, I/O list and interlock matrices. New graphic displays were developed to provide operators with an interface to the system on the new Wonderware InTouch consoles, consisting of 30 detailed process graphics and numerous support graphical displays for alarms, trends and groups. In addition, the truck-loading area of the facility was fully automated to allow for unattended loading by drivers with automated load tickets.
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- Control System Retrofit
One recent MAVERICK project required a control system retrofit to upgrade an industrial gas plant from a Rosemount RS3 to a Siemens Moore APACS platform with design documentation to support FDA validation. The control system design and configuration consisted of approximately 650 field I/Os to be connected to the new DCS. The initial scope included the verification and correction of existing P&IDs and the development of a complete construction design package, including I/O list, location plans, instrument specifications, wiring and connection diagrams, loop sheets and a construction specification.
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