S07 ORA 3 2021 Construction Pipelines_ORA Master Template - 2016 New 15/06/2021 09:15 Page 24
PROCESS AUTOMATION
ISSUE 3 2021 • WWW.OILREVIEWAFRICA.COM
AUTOMATION MAKING
MULTI-SECTOR APPEAL Automation helps the oil and gas workforce to work faster and helps asset owners save time and money without compromising safety. Organisations are increasingly looking to deploy automation to improve their operational performance and make vital efficiency gains. UTOMATION OF ENERGY technology is important for mastering the future challenges of sustainable energy supply. It is already being established across oil and gas operations, and some of the latest technologies and collaborations are helping operators with highly specific tasks in sectors and subsectors. For example, in a recent move to deploy workflow automation software that is specifically tailored to the requirement of the oil and gas industry, Petrofac has signed a three-year partnership with Intoware. The development of ‘WorkfloPlus Oil and Gas’ will further optimise the efficiencies that Petrofac has gained from digitalising maintenance and inspection activity for its clients. The software has been designed to automatically generate digital workflows, schedules and reports for users, eliminating the traditional manual and timeconsuming preparation required. Steve Johnson, vice-president of digital for Petrofac’s Engineering and Production Services business, commented, “The tool empowers teams to work faster and more efficiently, ultimately saving asset owners time and money without comprising safety.” Honeywell technology plays a major role in providing automation solutions in large petrochemical complexes. In
Image Credit: Emerson
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Emerson's tank inventory software application aims to improves operational efficiency.
February 2021, in North Africa, Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Company (SIDPEC) selected Honeywell technology to upgrade the production capabilities of its flagship petrochemical complex in Alexandria, which produces ethylene and polyethylene for the Egyptian market. Honeywell has replaced SIDPEC’s legacy Honeywell TotalPlant Solution (TPS) production system with the latest version of its Experion Process Knowledge System solution at SIDPEC’s complex in Alexandria. Also, Anchorage Investments Ltd will use Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology to produce 750,000 mt per year of polymer-
grade propylene for its new Anchor Benitoite petrochemicals complex in Suez, Egypt, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology converts propane to propylene through catalytic dehydrogenation. The technology is designed to have a lower cash cost of production and higher return on investment when compared to competing dehydrogenation technologies. It is not just all about the strategic collaborations – companies are developing sophisticated technologies too. The latest on the list is Emerson’s Rosemount TankMaster Mobile – the world’s first cross-platform inventory management software
application for tank gauging systems – providing immediate secure access to critical tank data. By making real-time data available to a wider range of stakeholders via smartphones, tablets and computers, this easy-to-use mobile solution facilitates better decision-making and improved operational efficiency and safety. Per Skogberg, solutions manager with Emerson’s Automation Solutions business, said, “By facilitating secure mobile access to this information, Rosemount TankMaster Mobile provides the opportunity to increase efficiency, drive productivity and improve collaboration throughout the supply chain.”
