Data analytics is proving to be an effective tool for streamlining internal processes and systems, and Shell is one of many companies to adopt that tool. Specifically, Shell is using a plant information (PI) real-time application to analyze key data.
Peter van den Heuvel, technology lead at the PI Center of Excellence for Shell, explained PI is a standard tool in oil and gas, as well as in power, chemical and any industry that captures real-time data.
"PI is used to measure data. Process data is key, and [PI users] can get much more out of the chemical industry, wells and energy consumption [by] analyzing the data," van den Heuvel said. "Anything that is measured in the field is collected with PI."
Speaking in a recent webinar, van den Heuvel shared that PI is used by as many as 25,000 Shell associates, with as many as 10,000 using it daily. Approximately 10 million of Shell's instruments are connected to the PI system, according to van den Heuvel.
"Temperature, pressure, volume -- everybody can measure what is stored in the PI system," he said.
The system makes 25 years of process data accessible in real-time -- "all available within seconds," van den Heuvel explained, adding that 50,000 displays produce 500,000 calculations each minute, turning measurements into meaningful, readily applied information.
These displays are used daily to help technicians and leaders make the right decisions regarding KPI reports, process data and a host of other criteria.
"Data is not interesting," van den Heuvel said. "But from data, we are exchanging interesting information by calculations and [translating] that into meaningful actions."
Van den Heuvel said all Shell businesses are connected to PI, including downstream, upstream, projects and technology, integrated gas, trading, pipelines and unconventional resources like wind farms.
Building the backbone
Van den Heuvel stressed that IT projects must have their process "backbone in place" before moving into digitalization.
"If you don't have the PI server available, reliable and scalable, then the whole digitalization journey is going to fail," he explained.
One prerequisite is to "contextualize your data," van den Heuvel said. "If you don't have the correct naming convention ... it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. If you contextualize your data very well, you can build once, then deploy globally."
Additionally, the PI server should be the one-stop-shop for your real-time data, van den Heuvel said.
"Last year, we moved into the real-time data link, which we call 'PI in the sky,' where we capture our real-time data," he stated. "We try to avoid making multiple database histories."
It is also essential, van den Heuvel said, for all partners to recognize the data is owned by the business, be trained to understand the PI data and know-how to maintain it.
Data quality is also very important, van den Heuvel emphasized.
"At Shell, we have started a program to build extended components and market the components in a dashboard in which assets can see the quality by data," he explained. "They can earmark [points of the data] and say, 'These texts are very important to us,' and they can, in real time, see the quality of the PI text.
"All the data must be correct. Otherwise, if they see inconsistencies in the data quality or if the data is not available, they really make different kinds of analysis."
Scalability and conforming to market standards are also essential, van den Heuvel concluded.
