Mr Bijal Sanghvi with Mr Helmi Srour: Light the lamp to inaugurate the PROLINE Launch event @Regenta, Ahmedabad on 25 February 2016
Automation in Oil & Gas Sector
The Oil & Gas sector is one of the biggest industries in the world providing employment opportunities to thousands of workers worldwide. In India, it is among the 6 core industries and the most influential in the country’s economy. In fact, as stated by Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, India’s oil demand is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6 per cent to 458 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) by 2040, while demand for energy will more than double by 2040 as economy will grow to more than five times its current size. An industry that is growing in such a rapid pace requires optimized operations of upstream and downstream stations that can help achieve monitored control, increasing efficiency and thereby more productivity and profitability. Hence, there is a strong need of sophisticated automation and instrumentation systems at all stages of Oil & Gas production process that is basically an extensive method of Exploration, Well Development, Production & Site Abandonment.
Drilling department in the sector is one such department that is and will reap the maximum benefits of advanced automation solutions. Automated drilling technology aids in making economically viable wells in lesser time, thereby increasing the number of production wells. As the crude oil is extracted and transferred to the production site which is usually a zone of harmful gases, proper measures need to be taken. Such petrochemical products are kept in highly compact atmosphere in analyser shelters so that no harmful gas can be penetrated outside. Hence, while increasing productivity and efficiency is one of the major goals in the industry, the major focus however is on safety. The safety of, but not limited to, environment owing to gas leakage. The successful outdoor installation and operation of analysers calls for protection from environmental hazards owing to extreme temperature. These installations need high maintenance by the workers and hence, consideration of the working conditions of such maintenance workers who must attend to these equipments on a daily basis is mandatory and is of utmost priority. It must be ensured that the workers have an access to a safe and comfortable working environment.
Not only that, another factor that needs careful consideration is that of provision of accurate and uninterrupted readouts of data measurements, an error in which may lead to explosions. This is done to achieve maximum production while not at the cost of safety operations.
To meet such industry challenges that are constantly evolving, Axis India offers resilient and hazard proof Analyser Shelter that ‘protects’ the instruments mounted in such crisis zones to prevent gas leakage. The shelters are carefully engineered and built in such a way that it can withstand temperature extremes and ensure ease of maintenance and accurate data reading. Bringing the sample gas post extraction for further process directly into the analyzer electronics closure is potentially hazardous. If there is a leak, it can cause explosions, also increasing the risk of human exposure. To prevent such occurrences, the shelter by Axis is constructed as a fully insulated sandwich construction with stainless steel (316) inner and outer sheeting, making it suitable for corrosive and cold ambient conditions. Complete Interlocking ribbed structure lends better technology with extra strength. The shelter is provided with a heating & ventilation system and can be fitted with a full HVAC system. The complete shelter is designed, fabricated and tested in-house as an integrated system. With this approach, site installation work is reduced to a minimum. AXIS also provides complete Integrated Analyzer Shelter Systems and all related services from initial engineering through manufacturing, testing and field start-up. Analyzers Systems are normally supplied and installed in the special Analyzer shelter including air-conditioning or HVAC, power distribution, lighting, termination and junction boxes, gas and flame detection, relevant piping and wiring. It is suitable for Area Classification for IEC ZONE 1, Group IIC or IEC Zone 1, IIA IIB.
The commitment towards lending Oil & Gas sector a smooth functioning and increased productivity is what drives Axis India to constantly innovate and update their technological solutions.