ESG in Oil&Gas - with Actionable Data
# 2 Installation, Commissioning & Startup, and get data from harsh conditions!
The world of energy is undergoing dramatic changes and the topology for the future of energy is certainly looking to change. Let’s look at the phase of installation, commissioning and startup for Oil & Gas (or could be any other heavy asset industry) - what can be done with remote support and connectivity (IoT) which is contributing to reducing the carbon footprint.
Available data on instrumentation robustness brings some (shocking) awareness - more than 50% of upstream separators (process equipment) failures are due to faulty instrumentation1.
We can’t have that, thinking that the specifications are wrong if you are designing and manufacturing sensors that work under CLEAN conditions only, and then take corrective actions offline, manually or with frequently planned shutdowns. Our quest was to design and industrialize a solution where the sensor did not malfunction under harsh conditions. Having sensor data from critical processes that can provide near real-time frequent data under operating conditions, when functionality and data matters the most - our hypothesis is that by enabling this as an industry-first solution, the efficiency can be drastically improved, while costs and total emissions are vastly reduced. Under the harsh and critical condition events, the likelihood of negative performance impact and sudden shutdowns are high.
Look at for instance the downstream area - according to available statistics2, North American refineries had the highest number of UNPLANNED shutdowns in 2019, compared to other regions. The total number was 2,091. In addition there were 304 planned shutdowns. It should also be added that the number of refineries are 134 in the US, 14 in Canada and 6 in Mexico.
So this brings down efficiency and requires a lot of additional maintenance and unplanned work. But consider also the environmental effects; just a few hours unplanned shutdown can lead to several years’ regular production release of toxins into the atmosphere, a Californian refinery emitted3 due to an unexpected shutdown some 31,000 lbs of toxins in one day - which was more than the plant had emitted in the past two years of regular operation. The total average uptime seems to be in the range of 88-93% on a yearly basis.
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It is “easy” to build and put sensors in clean and stable environments, but extremely hard for harsh conditions: our unique patented solutions, pairing the hardware with the software and data analytics, we are enabling the robustness and reliability for critical processes. Users (the operators) are struggling to have consistent data and finding useful data sources, with our unique industry-first solutions we can enable the improved efficiency worth multi-million dollar values for single production assets on a yearly basis, but also improve the environmental situation and reduce emission levels; our calculations shows on the removal of GHG emissions on a yearly basis for a mid-size oilfield equivalent to more than 10,000 cars4.
But what about installation and startup? In the pandemic times, travel has virtually been impossible. As our devices are connected we have also done training and supported clients to initiate their digital journey. It is fully possible to do a remote support during startup, that has saved expenses, time, travel and also contributed to a lower carbon footprint, where a startup can save 3-5 metric tonnes of CO2 per occasion, which is equivalent to 1-2 cars emissions/year in addition (EU average per year). Still, we have worked very closely with our customers, and forging partnerships, showing that this way of working has come to stay and going to expand. It is important to have a clear upfront project communication and make the roles and responsibilities crystal clear. Training and preparation are highly important, which also support the overall success and flawless startup.
Remember, most instrumentation fail, meaning that field work for unplanned maintenance, cleaning and recalibration is required. Avoiding e.g. two follow-up visits per year means that an additional 6-10 metric tonnes are saved.
Robust and reliable data and the connectivity are key in terms of reducing the carbon footprint, reduce waste and operating efficiently. The harsh conditions are a huge source of unnecessary and unwanted emissions due to the previous lack of good monitoring tools and data. With our solutions, Industry 4.0 can take a leap forward as well as making the industry safer and better for the planet.
You can find more info on www.rocsole.com. We are an internationally recognized and awarded innovator, our start-up company is working with a large number of the leading energy companies in the world.
https://jpt.spe.org/level-design-and-control-gravity-separators
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/energy-commodities/unplanned-outages-at-north-american-refineries-hit-five-year-high-data
https://www.digitalrefining.com/article/1002464/downtime-damages-environmental-performance-too#.YMW26pMza3I
https://www.digitalrefining.com/article/1002464/downtime-damages-environmental-performance-too#.YMW26pMza3I