The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Energy => Topic started by: Elderberry on September 12, 2018, 02:07:42 am
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Houston Chronicle 9/11/2018 by Katherine Blunt
Refiners are poised to adopt new technologies at a faster pace after years of incremental progress, an effort that could save the industry billions of dollars .
Refiners, which have lagged other sectors in the energy sector in modernizing, have recently begun to explore artificial intelligence, software and other digital means of improving efficiency and coordinating operations throughout their systems, according to a recent paper by research firm Wood Mackenzie. The firm expects that such technologies could collectively save the industry as much as $15 billion a year.
Some refiners have begun using sensors to track operations and equipment performance . The technology could help companies better schedule turnarounds, which take refineries out of commission for maintenance, upgrades and repairs and collectively cost the industry billions of dollars each year.
More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Refiners-poised-to-save-billions-with-digital-13220268.php (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Refiners-poised-to-save-billions-with-digital-13220268.php)
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Likely the article is correct that there are lots of cost savings to be realized.
Just a few years ago, I worked with my nephew who worked for IBM, IBM had identified the oil sector in general as an under-represented entity on using newer technology for efficiencies.
There is a wave coming that will ensure we retain a strong oil industry as it stubbornly changes as other industries have changed toward these improvements for the better.
Changes will come. Another nephew works for the largest rig company in the US and told me that the newest rigs it is making are capable of being run during drilling operations with only two people.
Remarkable.
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The government should step in and stop this. This will cost countless analog operation jobs. Computers taking jobs.
/Luddite Sarcasm
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...Refiners, meanwhile, have been less conspicuous in their efforts to shift away from older, analog technologies, said Mark Broadbent, Wood Mackenzie's principal refinery analyst. He noted that the industry has been working for years decades to digitize process controls and install new programs to improve intricate operating systems....
Fixed their typo. Also:
Some Nearly all refiners have begun been using sensors for decades to track operations and equipment performance .