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Meeting the Digital Twin

S&C recently had an article, “Meeting the digital twin,”published in the December 2018 issue of World Pipelines. In this article, we explored how intelligent analytics software can be used to optimize oil and gas pipelines from the unit level upwards. Oil and gas pipelines are dynamic systems with many variables impacting moving product from point A to point B. Managing pipeline operations involves many factors, including optimizing the individual units and stations that assist in transporting the product through unit analytics, master control and turbomachinery control. The results are improved pipeline operations and solutions to challenges in fleet management, analysis and meeting delivery commitments. Realizing the limitation of SCADA and when it is time to install more advanced technology—such as the digital twin—will allow the most aggressive pipeline operators the power to leap past their competition as well as fill knowledge gaps in their workforce.

S&C Awarded New Patent

S&C has been awarded a patent for the “Method and Apparatus for Voltage Control in Electric Power Systems,” which is part of our OptiRamp Power Management System (PMS) solution. This solution includes the following features and benefits:

  • Auto-tuned, real-time power generation and transmission models
  • Sophisticated regulatory control for gas turbine generators (GTGs) and for automatic voltage control (AVC) for grid power lines
  • Automatic governor control (AGC) across multiple assets in real time
  • Supports ring topology
  • Real-time, coordinated control for power flows and voltages, including small- and large-scale grid exchanges
  • Island mode to maintain voltage and frequency when isolated from the grid
  • Interfaces with Web Analytics, Virtual Tag Server (VTS), and S&C’s other HTML5 applications
  • Unit diagnostics for advanced, accurate, real-time models of turbines, generators, and steam generators, allowing for a deep knowledge of unit performance and contributions to station and grid operations
  • May be used with any OEM hardware/software platform (vendor neutral)

S&C Releases New MVPC Module

The new Multivariable Process Control (MVPC) Module is now an integral part of the OptiRamp Simulator.This new module extends the functionality of the existing Regulatory Control Module,which provides control behavior based on a wide variety of regulatory functions. The new MVPC Module allows for multiple variable control and the ability to build complex solutions with minimum effort through the simple configuration interface that provides seamless data integration to external tags.

The power of the new MVPC Module comes alive when used in conjunction with the high-fidelity OptiRamp online simulator. Multiple objective functions can now be easily added to a total value stream simulation with cause-and-effects in real time and used with the most common tools, such as trending. The combinations are endless and will continue to assist our customers solve even the most challenging operational problems.

S&C Engineering Services

S&C is known for providing our customers advanced solutions for a variety of modern control and safety systems. Our engineers participate in wide variety of engineering studies, design activities, and logic development. These services continue to expand as our company grows; the company is now working with Fortune 500 companies providing EP Contractor work from the earliest stages of project planning all the way through commissioning and startup.

Another expanded service is technical writing and specification development for all types of automation projects. A good project starts with a specification; S&C is called in to update, clean up, and modernize existing specifications or to generate new specifications where there are gaps. We are working hard to provide as many value-added services solutions to help fill gaps our customers are experiencing.

S&C Deploys OptiRamp IIoT Solution

In brownfield operations, field devices are generally limited. Using OptiRamp IIoT can help quickly bring rapidly and cost-effectively deploy wireless field instrumentation to strategic locations where data are lacking. These data may be used almost immediately using the OptiRamp Virtual Tag Server (VTS) to improve OptiRamp model accuracy, simulation, optimization, and predictive analytics.

S&C recently deployed OptiRamp IIoT to two well pads in large brownfield heavy oil asset to bring real-time data from the wellhead and flowlines to the main asset office. These data will provide operations and management key performance indicators (KPIs) to better understand how multiple well pads and wells are performing in real-time.

Additionally, S&C, with the help of the wireless device manufacturer, devised first of its kind anti-theft technology to protect the field instrumentation at the remote well locations and to address the challenges of 24/7 security. This work is the first major step to bring operational intelligence to field operations.

Mobile Well Testing with OptiRamp Technology

Optimizing an active oil field requires a combination of historical well performance and real-time well data. Often, well test data is inaccurate, and the time between well tests makes it difficult to properly determine the decline curve as well as the reasons for production decline until much later. In Heavy Oil assets, well testing is also challenged by low flow rates, low temperatures, and inaccurate results. S&C has partnered with a top-of-the-line mobile well testing company to overcome these challenges and to integrate their mobile unit with OptiRamp Optimization using Rational SCADA and the Virtual Tag Server (VTS) to build the most advanced, real-time field optimizer based on individual wells.

When combined with the mobile testing unit, OptiRamp Optimization allows S&C to build an accurate representation of well performance decline curves in real time, resulting in better prediction models for timely well intervention. Another outcome is dynamic well allocation across multiple well pads, eliminating the need for a time-consuming, manual reconciliation process after the fact.

Supporting Oil & Gas Sector Digitization in Angola

S&C has several prospects in Angola, leading us to further invest in engineering and technology with our entity in Angola, StatControl Angola (SCA, Lda). We are actively marketing our extensive turbomachinery control solutions, OptiRamp Energy Management solutions, technical training, design and engineering, and consulting services to assist customers develop leading-edge Decision Support Centers (DSCs) to support a focus on the digitization of the oil and gas sector.

Join Us at PSIG

Join S&C at the 2018 Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG) Conference May 15–18, 2018, at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah. We will be presenting two papers as well as have a booth as a solution provider.

Our first presentation, “Real-Time Sand Deposition Prediction in Multiphase Flow” (1802), is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16, from 09:15 to 10:00. We will discuss how sand management technology has become more prevalent in the petroleum industry to increase well production and how our multiphase models and computational algorithms may be used to simulate multiphase flow with sand particles through a subsea pipeline to predict the pressure gradient, transport velocity, and sand deposition.

S&C’s second presentation, “Long-Haul Natural Gas Pipeline Compressor Station Optimization” (1816), is schedule for Friday, May 18, from 08:30 to 09:15. This presentation introduces a unique method to simulate and optimize complex natural gas transmission systems with multiple compressor stations and pipelines. Technological advances include a new parsing engine, advanced regulatory control, and incorporating turbomachinery algorithms for mixed mode operations. The presentation will discuss these advances and present the field-validated results.

S&C Opens Office in Mexico

As a result of the growing demand for OptiRamp Digital Oil Field and Rational SCADA solutions in Mexico, S&C has opened a new office in Mexico under the name StatControl SA de CV to provide engineering and local support to our customers. The address for our office is

  • Av. Ruíz Cortines No.1300. Local 11 Col. Tabasco 2000
    C.P. 86035 – Villahermosa
  • Tabasco – México
  • Tel: +52 (993) 1 87 94 70, +52 (993) 3 52 49 50

Native Modbus TCP Driver

S&C has developed a native Modbus OPC Server for the OptiRamp Virtual Tag Server (VTS) that supports Modbus TCP communication, which allows us to seamlessly acquire Modbus data and capture data on the edge. For example, we are now able to directly read Modbus data from OptiRamp Rational SCADA wireless devices, creating tight integration for this solution and making data available for real-time simulation, optimization, predictive analytics, and visualization.

Modbus TCP communication is currently the only protocol supported, although plans to extend the Modbus OPC Server for the Modbus RTU (serial) protocol are in the works.

The Modbus OPC Server continuously tracks communication status with the Modbus device through a special OPC item and continuously attempts to re-establish lost communication. Additionally, the Modbus OPC Server supports the following features:

  • Floating point numbers
  • Byte ordering for 32-bit values (Little-/Big-Endian)
  • Scaling (input and holding registers)

We’re excited to share this new development; check back for additional product updates.