SCADA
STATS Group Completes Complex Isolation of North Sea Pipeline
Pipeline engineering specialist STATS Group was contracted by Apache North Sea Ltd. to isolate the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) so that subsea isolation valves (SSIV) and piping spools could be safely installed and leak tested, avoiding the need to depressurize the entire pipeline system. The 36-inch main crude oil line is a major pipeline network in the North Sea carrying 40% of the UK's oil, with over 50 offshore assets flowing into the 169-km FPS, which runs from Forties Charlie platform to Cruden Bay terminal, transporting 700,000 bpd.
ROSEN Sponsors Roundtable on Linear Threats
The ROSEN Group brought key industry stakeholders together for a roundtable on the topic of “Linear Threats in Pipelines” on May 28. The event attracted over 100 attendees from throughout North America and Europe who were hosted at the ROSEN facility in Gahanna, OH. The roundtable began with an official welcome by ROSEN Executive Vice President Chris F. Yoxall, who emphasized the importance of “why we are here.” He addressed the goal and set the tone for the day – bringing together all stakeholders to collectively work on common topics of interest.
Effectively Using New Data Technologies for Pipeline Routing
Oil and gas companies are using information technologies and resources now accessible on desktops for planning new pipeline routes. Technologies and resources include geographic information systems (GIS), mobile information technology, satellite imagery, topographic maps, environmental data and tax data.
Wireless Field Measurement Takes Next Step
For process monitoring applications, the wireless revolution has come of age. Particularly in the upstream sector, oil and gas operations have fully realized the value proposition advertised by manufacturers. Wireless transmitters are now very commonly applied to measurements of level, pressure and temperature at compressors, gathering lines, separators, rod pumps and well-head “trees.” Wireless instruments have proved to be cost-effective, reliable, safe, secure, simple and environmentally friendly.
Cyber-Threat Puts Oil and Gas Majors on Edge
The massive cyber-breach of the U.S. Government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) systems is the latest in a string of high-profile cyber-attacks in the last couple of years.
California Oil Spill Gushed Like Hose 'Without a Nozzle'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters investigating a reported petroleum stench at a California beach last month didn't take long to find a spill — oil was spreading across the sand and into the surf. Tracing the source, they found crude gushing from a bluff like a fire hose "without a nozzle," records show.
Major Pipeline Operators to Evaluate Aerial-based Safety Technologies
Three of North America’s largest pipeline operators - Enbridge Pipelines Inc., TransCanada Corporation, and Kinder Morgan Canada - have signed a Joint Industry Partnership (JIP) agreement to conduct research into aerial-based leak detection technologies, in the interest of enhancing across-the-board pipeline safety.
Quorum Enhances Capabilities with Acquisition of Fielding Systems
Quorum Business Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of business information technology solutions for the energy industry, announced completion of its acquisition of Fielding Systems, LLC. Fielding provides cloud-based applications for the oil and gas sector, including field data capture, production reporting and remote SCADA monitoring. The acquisition expands Quorum’s product suite and advances the company’s strategy to deliver industry-leading software and services which enable clients to better manage data across their organizations.
Control Room Management Best Practices
<em>(Editor’s note: This is the second article of two articles.)</em> Pipeline controllers work in an environment with continuous interruptions and distractions. With every new SCADA upgrade there is the potential to increase the amount of information presented on the displays, causing the amount of distraction to grow side by side with industry innovation. Such distractions can become “noise,” confusing or distracting a pipeline controller from making timely decisions that affect the safe operation of the pipeline.
Cybersecurity 2015: Connected Pipelines and Proliferation of Threats to Infrastructure
On Aug. 5, 2008, the 1,099-mile-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which is frequently used by many of the world’s largest oil and gas companies to transport crude oil across Europe, exploded outside of Refahiye, Turkey. Shortly after the incident, the ethnic group, known in Western Asia as Kurdish separatists, claimed responsibility for the explosion.
What's New: April 2015
What's new from Rotork, Ajax TOCCO, Crest Industrial, Transducers Direct, Tulsa Rig Iron and more.
Developing Crack Size Detection Criteria for Unpiggable Gas Pipelines
NYSEARCH/Northeast Gas Association (NGA) and development partner Invodane Engineering have introduced the Explorer series of robotic internal inspection platforms and sensors which can perform integrity assessments on natural gas pipelines now incapable of using conventional inline inspection (ILI) technology. The commercial partner on the project is Pipetel Technologies Inc.
Pipeline Integrity: Its An Imperative, Not A Choice
The late 19th century’s most brilliant businessman, J.D. Rockefeller, was an oil tycoon who discovered that the best way to take advantage of his country’s growing thirst for oil was to control distribution. Although the pipeline that Rockefeller built in the 1870s wouldn’t look like much compared to today’s sophisticated pipeline networks, it was an engineering feat that helped his company ensure oil got to the clients who needed it most.
NTSB Study Seeks Changes to Gas Transmission Integrity Programs
A new National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) study calls for major changes to integrity management (IM) programs of gas transmission pipelines in high-consequence areas (HCAs).
RTU And Process Security From The Ground Up
Recent news regarding SCADA system intrusions has highlighted the security differences between network and s. SCADA system operators must assess vulnerabilities and implement security measures at both levels.
SCADA And Telemetry In Gas Transmission Systems
SCADA systems provide combinations of field devices, communications infrastructure and software integrated into a system that provides for safe and reliable operation of remote facilities.
Energy Providers, Including Pipelines, Vulnerable To Malware
Financial services firms may have a slight edge in security readiness over their energy sector counterparts, but not by much. These two industries – highly targeted by cybercriminals – must move quickly to address their cybersecurity deficiencies and shore up their defenses against advanced malware threats.
Advanced SCADA Ushers In Era Of Anytime, Anywhere Data Access
Human Machine Interface (HMI) has evolved significantly from the days when operations staff had to sit in front of a single screen to monitor a machine or a process. HMI/supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) applications now not only monitor and help control equipment and processes, but also provide a huge range of information regarding machine and plant operations.
Business Of Control Room Training
Training of new employees is required for all businesses. For some jobs it may consist of an awareness followed by a gradual increase in duties and responsibilities or a complete boot camp approach in which one is educated on basic concepts and policies before taking on responsibility.
Characterizing Performance of Enterprise Pipeline SCADA Systems
There is a trend in Enterprise SCADA toward larger systems controlling more assets from a single location within the pipeline company. As additional control systems are required for new assets, expansion of existing assets or projects to replace legacy systems, it is natural to want to leverage or expand an existing successful SCADA infrastructure.
Wireless I/O Communication Solutions For Hazardous Environments
In 2010, an incident in San Bruno, CA brought national attention to the oil and gas industry when a natural gas pipeline exploded in a residential neighborhood, leveling homes and claiming several lives. The resulting shockwave from the explosion was equivalent to a 1.1 magnitude earthquake.
SCADA And DCS Battle For Globalization
The line of functionality between supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control system (DCS) is blurring.
Human-Machine Interfaces Can Benefit Oil & Gas Industry
Standard practices today simply use human machine interfaces (HMI) as windows into a system by allowing some information to be passed back and forth through those windows. This method anticipates the user having the knowledge to use that information both in and out of the system, such as coming up with solutions to problems or passing the information along to the correct individuals.
Measuring Uptime Of A SCADA System
Promigas is a natural gas transportation company on the Atlantic coast of Colombia that, on average, transports 0.3 Bcf/d and may reach 0.6 Bcf/d at peak times. Its system consists of pipes ranging from 1-inch to 32-inch diameter with four entry points and 330 exit points, serving about 6.2 million homes.
Cybersecurity: How Much Is Enough?
Cybersecurity concerns with our critical infrastructures are well-known. In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other authorities have encouraged critical infrastructure owners and operators to take steps to ensure cybersecurity for both their business and critical control system assets.
What Managers Should Know About Pipeline SCADA Cybersecurity
Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a pivotal tool in achieving impressive productivity and reliability of pipelines. However, SCADA systems face cyber threats that could render them inoperable, causing substantial adverse effects on profitability. Worse yet, the threats could deactivate some safety systems, and jeopardize safety of the pipeline, workers and neighbors.
Benefits Of Network Level Security At RTU Level
New security capabilities at the remote terminal unit (RTU) level are substantially easing implementation of cybersecurity measures in SCADA systems.
Enhanced SCADA Alarm Management Using Machine Learning
The SCADA system is the first line of defense for protection and oversight of any pipeline. Monitoring the various alarms and alerts in a pipeline operation’s SCADA system, however, can be like trying to drink from a fire hose. Thousands of alarm points throughout a system, all reporting 24/7, require a significant investment in alarm management, which has become the next area for major developments in SCADA design.
The Spectrum Disconnect At The FCC
Which of the following statements best reflects the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) view of spectrum requirements in the energy industry?
No Pipeline? For Businesses Hungry For Natural Gas, A Truck Will Do
There’s little debate that switching from fuel oil to natural gas, with its lower emissions, domestic abundance and low and stable price point, represents an opportunity for fuel-intensive businesses in North America. There’s also no argument that pipelines are the best method for delivering gas. But for businesses located off a pipeline route, the tumble in natural gas prices hasn’t benefited them nearly as much as it has their competition. For some, pipeline projects may come eventually; for others, there is no construction even being discussed.
- PG&E Reduces Emissions from Gas Pipelines by More Than 20%
- Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project to Nearly Triple Current Capacity to 890,000 bpd
- Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas, FCC to Build LNG Terminal Worth $1.1 Billion in Germany
- Canada Offers $26 Billion Green Tax Credits But Still Trails Behind US Incentives
- Pipeline Operator TC Energy Says Keystone Oil Spill Caused by Fatigue Crack
- Pipeline Operator TC Energy Says Keystone Oil Spill Caused by Fatigue Crack
- Permian In Spotlight as Energy Dealmaking Gathers Steam
- Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project to Nearly Triple Current Capacity to 890,000 bpd
- Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas Pipeline Attacked for Ninth Time in 2023
- Chad Nationalizes Exxon’s 621-Mile Pipeline as Dispute Over Asset Sale Escalates
