Managing an Effective Centralized Control Room for Brown Field Projects in Gas Plant

Abstract

Abstract Natural Gas liquid (NGL) Plants in Qatar have undergone major operational transformation during the last decade. The large step change in operational strategy and efficiency has occurred due to automation evolution taken place in monitoring, control and protection technology of all Gas plants of Qatar Petroleum. The Paper will focus how the major upgrades of the Plant control and safety systems done thru various brown field projects which have introduced new centralized operational interfaces resulting multiple operating systems in the same control room and ultimately the final solution done in integrating all such operating systems to an ergonomic control room environment. It highlights the various challenges faced while implementing such brown field projects at different stages within the existing control room environment. Few of such upgrade projects has also been highlighted which has created direct impact on operations in achieving various benefits. Further the Paper highlights detail case studies on NGL-3 Plant where such brown field projects has made operational hindrance and subsequently major revamping projects were undertaken to integrate the various control systems into a single operating platform with ergonomic operators console and control room layout for 24 X 7 effective operation. The Paper also provides the multifold operational benefits of rationalization of centralized control room environment thru integration of multiple satellite control systems and converting the operator interfaces to ergonomically designed Extended Operator Console for 24 X 7 efficient operation. It provides the various elements which has directly contributed towards the real operational benefits.