Greenfield Oil & Gas MPDS OTS- Operator Training Simulator

From FEED to Operations: Delivering One of TSC’s Largest Operator Training Simulators

In 2015, A large oil and gas company approached TSC with a request for proposal for a Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulator (MPDS)/Operator Training Simulation (OTS) of a very large onshore gas and condensate processing facility. Design capacity was 1800mmscfd gas. Following bids, TSC were selected. This project would become one of our largest MPDS builds to date. 

The new asset was a mostly self-contained extension of an existing set of assets, and at the time of award, had gone through FEED but construction had not started. The Main Automation Contractor (MAC) had been selected. The DCS being used was one that we had done some emulation of, but this was a newer version, so required significant emulation updates. 

The build started with an extensive kick off meeting that discussed detailed modelling scope, emulation scope, project timeline, progress reporting, technical and commercial points of contact. Project control, documentation and TQ procedures were established. 

We maintained a master data register, where required data for the MPDS build was tabulated and checked off when supplied. Once sufficient plant design and control philosophy data had been received, the model build commenced, using our in-house dynamic simulation software (SimCreate). Using this, each plant area can be built and tested in isolation, using static boundary conditions, then linked one by one once testing is complete. The control system emulation was built at the same time. Although final DCS screens were not available at this point, we received draft screens that were used to link UI to the simulation.

We were able to provide feedback, proofing and additional testing on the draft screen designs which was able to save the client considerable testing time early in the screen approval process; several of our suggestions on screen design updates were used in the final live versions. 

Once the model build was sufficiently progressed, we were also able to start testing the control philosophies as designed and emulated. Several issues were discovered with dynamic control and sequence design that would have passed simple MAC testing against a “dumb” simulation, but the full dynamic simulation revealed problems.

These issues were fed back, and considerable commissioning time was saved (client estimate on value of this work alone was over $3m). 

Following the DCS checkout, the OTS evolution of the MPDS was completed while the asset was still the build phase. This enabled commissioning procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be created, tested and refined using the MPDS. It also enabled training to be designed at an early stage, and Control Room Operator (CRO) trainees were recruited and trained well before the live asset was commissioned. 

We then supported the client during the final build, commissioning, start-up and ramp-up phases. Key updates to the control system and SOPs were incorporated into the OTS, enabling CROs to experience the changes before going live. 

The project took around 7 months in total, and is still live, used and supported by us 11 years later.