Major multimillion-dollar project completed for BP North Sea

Emerson has completed a multi-year, US$90 million automation project for BP’s Glen Lyon floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel west of Shetland. The company is now providing ongoing operational support services to help BP achieve its goal of producing 200,000 barrels a day from the North Sea by 2020.

Emerson has served as the main automation contractor (MAC) for the Glen Lyon, which is expected to produce 130,000 barrels of oil a day at peak. Its construction and commissioning was central to BP’s multibillion-dollar Quad 204 project, which involved the redevelopment of the Schiehallion and Loyal fields to target 450 million barrels of oil and allow production from the hub to be extended to at least 2035.

As part of an additional five-year contract, Emerson will provide ongoing operational support services, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance technologies for the Glen Lyon and BP’s other North Sea mega project Clair Ridge, which is due to come on stream this year.

Emerson’s lifecycle services will help BP ensure ongoing safety, improve reliability, maximise availability and reduce operating costs.

“By leveraging our project certainty model through expert partnering, we collaborated to achieve a truly world-class mega project that will help BP remain a North Sea energy leader,” said Mike Train, Emerson Automation Solutions executive president. “With first oil from the Glen Lyon accomplished, our focus now turns to helping BP achieve operational certainty, with maximum asset reliability and uptime, reduced risk of safety incidents and optimised production.”

BP uses Emerson’s automation technologies including the DeltaV and DeltaV SIS integrated control and safety systems to help optimise production and yield, avoid environmental impact and operate safely.

BP also uses Emerson’s high-fidelity dynamic simulator to train its operators and engineers in real-world scenarios before system changes go live. In addition, BP has selected Emerson to manage its fiscal metering systems on all North Sea assets, which is essential for fiscal accounting, custody transfer and taxation purposes.

Emerson metering consultants, engineers and specialist metering experts will validate and report measurement data, sampling, analytical and test equipment, as well as plan and carry out offshore metering maintenance and verification activities. In addition, Emerson will provide comprehensive auditing services for BP’s North Sea pipeline operations.

Image: BP’s Glen Lyon floating FPSO vessel west of Shetland. Photo courtesy of BP.