System of systems in lube plant!

InFusion ECS implementation at  lubes plant unifies existing systems to help achieve operational excellence

Invensys Operations Management has successfully implemented an InFusion™ Enterprise Control System (ECS) for ExxonMobil Lubricants & Specialties Company. Through a joint Invensys and ExxonMobil team effort, the installation was successfully completed and the plant was back to full production on schedule with no safety incidents.

Installed at ExxonMobil’s lubricants plant in Beaumont (TX US), the InFusion ECS will help manage the operating facility, controlling major processes and integrating the existing SAP enterprise resource planning, batch process and final packaging and shipping systems. By making extensive use of Invensys’ open, industry-standards-based ArchestrA® architecture framework and other advanced technologies, the ECS will apply the principles of real-time process automation across the manufacturing enterprise to improve production flexibility and workflow, as well as address end-of-life issues within the existing control systems.

“In 2004, ExxonMobil embarked on a global modernisation plan to realise the lubricant plant of the future, selecting Invensys as their preferred production and integration partner,” said Eric Moorehead, vice president, strategic accounts, Invensys Operations Management. “The InFusion ECS installation at Beaumont continues that modernisation effort. Operating as a ‘system of systems,’ the InFusion ECS holistically integrates our open technology with legacy applications and third-party solutions to improve the plant’s operations and performance in real time. This unique ability is what sets the InFusion ECS apart from anything on the market today.”

As part of its ongoing relationship with ExxonMobil, Invensys is also using its Houston (TX US), Engineering Center of Excellence to incorporate best practices for ExxonMobil in Beaumont and Port Allen, (LA US). This approach is helping ExxonMobil continually improve its control system strategies and achieve its goal of developing the lube plant of the future.

Licensing agreement for refinery process models

Invensys Operations Management has entered into an agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) that allows Invensys to sub-license a suite of EMRE's refinery process models to third parties. The suite of models will be delivered through Invensys Operations Management's market-leading SimSci-Esscor® optimisation software, using its ROMeo® solution to enable clients to model and optimise process units.

"With depressed demand, decreased margins and increased environmental mandates, refiners no longer have the option to simply operate at maximum throughput," said Sudipta Bhattacharya, president and chief executive of Invensys Operations Management (right). "Over the course of the coming decade, we will see a drastic shift in the oil industry as refiners constantly optimise their operations in the face of changing feedstock and energy costs, product specs and margins. Refiners will increasingly rely on accurate modeling technologies to construct a refinery-wide picture and assess the financial impact of different operating scenarios. Our SimSci-Esscor optimisation software and ROMeo solution, combined with EMRE process models, enables refiners to make improved economic decisions throughout the refinery, from crude feed to final product blending."

While traditional modelling solutions can only simulate individual process units or provide point solutions to solve a specific problem, Invensys Operations Management's SimSci-Esscor solution provides a scalable software environment that enables companies to optimise refinery-wide performance, as well as other aspects of refinery profitability, such as utilities and instrument/equipment health monitoring. Additional benefits are derived from leveraging the data generated by rigorous models to enhance planning and scheduling decisions, leading to increased refinery margins.
"These modeling improvements allow refiners to better optimise their operations," said Charles Darnell, global manager for optimisation at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. "We use ROMeo technology in our plants for multiple applications and continue to work with Invensys to develop improvements in this technology."