Oil & Gas

Large-Scale Coordination​​​​​​​
When an energy company began a deep water development, the organization knew that the project would be complex. The topsides, hull, and subsea elements of the development all had very different design requirements, yet would need to be connected with a standardized integrated control and safety system (ICSS).
Management knew the complex project would require a committed partner that could ensure global coordination, keep multiple EPCs and OEMs on the same page, and streamline the modifications of I/O design, package philosophy, and safety philosophy.
The organization selected Emerson as its ICSS supplier early in the FEED stage in order to standardize its ICSS and all third-party PLCs for all levels of the project. By selecting an integrated team with global expertise, and including them from the earliest FEED stages, the company took the first step to ensure project success.

Success in Partnership
Working with multiple EPCs was necessary, but also increased risk. To avoid integration issues that could delay first oil, the company involved the same Emerson integrated project management team on all three main contracts: hull, topsides, and subsea. By using the same team of engineers in development of the core operating sections of the platform, the organization was able to provide continuity and standardization across the different elements of the project.
Because Emerson had core experience with the organization’s upstream projects from FEED to startup, the integrated project management team was able to establish critical technology direction in order to deliver a DeltaV™ distributed control system (DCS) integrating with all levels of the platform. The team created standardized template libraries to be used by all three EPCs, ensuring that template design by the topsides EPC didn’t cause delays with the other EPC schedules.
Working with Emerson, the implementation team developed a global network management plan, creating strict guidelines for network addressing to prevent overlap that would lead to network communication issues. In addition, design validation tests helped ensure that any third-party vendor design was validated in advance, avoiding significant rework during commissioning.

Teaming up to Deliver Results
Taking advantage of an expert partner able to leverage global processes and tools delivered many key benefits. By planning ahead, the organization was able to create a clear set of guidelines and templates to keep all of the pieces of the project working together smoothly. Standardization decisions made early helped the implementation team avoid costly late-stage changes to the project. Most importantly, the project team was able to optimize its execution strategy to deliver the deep water development ahead of the planned start-up date.