June 2024
Process Controls, Instrumentation and Automation
Accelerating the DCS of the future: Open process automation technology
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, PETRONAS operates all oil and gas resources in the country and is responsible for developing and adding value to them.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, PETRONAS operates all oil and gas resources in the country and is responsible for developing and adding value to them. Among PETRONAS’ operations is a state-of-the-art technical training institution, Institut Teknologi Petroleum PETRONAS (INSTEP). Established in 1981, INSTEP accelerates human capital development in the oil and gas industry through experiential learning and customized niche programs.
Within INSTEP, the Upstream Downstream Training Plant (UDTP) uses glycol as the process medium that provides actual experiential learning in a safe environment. Real-world upstream and downstream plant scenarios can be set up to provide hands-on training, enhancing the competency of engineers and technicians.
To reflect the process equipment that is used throughout the company’s operations, PETRONAS deployed distributed control systems (DCSs) from two suppliers, as well as a host of measurement instruments and final control elements from many manufacturers in the UDTP.
Open process automation (OPA)
PETRONAS has also deployed the world’s first OPA system, which was installed in the INSTEP glycol training plant. OPA is the result of the Open Group’s Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) that began work in 2016 to develop process automation standards. The Open Group is a global consortium—consisting of end users, system integrators, suppliers, academia and standards organizations—to develop a standards-based, open, secure and interoperable process automation architecture.
OPA enables process operators to improve profitability while reducing capital and lifecycle costs. End users have recognized that proprietary technologies present serious obstacles to digital transformations. Closed systems, such as those used for process automation, are expensive to upgrade and maintain. Upgrades can also be risky. Many operators forego migrating or refreshing their technologies to avoid the risk of prolonged downtime. However, as systems age, other risks increase.
For example, it is challenging to integrate new, best-in-class technologies, such as those required to digitally transform operations. Digital transformations demand enterprise-wide interoperability, cybersecurity, agility and sustainability.
The OPAF believes that open architecture and interoperability—supported by industry standards—provide solid paths necessary for digital transformations to aid sustainability goals of an organization. The OPA standarda (OPAS) ensures that future automation systems will adopt and reinforce standards that achieve true interoperability while providing built-in security, future-proof innovation and simplified migration. End users will be able to select compatible, best-in-class control system components from a variety of manufacturers to realize more value from their operations.
OPA at PETRONAS
PETRONAS has been a strong OPA advocate and is taking a leading role in shaping the DCS of the future. The company is also partnering with other leading OPA advocates via an end user collaboration agreement with ExxonMobil. PETRONAS decided that the INSTEP UDTP would be an ideal location for the OPA testbed. In a safe environment, it provides a complete operating process with full connectivity.
OPA testbed objectives
The primary objective of the testbed is to demonstrate that OPA provides the functionality necessary to be a feasible technology for the DCS-of-the-future. The key properties under testing are interoperability, interchangeability, configuration portability and application portability. In place of proprietary hardware, interfaces and networks, software access is controlled by the supplier, cybersecurity is bolted on instead of built-in, and the facility features industry-standard interfaces and networks, interoperable hardware and open software access (FIG. 1).
In addition, the testbed was designed for hands-on training and contextualization of the OPA technology. Ultimately, the system will prepare and upskill employees for the future adoption of OPA technology.
OPA reference architecture components
For reference, the key OPA components are the OPAS connectivity framework (OCF), the distributed control node (DCN) and the advanced computing platform (ACP).
In an OPA system, most applications and workloads are containerized to run flexibly and in an interoperable manner utilizing the OCF. The OCF provides a secure, standardized interconnection between OPAS-compliant software functions. Based on the OPC unified architecture (UA), the OCF provides protected, standards-based, reliable data transport.
The DCN is considered the fundamental OPAS building block. It is a scalable controller, input/output (I/O) or gateway edge device that can handle I/O and computing functions. Since hardware and control software are decoupled, the exact function of a particular DCN is up to the system architect. A DCN consists of hardware and system software that enable it to communicate on the OCF and run control software. A DCN can be hardware or virtual. A system can use a few or several thousand DCNs.
The ACP implements DCN functionality but includes scalable computing components such as CPU cores, memory and storage media to handle applications that require more resources than are typically available in a DCN. ACPs may also be used for applications that cannot be easily or efficiently distributed. ACPs can be on-premises servers or in clouds.
Challenges
Among the technical challenges are adhering to interoperability and developing a common engineering tool. Ironically, it is very easy to add proprietary components to an OPA system. Interoperability is positive, but PETRONAS is striving for a completely open system with no proprietary content.
Since the testbed is among the earliest OPA systems globally, the PETRONAS team discovered that:
- Local suppliers were unfamiliar with OPAS architecture
- A universal engineering tool was not available
- There is a need to certify OPA products to increase the level of assurance and end user confidence.
The team has/is leveraging the expertise of the system integration partner, other collaboration partners and OPAF to overcome these challenges. In this regard, PETRONAS worked with Yokogawa to get the software management systemb validated and verified at the ERDi test lab at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia.
Solution
In conjunction with the system integration partner, PETRONAS designed the hardware and software architectures, along with an OPA capability plan that provided for technical progression and scaling. Initially, to accommodate the upstream offshore oil/water separation unit, the team developed an architecture with 200 I/O points consisting of hardwired and soft signals (FIG. 2). In addition to components from the system integration partner, other components were integrated from companies like ASRock, Phoenix Contact, Schneider Electric and STAHL. The software was supplied by the system integration partner and third parties (FIGS. 3 and 4).
Since industry standards are fundamental to OPAS, PETRONAS is focused on those that are complete in OPAS, corresponding to standards such as IEC 62264 (ISA95) for the technical architecture and IEC 62443 (ISA99) for security. The capability building planning includes a focus on the industry standards in OPAS Parts 1–6 (TABLE 1).
Results
The successful commissioning of the testbed at the INSTEP UDTP has enabled PETRONAS to be the first in the world to install and operate an OPA system tied to the glycol-based training plant. The testbed deployment and planning timeline are detailed in FIG. 5. A view of the ACP operator station is shown in FIG. 6.
Takeaways and future plans
With commissioning and the site acceptance complete, the PETRONAS team will continue with the capability building, which applies to the system integration partner, component suppliers and PETRONAS personnel. OPC UA—the backbone of the OPA architecture—has even been incorporated into PETRONAS’ technical guidelines.
Additionally, PETRONAS is working with a University Technology PETRONAS (Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS) to include the OPA curriculum in its academic program, which has been instituted by Curtain University in Australia to prepare graduates with the future technology.
In the future, PETRONAS will carry out a project risk assessment on the adoption of the OPA system for other potential sites. From the risk assessment, mitigation measures can be identified at early stages to ensure a flawless OPA field installation in the near future.
Other potential use cases of OPA controllers—such as replacing flow computers in the custody transfer metering system—are being explored.
The PETRONAS team is also awaiting feedback from ExxonMobil, which has an OPA 2000 DCS tags field installation project underway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (U.S.). This project is scheduled to be commissioned this year. HP
NOTES
- Open Group’s OPA Standard™ (O-PAS™)
- Redfish System Management
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