Presentation: On-Line Control of Oil Derivates Production in a Refinery

HISTORY - In September 1999, Landulpho Alves Refinery, aiming for cost reduction and continuing improvement of its production processes, decided to implement the use of online data acquisition systems that made it possible the observation, in real time, of the operational performance of each operational plant.In such a perspective, PETROBRAS, analyzing the trends of automation technology and in agreement with a new competitive scenery, started making use of a control tool that makes it possible to forecast events that might cause losses in the production line and that helps the technicians in the decision making process.

IMPLEMENTATION - Landulpho Alves Refinery in Mataripe - RLAM as an operational unit of PETROBRAS, has become aware of the need to provide its technicians and managers with the tools that lead them to the continuing improvement of the production processes effectiveness. Through a computer network linked to digital systems, technicians and engineers monitor the different variables that influence the operational performance, twenty four hours a day, in addition to the products, utilities and raw material storage data. This system also allows the calculation of the material balance of the operational plants, thermoelectric balance of the whole Refinery, the efficiency profile of the plants and their profitability, information that is available in the computer network, making it possible for each individual to monitor and evaluate the different process variables in real time using VBA code in Process Book. 

As one of the most important tools for the monitoring of the energy cost reduction results in Landulpho Alves Refinery, thermoelectric Balance functions in synergy with the Utilities Balance, through automatic updating of registered data and configuration changes by operational plants shut down with simulation and monitoring of the several utilities consumption

CONCLUSION - Our company trusts the application of this new tool, while a strategy of technological competitiveness and having as a commitment getting the company ready for taking part in an open and global market.The, PETROBRAS believes that these new technologies are a highly effective device for the continuing improvement of its production processes.