Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, announced that its PlantWeb® digital plant automation architecture with FOUNDATION™ fieldbus is playing a key role in the success of the Malampaya deepwater gas-to -power project located in the Philippines. Developed by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), the Malampaya project includes the largest integrated deck offshore platform in Asia Pacific and an onshore gas processing plant, all automated with PlantWeb architecture from Emerson. SPEX successfully began delivery of Malampaya gas in September 2001, meeting the targeted October 2001 schedule.
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Shell Phillipines Exploration B.V.
Malampaya Offshore Platform in
Philippines.
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SPEX and its suppliers demonstrated leadership and innovation in the platform technology used on the Malampaya project, setting a new pathway for how deepwater production facilities are designed and tested, operated and maintained. In recognition of the five-year effort leading to successful startup and operation, Emerson was awarded Shell Philippines "Technical Innovation Award" inscribed with "Delivered as Advertised" for its technically advanced PlantWeb products and overall commitment to the ongoing success of the Malampaya project.
"Emerson has been a key player in the success of the Malampaya project from the early stages," stated David Greer, managing director, SPEX. "The open standards incorporated into their PlantWeb architecture and its DeltaV digital automation system will allow us to reach the high performance levels we have set for this project, and allow us to operate both our offshore and onshore facilities safely, efficiently and reliably."
Dick Wismeijer, former SPEX executive who sponsored PlantWeb and its fieldbus implementation for the project, commented about high performance, "Based on our SPEX model for lifecycle costs, we gain 47 percent functionality with the DeltaV system. And, other suppliers had a 489 percent higher lifecycle cost."
Ken Jones, SPEX executive who oversaw the entire installation and commissioning of the project, remarked, "We began with technologies that were both innovative and robust. We viewed PlantWeb architecture as best in class, and the Emerson team in Singapore/Phillipines and around the world displayed expertise and commitment. This kind of support enabled us to bring the project in ahead of schedule and under budget."
The Malampaya project delivers natural gas from an offshore gas-processing platform through a 504-km long 24-inch gas pipeline to a gas treatment plant in Tabangao, Batangas. Emerson's DeltaV digital automation system is a major component of both the offshore platform and onshore systems and is designed to ensure that the stringent performance standards established for the project are met.
"We are honored to have received SPEX Technical Innovation Award and believe it is the highest form of recognition for the benefits delivered by our PlantWeb architecture," explains John Berra, executive vice president of Emerson with responsibility for the Process Management business. "The Malampaya project is a great example of how the industry's best automation and asset optimization technologies built into PlantWeb can help companies like Shell Philippines achieve its goals of operating performance improvements and cost savings."
"Malampaya is one of the most advanced and largest projects of its kind in the world", observed Steve Sonnenberg, President of Emerson Process Management in Asia Pacific. "We were delighted to have been selected originally, and we are gratified that our ability to support SPEX locally in Singapore, and to draw upon Emerson expertise around the world, has validated the Emerson vision of global and local technology and expertise."
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Onshore Thermal Oxidizer facility at SPEX's Malampaya Gas
Project in Phillipines
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Because the gas produced will be a critical resource to the area, SPEX set stringent uptime requirements for the project. This motivated the company to incorporate PlantWeb digital plant architecture with FOUNDATION fieldbus technology for both the offshore and onshore process automation systems.
PlantWeb architecture uses the innovative DeltaV digital automation system within a network of intelligent field devices to enable better measurement, more robust process control and improved process availability. FOUNDATION™ fieldbus communications protocol enables certified field instrumentation to communicate real time diagnostics and control information to users throughout the automation systems. For this project, Emerson's certified FOUNDATION™ fieldbus devices include Rosemount® pressure and temperature transmitters, magnetic flowmeters, and vortex flowmeters; Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters; and Fisher® valves with FIELDVUE® DVC digital valve controllers. Extremely critical valves and controllers on the platform were provided with Fisher's innovative trim wear and erosion diagnostics to supplement the robust valve predictive maintenance diagnostics. The intelligence from field devices is delivered to PlantWeb's DeltaV system and AMS Asset Management software where it is used for control, configuration and maintenance management. For the offshore platform there are 870 fieldbus devices with 1716 input/output points and 900 fieldbus devices with 1700 input/output points at the onshore gas plant facility.
The unique architecture and fieldbus advantages contribute to process safety, efficiency and reliability. Emerson's PlantWeb architecture is an industry leader in the use and ease of deployment of FOUNDATION fieldbus devices, and this was one of the major factors in the selection of Emerson as the supplier for the process automation system.
In addition, the project also pulls together an integrated, coordinated solution using the following state-of-the-art features of the PlantWeb's DeltaV digital automation system:
- DeltaV OPC (OLE for Process Control) integrates non-DeltaV process control and monitoring systems in a common operator interface for the entire system. The OPC server receives real-time process information from the non-DeltaV process control and monitoring subsystems on the offshore platform and onshore facility and coverts this information into DeltaV based information that is presented to the operators. The OPC server also provides two-way communication so operators are capable of adjusting parameters and initiating process control functions on the non-DeltaV control systems. The OPC server functions have been implemented on two Marathon fault tolerant servers to provide the high-level of process control uptime required by Shell Philippines. The platform OPC server is handling 18,000 parameters and the onshore OPC is handling 4,100 parameters.
- The new DeltaV Plant-wide Event Historian (PEH) integrates the alarm and event data from DeltaV and non-DeltaV systems both on the offshore platform and onshore gas plant into a consolidated SQL database. Seven OPC servers on the platform report alarm and event information directly to the SQL database located onshore via 512 Mbaud satellite link using a DeltaV patented satellite communications system.
- Four DeltaV remote workstations allow the onshore facility to monitor and operate the offshore platform's control system. All or some of the workstations can also be redirected to operate the onshore gas plant to support local operations during startups, shutdowns and emergencies. The remote workstations also provide remote engineering functions to either system.
- A patented DeltaV Satellite communications system operating at 512 Mbaud, along with the DeltaV controller-based information, support the transmission needs of the 18,000 parameter OPC database and the collection of OPC alarm and event servers. Five remote operator stations located in the onshore gas plant are also using the satellite network to monitor and control the DeltaV systems on the platform.
- The DeltaV web server provides Shell Philippines management the ability to easily view real-time information from both the offshore platform and onshore systems.
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