A white paper from ABB/Kepware outlines the process control technology that ABB has deployed on the ‘world’s first’ Queensland Curtis* LNG project. The first train of the coal seam gas development is in production and the project is now ramping up to a peak of 8 million tonnes of LNG per year from some 6,000 wells. Each well has around 50 tags captured every 30 seconds. Automating data collection was described as a ‘huge undertaking’ as the project infrastructure was constantly in flux.
ABB turned to Keware’s KEPServerEX to handle the project’s data management. KepServer provides connectivity tools, notably a Modbus TCP/IP Ethernet driver, which provides data exchange between OPC clients and Modbus protocol compliant controllers. This has enabled ABB to deploy its flagship 800xA integrated control and safety system across multiple OPC devices within a single communications platform, leveraging Kepware’s library of over 150 PLC, RTU, and other drivers, along with a database of configuration information. To accommodate the expanding infrastructure, ABB uses Kepware’s ability to import and export configuration data in XML, using a bespoke tool to keep the configuration current. An ‘advanced tags’ plug-in centralizes data processing at the communications server.
Kepware recently announced V5.18 of its server with high-reliability OPC UA-based tunneling, real-time changes to tag definitions and support for electronic flow measurement data from ABB Totalflow. ABB’s Scott Peterson observed, ‘these enhancements enable customers to leverage and integrate the full feature set of Totalflow systems with diverse applications and architectures, increasing the measurement and analytical capabilities of our solutions.’
* A BG Group/CNOOC unit.
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