| |
Home >
Events Or Trade Shows
>
Events Or Trade Shows
>
Oman Gas Company gives exclusive insight into their SCADA system strategy
Oman Gas Company gives exclusive insight into their SCADA system strategy
Ahmed Al Harrasi, Head of SCADA Control and Automation Support at Oman Gas Company (OGC) talks exclusively to MEPIPES about OGC’s SCADA system.
London,
London,
United Kingdom
(pr4links.com)
15/04/2011
In an exclusive interview with MEPIPES, Mr Al Harrasi talked about Oman Gas Company’s SCADA system strategy. We discussed the challenges faced and how these were overcome. He then went on to share in-depth the technicalities of OGC’s system, the day-to-day use and the reporting strategy that has been adopted.
MEPIPES: What is the pipeline network that your SCADA System is currently supporting?
Ahmed Al Harrasi: The company's gas pipeline network is spread across the country with more than 2300Km of high pressure transmission pipelines and ancillary facilities covering Fahud, Muscat, and Sohar in the north and from Saih Rawl to Salalah in the south.
Several different systems and technologies are being used in each site, making it very complicated to set up a standardised structure that could work for each pipeline network.
MEPIPES: In terms of complexity, what has been the biggest challenge in building your system?
Ahmed Al Harrasi: One of the biggest challenges was how and where to start building the SCADA system. Another challenge was which System Integrator (SI) to select in order to ensure the best execution of the project. The selection of the SI was a major success factor. Afterwards, we had to guarantee in-house compliance with the system and requirements the SI wanted.
MEPIPES: Once these challenges were overcome, what would you say has been the key achievement of the project?
Ahmed Al Harrasi: The beginning of the SCADA project was completed efficiently and remains one of the biggest successes. OGC and SI put in place and conducted several internal workshops to assess requirements and standards.
From our assessment strategy, we were able to indentify key operational drivers to ensure correct and efficient data capturing. Including:
•Gas controllers’ requirements - a key for the success of the project
•Create operational standards independent from the different control systems
•Create a general process overview and capture only the critical information
•Rationalise the alarms and reports to optimise the information flow
Once the gas controllers’ requirements were captured and agreed, we moved to the engineering phase which included creating a customer specific engineering toolkit and templates for the required equipment types. We also had to create link equipments (tags) with the corresponding control system and generate screening and report systems based on operational requirements.
MEPIPES: From a technical perspective, can you tell us a bit more about the system that you have decided to use?
Ahmed Al Harrasi: OGC decided to use a Wonderware SCADA system as single interface. This means that we use a single unified SCADA system. We also have a standardised OGC library, which includes all our specifications and standards that can be used to benchmark any future expansion. Our system features a Modelling Tool, Redundancy Detection Systems and several different diagnostic tools.
MEPIPES: Now that everything is in place and functioning, what is the reporting strategy in place? Can you briefly expand on the day to day operations?
Ahmed Al Harrasi: We established a series of consolidated summaries so as to allow gas controllers to understand quick and effective system analysis. Among our key overview systems, we have two types of pressure analysis which enables the operator to easily analyse a drop in pressure.
Moreover, our SCADA system features Flow Overview, Pipeline Report – real-time reporting on the facilities’ status. Our system enables us to receive all the critical data in the right place and at the right time with a single click.
Thank you Ahmed for your insight, we look forward to seeing you at MEPIPES!
MEPIPES takes place from 22 – 25 May 2011 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. For further information please visit: www.theenergyexchange.co.uk/mepipes11
For further details regarding MEPIPES 2011, please contact:
Arianna Neri
MEPIPES 2011 – Conference Director
T: +44 (0) 20 7067 1800
E: a.neri@theenergyexchange.co.uk
For media accreditation at MEPIPES 2011, please contact:
Jodie Butler
MEPIPES 2011 – Marketing Manager
T: +44 (0) 20 7067 1800
E: j.butler@theenergyexchange.co.uk
About
Since 1997, The Energy Exchange has achieved worldwide recognition for the organisation of high level, strategic and technical conferences within the upstream oil and gas and alternative energy sectors. Our industry events are renowned as market leaders in their fields.
|