Intelligent valve actuators for Philippines

Rotork is supplying IQ range intelligent electric valve actuators for the Shell Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power development in the Philippines.

Rotork is supplying IQ range intelligent electric valve actuators for the Shell Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power development in the Philippines.

The actuators, which will be installed on the project's offshore gas production platform, are the first heavy duty electric valve actuators to be specified with Foundation Fieldbus connectivity.

Rotork is the only manufacturer of heavy duty actuators to have achieved registered approval from Foundation Fieldbus for its entire current range of electric, hydraulic and pneumatic actuators.

Rotork IQ electric actuators have been increasingly specified for international onshore and offshore oil and gas projects and applications throughout the last decade.

The ability to provide connectivity to Foundation Fieldbus, which is widely recognised as becoming the most favoured control system for these industries, is expected to accelerate this trend in the future.

The Malampaya project is the first such application to incorporate Fisher Rosemount PlantWeb architecture using Foundation Fieldbus on a major offshore gas production platform and is expected to serve as a model for similar projects in the future.

Dick Wismeijer, Shell principal process control, instrumentation and telecoms engineer for the Malampaya project explains: "The non-proprietary Foundation Fieldbus digital control technology has ushered in a new era in plant automation, providing end users a free choice to install 'best-in-class' host and field devices from their suppliers of choice with the confidence these products will work seamlessly on the same control network." The Malampaya project, which is being built by Shell Philippines Exploration (SPEX), will include the offshore gas processing platform, five subsea wellheads, a 500 km gas pipeline and an onshore gas treatment plant and despatch centre.

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