Posts tagged ‘Chevron’
Invensys to Implement IntelaTrac for Chevron Upstream
Invensys Operations Management announced that it has contracted with Chevron to provide the Wonderware IntelaTracTM mobile workforce and decision-support system to support Chevron’s upstream operations. IntelaTrac’s configurable software and ruggedized mobile hardware solution enables workers to better manage workflow, procedural and general management tasks that focus on plant, production and field operations, maintenance management, production, inventory and logistics tracking and compliance applications.
Invensys will provide the IntelaTrac solution to assist operators, field engineers, technicians and supervisors in creating inspection and regulatory procedures. It also will assign, schedule and execute rounds and report findings that are prioritized based on the level of severity of the issue. IntelaTrac provides the capabilities for an organization to create and define procedures based on best practices, as well as regulatory compliance rules and regulations. Procedures are re-usable across many operator and technician rounds to ensure that inspections are performed on a routine basis as mandated by overall corporate policies, as well as regulatory agencies.
“Chevron wants a mobile platform capable of supporting many business work processes and an ‘out of the box’ solution,” said Eric Moorehead, North America client care executive program leader, Invensys Operations Management. “Our IntelaTrac solution has been used by Chevron in its downstream business process for several years. By extending the availability of IntelaTrac, Chevron anticipates being able to support many new business processes using a single mobile platform for operations, maintenance, reliability tracking, production data collection and safety inspections across the enterprise.”
Spectraseis Announces JIP for Low Frequency Seismic Research
Zurich-based Spectraseis, provider of low frequency seismic solutions to the upstream oil and gas industry, announced the formation of a multi-year Joint Industry Project (JIP) for the research and development of low frequency seismic technologies for hydrocarbon reservoir detection and characterization. This cooperative program is called the Low Frequency Seismic Partnership (LFSP).
Confirmed participants in the LFSP, which will run for three years through 2012 are Cairn, Chevron, ExxonMobil, GDF Suez and Pemex. An Asian national oil company will join the LFSP over the coming months.
The scope of the LFSP program will cover key application elements of low frequency seismic technology, such as data acquisition and processing, as well as fundamental theoretical studies, in partnership with researchers at Spectraseis, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and the University of Bern, Switzerland. Participants will be at the leading edge of the latest research on low frequency seismic applications and will learn how to extract the maximum value from this technology for their companies.
Spectraseis CTO Rob Habiger said: “We are very excited to be launching this industry collaboration today, which will expand the body of core research around this important topic. We are looking forward to working with an outstanding group of international operators. The experience and technical expertise they bring will help us to continue our strong focus on the application of low frequency seismic solutions to meet important industry challenges.”
Spectraseis researches and applies proprietary technologies to acquire and analyze low frequency (<10 Hz) seismic background waves continuously present in the Earth’s subsurface in order to identify spectral attributes indicating the likely presence or absence of hydrocarbons and other characteristics of subsurface reservoirs within a survey area. The resulting information can greatly reduce the risk and improve the success rate of costly oil exploration and drilling activities and improve decision-making throughout the life of a field. Broad adoption of the company’s technology by the global oil and gas exploration and production industry can be expected to save billions of dollars each year, which is currently expended on non-productive exploration surveys and dry wells, as well as significantly improve the industry’s environmental performance.
Chevron Selects Mustang as Main Automation Contractor
Mustang has been selected as a main automation contractor for Chevron’s Global Upstream business units in an agreement signed recently between Chevron USA Inc. and Mustang. Mustang will provide the front-end engineering design, detailed engineering, procurement, programming and integration for the monitoring, process control, safety and management systems at Chevron’s new and existing upstream offshore and onshore oil and gas facilities.
“Chevron will benefit from the Main Automation Contracting (MAC) strategy, namely, consistency of work product and lower cost for implementation and maintenance,” said Don Colchin, president of Mustang Automation and Control. “Mustang has the skills and experience necessary to enable Chevron to implement its automation strategy, improving integration and the operating efficiency of their facilities.”
This integrated approach will result in common interfaces across production and business systems for increased safety and efficiency, higher plant availability, lower operating expenditures and reduced engineering.
“This agreement allows Chevron and Mustang to build upon our already strong working relationship. The objectives of the Main Automation Contracting (MAC) strategy are lower design costs, better start-up, improved operability and consistent project execution. These are aligned with the goals of our upstream major capital projects and strategic business units,” said Russ Griffith, Technical Team Leader, Chevron Energy Technology Company (ETC).
Mustang recently completed multiple automation services projects for Chevron, including the Tahiti deepwater floating facility in the Gulf of Mexico, several onshore facilities for its San Joaquin Valley Business Unit, and the pre-FEED automation services for a major capital project with Tengizchevroil in Kazakhstan, in which Chevron holds 50% interest.
API Updates Greenhouse Gas Emissions Guide
The American Petroleum Institute has published a new edition of its guide for estimating greenhouse gas emissions. The “Compendium of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Methodologies for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry” provides standardized methods for estimating carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions from all common sources throughout the oil and natural gas value chain.
Accurate estimation of greenhouse gas emissions is indispensable to addressing climate change responsibly. “Unless there is a consistent reliable way to measure GHG emissions, it is hard to assess progress,” said API’s Karin Ritter, who led the industry team that updated the compendium.
API’s tools for estimating emissions include:
- The updated 2009 compendium of emissions estimation methodologies;
- SANGEA software, developed and used by Chevron, for emissions estimation and inventorying; and
- Guidelines created by the international petroleum organization IPIECA to assist in the accounting and reporting of emissions.
All three tools are available for free on API’s website:
Chevron Pipe Line Implements CartoPac Field Server
CartoPac Field Solutions, powered by Spatial Data Technologies, announced that Chevron Pipe Line Company is expanding its use of CartoPac technology with the implementation of its CartoPac Field Server for field data collection. The web-based server provides field workers with complete, streamlined access to data on a handheld unit or laptop computer, centralizing data storage and providing unlimited availability with an Internet connection.
Chevron Pipe Line deployed CartoPac software in 2007 to help the company connect its field workers around the country to its database at the company’s headquarters in Houston. Using CartoPac Data Interchange (CDI) for ESRI ArcGIS, Chevron Pipe Line has standardized its data collection processes and reduced errors in data entry, saving the company both time and money.
CartoPac Data Interchange for ESRI ArcGIS makes it easy to transfer spatially accurate data from the field to the office, as well as provide field workers with the most up-to-date information from the main office. The CDI toolbar extension makes it easy to streamline the data collection loop with an easy-to-use interface that supports relational database functionality.
“For the past two years, Chevron Pipe Line has relied on CartoPac software to streamline their data collection process nationwide,” said Glenn Vlass, president of CartoPac Field Solutions. “Now, they’re taking it to the next level by giving field workers the ability to interact with their centralized enterprise database from the field. We fully anticipate that they will begin to see increased field worker productivity almost immediately. Plus, field workers will have easy access to the information they need without making extra trips to the office to access complex GIS or CAD systems.”
PetroComputing 