SCADA system integrity

Peter Bauer, ABB Automation, USA, and Billy Mann, West African Gas Pipeline Company Ltd, discuss the importance of SCADA system integrity to the West African gas pipeline. Gas operators are finding the need for more and more advanced technology to keep up with their data collection and processing requirements. This includes data from smart field devices, increasingly sophisticated control systems, open safety and fire & gas networks, remote terminal units (RTUs) and electrical systems. In a single pipeline network these systems and products could be supplied by multiple vendors – all with different communication protocols. In order to keep up with these needs, gas pipeline operators need the latest technology a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system can provide. It is not enough in today’s marketplace to simply have access to this data. An operator needs a system to sort through the massive stream of data originating from their various systems and a comprehensive display scheme to reduce time to decision and action. Many other challenges that complicate standard SCADA solutions exist on gas pipelines. With custody transfer scenarios, issues such as security and data integrity become the foremost priority. Once collected, this data needs to integrate with a volumetric accounting system or other enterprise business systems. Since these systems and software packages are located many kilometres apart, complex telecommunication networks are often required. Due to the potential inaccessibility of the remote polling stations, maintenance and asset management must be automated as much as possible.. The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) This project provides an example of how leading edge SCADA technology helps remote location pipelines operate more efficiently and securely. Pipeline profile The West African Gas Pipeline is a gas transmission system that will transport natural gas from Nigeria to power plants in Ghana, Togo and Benin. Both public and private sector companies from these four countries are collaborating in a joint venture company known as the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) to construct and operate this pipeline. The 671 km, US$ 635 million pipeline will extend from the existing Escravos-Lagos pipeline at the Alagbado 'Tee' in Nigeria and proceed to a compressor station west of Lagos. From there, the gas will flow offshore to Takoradi (Ghana), with gas delivery laterals from the main line extending to Cotonou (Benin), Lome (Togo) and Tema (Ghana). Project benefits and environmental impact The power provided by the supply gas has the potential to generate numerous primary and secondary sector jobs. Based on World Bank estimates and recent crude prices, Ghana, Benin and Togo may save up to US$ 300 million per year. These savings will be achieved by switching from more expensive petroleum, coal and charcoal products to natural gas. The main environmental impact of this pipeline is the reduction of 'gas flaring', or burning off natural gas as waste, as associated with oil production in Nigeria, thereby contributing to the reduction of ‘greenhouse’ effects. Additionally, the pipeline will enhance the regional environment by substituting clean burning natural gas for less desirable fuels. WAGP SCADA solution The West African Gas Pipeline Company faced many challenges when developing their control and data collection solutions. The requirements included various hardware and software packages, complex telecommunications, security concerns and electrical asset management packages. Willbros West Africa, Inc.. (WWAI), system integrator for this project, chose ABB’s SCADAvantageTM solution to address their requirements. SCADAvantageTM is a powerful but simple package that offers a scalable and open solution.