Invensys installs fieldbus automation at Shell’s Athabasca Oil Sands Project

Foxboro, MA- As automation supplier for the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Alberta, the Foxboro Canada unit of Invensys plc announced June 2 that it successfully implemented the latest I/A Series automation technology throughout the Scotford Upgrader, located north of Fort Saskatchewan, and the Muskeg River Mine, located north of Fort McMurray. Two of the main production units at the upgrader, a hydrogen manufacturing plant and two sulphur recovery trains, use F OUNDATION fieldbus to help reduce installation, operations, and maintenance costs.

The I/A Series system in these two units hosts approximately 1,000 F OUNDATION fieldbus devices, which makes the Scotford Upgrader one of the world’s largest F OUNDATION fieldbus installations. These devices include a mix of Foxboro pressure transmitters; Foxboro and Rosemount temperature transmitters; Yokogawa vortex flowmeters; and Fisher postioners-all residing on common F OUNDATION fieldbus segments.

FoxCAETM computer aided engineering software was used to provide a consistent configuration environment across all Foundation fieldbus instrumentation. The individual fieldbus segments are integrated into the I/A Series system via Foxboro’s advanced remote I/O subsystem and high-speed Ethernet ‘home run’ network.

‘The successful completion of this major F OUNDATION fieldbus-based I/A Series automation system for the world-scale Athabasca Oil Sands Project clearly demonstrates Invensys’ leadership in advanced automation technology and our capability to deliver open fieldbus-based automation solutions on any scale,’ says Sasan Goodarzi, president of Invensys’ Manufacturing and Process Solutions business unit.

Presently operating, the Athabasca Oil Sands Project was one of the world’s largest mine and hydrocarbon construction projects. It is the first new fully integrated mining and upgrading oil sands project in 25 years. When it reaches full production in late 2003, it will supply 10% of Canada’s oil needs.

The project consists of two main components: the Muskeg River Mine and the Scotford Upgrader. The upgrader uses hydrogen-addition technology to upgrade high-viscosity ‘extra heavy’ crude oil from the Muskeg River Mine into premium quality, low sulphur and low viscosity synthetic crude oils. The project is a joint venture between Shell Canada Limited (60%), Chevron Canada Limited (20%), and Western Oil Sands L.P. (20%). As the majority owner, Shell is the overall project administrator, as well as operator of the new Scotford Upgrader, which is located adjacent to Shell’s existing Scotford Refinery.

Control Engineering Daily News Desk
Jim Montague, news editor
jmontague@reedbusiness.com

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