Project news: China integrates operations at new gas field
Few new process projects in China are modest in scope. In what will be its first greenfield oil and gas exploration project, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) will be overseeing exploitation of the newly discovered Puguang natural gas field in Sichuan Province, and turning it into a major supplier of energy for the country. This is believed to be China’s largest domestic gas field, and as the project moves into full swing, Sinopec will be implementing Honeywell Process Solution’s Experion Process Knowledge System.
The Puguang gas field was only discovered in 2005, but has already been identified as China’s largest with estimates of 356 billion cubic meters of gas reserves. Initial plans call for annual production of 4 billion cubic meters with production reaching twice that by 2010. Sinopec will be integrating control of this effort using Honeywell’s Experion PKS R300 software, along with SCADA technology to streamline and manage control data.
“China’s natural gas consumption is rapidly increasing and gas fields such as the Puguang Field are key to meeting this ever-growing demand,” says Yang Faping, Sinopec project manager for the Puguang gas field. “Honeywell’s strong reputation in oil and gas and its ability to tightly integrate the supply chain for increased efficiency made it the perfect partner for this project.”
The Experion software will automate upstream processes at the Puguang, including gas extraction, desulphurization, and transportation to the refining facility. Honeywell says Experion will improve overall efficiency and safety by unifying critical subsystems throughout each processing facility, giving operators more meaningful information to make decisions. The technology also allows manufacturers to integrate non-Honeywell technology into a central point. This approach makes staff, processes and assets more effective, with improved productivity and reduced operating costs.
“Because natural gas is a resource in high-demand, companies like Sinopec need technology that will help them turn that resource into business results as efficiently as possible,” says Thomas Liu, managing director of Honeywell Process Solutions Greater China. “Faster startup leads to faster results and Experion will give Sinopec operators the information they need to make the best decisions when controlling their processes.”
PWelander@cfemedia.com , Control Engineering Weekly News
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