The introduction of automatic control elements increases compliance with quality standards, optimizes the logistics system, improves the discipline of operating staff. This reduces losses and increases the profitability of the business, contributes to the improvement of the company's image, and in the conditions of severe competition helps to win in the fight for a client.
It is with this goal in mind that ND has developed a concept and created a software and hardware complex to automate the components of the oil and gas business that can solve the tasks of both national companies and transnational oil corporations.
The solution is aimed at quantitative and qualitative improvement of business indicators:
Increase of profitability, reduce of losses and risks
Improvement of the efficiency of operational management
Control of business processes, personnel actions, remote facilities, transportation
The fight against theft and fraud
Increase of the level of facilities security
Formation of positive reputation of the company.
Facilities for automation
The ND solution is designed taking into account the features of automation of all elements of the oil and gas complex. It was based on the modularity principle, which allows you to scale the system as the structure of the complex changes.
Oil and gas business automation. Facilities
Structure of the solution
Complex automation is designed for the automation of operation processes of the companies that deal with wholesale and retail trade of oil products, gas and related goods.
Oil and gas business automation. ND software and hardware complex
1. Oil products metering
In the tank battery of the complex, ND control and measuring equipment is installed, operator automated working station is automated. Every 5 minutes, the control and measuring equipment determines the level and physical parameters of the fuel in the tank and transfers the data to the operator automated working station.
In parallel with fixing actual fuel measurements in tanks, the system reads data from cash registers on a real-time basis.
Using modern means of communication, the server part of the system transmits to the regional office the processed data received from the filling stations, every 5 minutes, from the petroleum storage — every 30 minutes and every hour all kinds of data are transmitted to the head office.
2. Control of remote facilities
The system accumulates 2 data sets, measured at a given periodicity: the quantity and physical parameters of fuel in the tanks, as well as the number of sold and receipted fuel according to the payment system data.
The system is equipped in advance with formula for the calculation of physical parameters of a particular oil product in different temperature regimes. These formulas calculate the "normal" state of the fuel at current temperatures.
Along with the measured and calculated data, the system stores the so-called "fine-adjusted" parameters of the oil complex element itself. They include, for example, daily volumes of fuel flow, schedule of fuel delivery or unload, time of the shift change, allowed idle time intervals, etc.
Further data processing is based on factor analysis. Comparison of the first three data sets, taking into account the individual parameters of the components of the oil and gas complex, allows drawing conclusions about their work. Here are some of them:
Factor analysis
A mathematical method by which a large number of measures and research is reduced to a small number of "factors" or reasons explaining the results.
The absence of sale of fuel by fuel types and pistols, a long "staff change"
Lack of connection with the level gauge
Atypical change in mean density and / or fuel temperature
Change of accumulated water level
Change of actual balances between shifts
Exceeding of growth rate or deviation of the fact / book difference by fuel type
The discrepancy between the calculated and actual physical parameters of the fuel: density, volume, mass
3. Warning system
The system transmits the received and processed information on the operator screens in a human-readable language.
The current data is displayed on a real-time basis, and, on demand, the stored data for any previous period can be displayed. This happens in the following order.
Based on the data obtained from the metering equipment, a diagram of actual fuel behavior is drawn.
Based on the data received from the cash register of the filling station, a diagram of calculated fuel behavior is drawn.
Along with these two diagrams, the system draws a third diagram based on a mathematical model of the typical behavior of oil products under a given temperature regime.
Comparable data in the form of diagrams is continuously displayed on the screens of the operators of the filling stations and the regional center. And if a problem is detected, the ND System transmits an alarm signal to the decision centers (to minimize the risks associated with the human factor, the ability to transmit an alarm signal to several decision centers is realized).
It does not end the ability of the system to present current metering data. It is possible to create complex daily reports for the top management of the network:
Report on the sale of fuel and related products
Report on payment type
Report on the fuel remains in the tanks
Cash flow report
Types of solutions
1. Typical complex solutions
By the term "typical" we mean complex solutions, the hardware part of which is built on the specialized technology of ND Group partners: IBM, Toshiba, Dallmeier, Epson, Citizen.
"Price/quality" rate of this solution is optimal, because at its designing not only technical parameters of the equipment are taken into account, but also their compatibility, expected operating conditions, wear rate, maintenance costs, residual cost and much more.
As for the software, depending on the facilities of automation, either ND-Office or ND-Oil is installed.
2. Adaptive complex solutions
By a word "adaptive" we call a complex solution, the hardware part of which is implemented on the basis of already used equipment
The frequent reason for the delivery of the "adaptive" solution is the personal preferences of the customer company representatives in the acquisition of this or that equipment. In this case, the facility is partially equipped with ND equipment. This solution is justified for operating facilities with a relatively modern technical base.
The software, as in the case of a "typical" complex solution, depends on the facility for automation. For filling stations and control centers for components of the oil and gas complex — it is ND-Office, for wells, oil and gas storage facilities — ND-Oil.
3. Private solutions for specialized business tasks
Such tasks are claimed by market participants in different degrees, therefore they are called private. However, they are all related to automation processes and / or metering analysis.
The solution can be software, hardware or combined - software and hardware. In this case, not only the software, but also the hardware part of it can be own development of the ND.
Unlike complex automation, in which, first of all, the owner and top management are interested, the representatives of the specialized departments become the initiators of these tasks. It can be:
