Two trends in development and operations of offshore oil and gas installations give increased demand for real-time monitoring and control; number & reach of subsea tie-ins and emerging implementation of integrated operations solutions. Within integrated operations, remote operation and collaboration between onshore and offshore are key elements. Sophisticated monitoring and control applications for wells and pipelines have been available from several vendors for some time. However, these applications have generally been stand-alone expert applications connected to a single subsystem, for example, a slug control solution for pipelines located in the plant control system or a virtual flow metering system for wells located in the subsea (control) system. The usage and benefit of these systems have therefore been limited. This paper outlines how monitoring and control applications for gathering networks should be structured in an integrated operations framework, and which benefits this will give for operators. Structuring of the different applications ensures that data from monitoring applications are easily available for a large group of users while ensuring that closed-loop control applications retains the robustness and security that is required. Furthermore, recent developments of the applications itself, partially made possible by the modern integrated operations system topology with increased data availability, provides additional functionality not only for expert users, but for generalists as well. Finally, synergies between different monitoring and control applications can give additional value to the users. Control and monitoring for remote subsea field in an integrated operations framework offers benefits such as faster decision making processes, increased production, improved deduction testing, condition monitoring of sensors using a combination of virtual metering and process data. The paper outlines the status and future development trends for control and monitoring applications for subsea fields, illustrates the value of the technology and gives recommendations for implementation.
The introduction of Integrated Operations causes a demand for integrating process control systems with office systems. A secure and reliable connection between these systems enables considerable cost savings related to:Process OptimizationMaintenanceCollaborationRemote support Shell operates two oil fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf; Draugen and Ormen Lange. Draugen is an established oil-field having been in operation since 1993. Ormen Lange is a new gas-field based on subsea installations remotely operated from an onshore process plant. In implementation of a technological basis for IT Architecture and Security supporting Integrated Operations, certain products and services are essential for achieving the ambitious expectations. The technological basis may be separated in three fundamental areas:Establishment of plant Security Policies, a management tool for establishing plant security.Design of a Plant Network, which will facilitate communication between the office and process control networks, and communication with other subsystem networks.Implementation of Remote Services, a solution for a secure connection between the Plant Network and the office network. IT security is a major issue when integrating office systems with process control systems. Corporate, national and international standards must be adhered to, and good technical and procedural solutions must be developed. The technological nature of the underlying process control systems must be addressed when an architecture for integration is created. Both Draugen and Ormen Lange have recently been designed to facilitate Integrated Operations according to Shell requirements, integrating information from various subsystems and making real-time data available in Shell's newly developed collaboration centre in Kristiansund, Norway. The collaboration centre will provide operational support to Draugen and Ormen Lange, and is part of a collaboration network in Shell Europe. Remote services are established enabling remote access towards vendor support centers, as the ABB remote operations rooms for Ormen Lang and Draugen. Introduction In the year 2000 it was stated by a Norwegian governmental committee (Norwegian Ministry of Justice, 2000) that the division between open office and enclosed process control networks was a characteristic of the IT infrastructure of the Norwegian oil and gas industry. This division was said to increase robustness and reduced the vulnerability of the process control systems. It was also stated that there were very few functional dependencies across this boundary. This reality is being challenged with the introduction of Integrated Operations;
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.