To play in this tough arena takes a lot of dedicated resources.
As a result, ABB has several centres of excellence strategically
located around the world. The UK centre is appointed for oil, gas
and chemicals projects worldwide.
ABB was chosen for the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), SCPx
and BTC projects including the design, build, testing and project
management for the major onshore terminal and two export
pipelines for transporting crude oil and natural gas from the
Caspian Sea where ABB technology is deployed on eight offshore
platforms. ABB estimates that well over one million man hours of
operational support, post commissioning, has been invested over
the past 11 years in this region alone.
Fulfilling industry requirements
A core strength of an automation and electrical contractor is the
ability to manage the overall value chain, making sure all parties
deliver against their commitments in a timely and cost-effective
manner. This is the role of the main electrical, automation and
telecoms contractor, and, according to ARC’s Harry Forbes: “For
years, ABB has cultivated its capability to serve major projects
as the main automation contractor. The electric power, motor
and drive capabilities across the ABB Group augment its process
automation expertise, making the firm an attractive choice when
capital projects require large or complex electric power systems.”
The focus of the main automation contractor (MAC)
throughout these pipeline projects is three fold: to ensure
compliance with all health and safety regulations and business
and commercial governance; to review project risks to ensure
schedules are met and alignment is achieved with all third parties
through good interface management; and to maximise the
facilities available locally for manufacture and production of key
systems such as local equipment rooms and cabinet builds.
Leading technology
Critical to the success of an automation project is the platform
from which the entire installation is controlled. A report by ARC
Advisory Group shows that ABB has retained its leading position
in the worldwide distributed control system (DCS) market,
particularly in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa
(EMEA). The report says it is also the worldwide leader in key
global verticals including oil and gas, pulp and paper, mining and
metals. A fact reinforced by a global Frost & Sullivan report, which
shows for the total DCS market in the oil and gas industry, ABB
remains clear market leader.
At the heart of this success is System 800xA, which the
industry acknowledges as the most capable automation platform
on the market today, providing reliability, scalability and
flexibility. It offers integration and connectivity to plant systems,
applications and devices. Over 8000 systems have been installed
since 2004.
The system provides all the required pipeline control
functions as standard including aspects like point of control
(PoC); a feature developed specifically for the BTC and SCP
pipelines. It was designed to cater for operational requirements
that emerged during project execution. It is now a standard and
highly configurable function that sets System 800xA apart from its
contemporaries.
PoC supports the transfer of authority to operate sections
of process plant (i.e. a single plant item or a complete pipeline
station) between central and local station control rooms.
PoC meets almost any pipeline operational requirement and
automatically maintains the integrity of the alarm management
system. Control functions (including the exclusive ability to
acknowledge locally generated alarms) at normally unattended
stations can be quickly and safely transferred from the central
Figure 1.
Automating the world’s pipelines is a challenging
task.
Figure 2.
Extended operator workplace provides a base for
collaborative operation.
Figure 3.
Sangachal Terminal.
100
World Pipelines
/
AUGUST 2015
