TotalFinaElf uses PlantWeb architecture with DeltaV system, FOUNDATION fieldbus technology in offshore platform
Installation savings include 15% reduction in wiring and instrumentation costs, 20% reduction in control system costs.
Following a successful trial on an onshore plant, TotalFinaElf E&P Netherlands (TFEEPN) installed Emerson Process Management's DeltaV digital automation system, using FOUNDATION fieldbus digital communications technology, in its new K1A offshore gas production platform, located in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
Commissioned in January 2002, TFEEPN achieved several benefits from its initial offshore platform project. Engineering costs were reduced by 80%; building costs were reduced because less space was required; a 15% reduction was seen in wiring and instrumentation costs; and a 20% reduction was seen in automation system costs. TFEEPN also expects operational cost savings, although these have not yet been quantified.
Says Sikko De Jong, TFEEPN's electrical, instrumentation and DCS head for engineering and construction, "We were keen to adopt fieldbus technologies on several planned offshore projects. After research of fieldbus and automation system technologies, and a successful field trial, FOUNDATION fieldbus technology was selected since it met the desired functionality requirements, supports fast cycle times, is powered over the network, and can use existing wiring if necessary. Emerson Process Management was chosen for the automation system because Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture comprises the latest technology of host system powered by intelligent field instruments. Further, Emerson understands maintenance and has built this into PlantWeb, and Emerson is the automation supplier most actively involved with FOUNDATION fieldbus."
The PlantWeb installation on the K1A platform consists of a DeltaV system networked with 90 FOUNDATION fieldbus-based instruments, including Rosemount pressure, temperature, and flow transmitters.
AMS predictive maintenance software is also a key component of PlantWeb. AMS works on the network and with the intelligent field devices to provide status and diagnostic information about the field devices as well as about the process. This predictive information can inform a reliability-centered maintenance strategy, driving toward greater plant availability, reduced maintenance costs, including a reduction in high-cost offshore logistics, as well as ensuring high automation performance.
When asked what advice he would give to others embarking on a FOUNDATION fieldbus project, Sikko De Jong said, "We made positive savings, so it is definitely worth doing. What you must remember is that field buses are not difficult, they are just different. You must prepare the process thoroughly beforehand, increasing people's knowledge and skills as well as modifying engineering procedures and practices to suit the new technology."
TFEEPN continues to expand its application of the proven technology. The company completed the automation of its K5PK compressor platform in October 2002, using the PlantWeb architecture with the DeltaV system and 110 Emerson FOUNDATION fieldbus-based instruments. A new platform planned for June 2004 will be next to use the PlantWeb architecture.
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