12 May 2012
Riyadh - Saudi Aramco's Oil Supply and Planning and Scheduling Department (OSPAS) is making sure that its oil, gas and refined products are fully maximized and delivered to local and global customers with maximum net revenue, according to an official of the Department.
The Manager of OSPAS, Hussain Al-Qahtani said the Department is comprised of five divisions - Oil; Gas and NGL; Supply Planning and Optimization; Terminal Division; and Refined Products, adding that OSPAS is the nerve center of the company's operations.
The department is tasked with tracking every drop of oil and cubic foot of gas that is extracted from the Kingdom's fields.
'OSPAS ensures they are delivered safely via plants, refineries, pipelines and terminals to Saudi Aramco's local and global customers,' Al-Qahtani was quoted as saying in a press released published by Saudi Aramco's web-site.
OSPAS' mission is made a little easier thanks to its Operations Coordination Center (OCC), Al-Qahtani said.
The OCC acts as a central monitoring and control hub for Saudi Aramco’s hydrocarbon and power operations Kingdom-wide.
'Through the sophisticated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, information is gleaned from more than 44,000 real-time data points that are connected to company plants, refineries, gas-oil separation plants, terminals, pipelines and electrical power operations.
The data is then projected onto the centerpiece of OCC - a gigantic electronic video wall that measures 70 meters wide and three meters high,' Al-Qahtani said.
On the video wall, Al-Qahtani said OSPAS engineers and planners can observe the complete hydrocarbon journey from the wellhead to plant and refinery, then into pipelines and eventually to Saudi Aramco’s export terminals.
Built in 2005, the video wall is unrivalled in the hydrocarbons industry. The OCC updates hydrocarbon data every 15 seconds and power distribution data every two seconds.
The speed of the updates allows OSPAS planners and engineers to react immediately to any emergency or anomaly they spot. Shift superintendents at OSPAS have the ability and authority to control and even shut down operations with the click of a button.
In the OCC, the arrival of huge tankers at the company's ports and terminals is meticulously planned and coordinated by OSPAS.
"Supply and demand is the key," said Qahtani. “We are customer focused while at the same time, we have the full picture in regards to supply. We have to factor our production capabilities with our customer's needs and plan accordingly."
Riyadh - Saudi Aramco's Oil Supply and Planning and Scheduling Department (OSPAS) is making sure that its oil, gas and refined products are fully maximized and delivered to local and global customers with maximum net revenue, according to an official of the Department.
The Manager of OSPAS, Hussain Al-Qahtani said the Department is comprised of five divisions - Oil; Gas and NGL; Supply Planning and Optimization; Terminal Division; and Refined Products, adding that OSPAS is the nerve center of the company's operations.
The department is tasked with tracking every drop of oil and cubic foot of gas that is extracted from the Kingdom's fields.
'OSPAS ensures they are delivered safely via plants, refineries, pipelines and terminals to Saudi Aramco's local and global customers,' Al-Qahtani was quoted as saying in a press released published by Saudi Aramco's web-site.
OSPAS' mission is made a little easier thanks to its Operations Coordination Center (OCC), Al-Qahtani said.
The OCC acts as a central monitoring and control hub for Saudi Aramco’s hydrocarbon and power operations Kingdom-wide.
'Through the sophisticated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, information is gleaned from more than 44,000 real-time data points that are connected to company plants, refineries, gas-oil separation plants, terminals, pipelines and electrical power operations.
The data is then projected onto the centerpiece of OCC - a gigantic electronic video wall that measures 70 meters wide and three meters high,' Al-Qahtani said.
On the video wall, Al-Qahtani said OSPAS engineers and planners can observe the complete hydrocarbon journey from the wellhead to plant and refinery, then into pipelines and eventually to Saudi Aramco’s export terminals.
Built in 2005, the video wall is unrivalled in the hydrocarbons industry. The OCC updates hydrocarbon data every 15 seconds and power distribution data every two seconds.
The speed of the updates allows OSPAS planners and engineers to react immediately to any emergency or anomaly they spot. Shift superintendents at OSPAS have the ability and authority to control and even shut down operations with the click of a button.
In the OCC, the arrival of huge tankers at the company's ports and terminals is meticulously planned and coordinated by OSPAS.
"Supply and demand is the key," said Qahtani. “We are customer focused while at the same time, we have the full picture in regards to supply. We have to factor our production capabilities with our customer's needs and plan accordingly."
© Saudi Press Agency 2012
