BP selects performance monitoring solution

BP has awarded a contract to Emerson Process Management for use of its e-fficiency equipment performance monitoring solution at the Coryton Refinery in the UK.

BP has awarded a contract to Emerson Process Management for use of its e-fficiency equipment performance monitoring solution at the Coryton Refinery in the UK.

The project builds on the success Emerson has experienced with BP, where e-fficiency has been applied to monitor process equipment on the North Everest, Lomond, Cleeton, and Valhall production fields in the North Sea.

As a key element of the Emerson Asset Optimisation family of services and software, e-fficiency delivers web-based performance monitoring of process and mechanical equipment: it is designed to improve the availability and reliability of equipment, and increase productivity with improved maintenance management decisions.

This project builds on the track record of success with previous BP investments, where e-fficiency has delivered significant benefits, including: pinpointing poor equipment performance resulting in corrective maintenance activity that increased production by over GBP 2 million per annum; optimisation of maintenance activities, leading to fewer equipment downtimes and accelerated production of more than GBP 1 million per annum; early detection of potential failures in key pieces of equipment, saving millions in lost production and repair costs; and identification of faulty instruments and subsequent prevention of incorrect and potentially costly actions based on bad data.

e-fficiency will be used by BP to monitor the operating performance of propane compressors and back pressure steam turbines on the lube leg unit at the refinery.

BP will access the performance indicators via a secure internet connection, and refinery personnel will use the information primarily to optimise the operating performance of the process equipment.

e-fficiency will also track the cost of performance degradation and highlight any potential causes of downtime and production inefficiency.

Jerry Whittaker, Mechanical Reliability Engineer for the BP Coryton refinery, commented, "Using e-fficiency will provide us with a complete monitoring overview of the equipment critical to the Lubes units.

We'll be able to keep equipment performing at design levels and by doing so improve their efficiency and reliability".

"e-fficiency meets the BP requirement for a superior system providing highly accurate performance information coupled with fulfilling the plant's immediate need for an easy to implement solution", continued Whittaker.

"e-fficiency directly complements condition monitoring used at the refinery to provide underlying performance improvement, cost savings, and more reliable operation".

The Emerson Asset Optimisation solutions bring together a unique combination of world-class services and innovative technologies to help users make significant and continuous improvements in asset performance.

Supporting this key functionality, the Emerson PlantWeb digital plant architecture delivers information on asset reliability and performance to the people who run the business.

Asset Optimisation solutions improve plant availability, increase productivity and reduce equipment cost-of-ownership across the full spectrum of plant assets including mechanical equipment, process equipment, electrical and power systems, field devices, and personnel development.

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