Title: Smart manufacturing in petroleum refining

Toxic combustion By-products:

Reprocessing of petroleum waste:

Equipment integrity:

Smart industry have a better understanding of material damage mechanisms, damage growth
rates, and material properties needs to improve technology for onstream inspection of
pressure vessels and piping systems for corrosion and cracks, and develop improved
inspection techniques for heat transfer equipment. The industry should continue joint industry
efforts to improve non- destructive evaluation of external corrosion of piping under insulation.

Alloy Selection system for elevated temperatures:

Smart industry increases the data collection concerning corrosion of metals and alloys by
high temperature gases. Research which is led to the development of a computer program
was carried out to predict the corrosion rate for different materials based on a fundamental
understanding of atomic and molecular structures.

Vehicle emission:

Mobile work

Digitization is likely to transform working conditions in the coming years. Gradually, all
installations are being modeled in 3D with all the related technical documentation. When an
operator works on a part, he or she can first work on the digital model and remotely consult
the control room. A limiting factor in the oil and gas industry is that the materials used must
meet anti-explosive standards, which sometimes means they lag behind devices used in
everyday life.

Robotics

In smart oil refining industry, normally many of the equipment used for the refining process
will be supported by the development of robotics – in other words machinery that can work
autonomously, either on land or at the bottom of the sea. These devices are particularly useful
for carrying out routine inspections at isolated operating sites. Drones can also inspect
pipelines that cover long distances. And in refineries, they can be used to inspect the top of a
distillation column without the need to erect scaffolding, or to take gas samples to check for
the risk of pollution.
3D printing

Smart refining industry uses 3D printing for rapid prototyping of engineering designs. This
enables them to test components on a small-scale in materials like plastic before developing
them on an industrial scale.

Predictive Maintenance

Sensors are increasingly used throughout industry and particularly in refining. They are
connected to machines and continuously record operating data under normal conditions.
When analyzed, this data allows operators to detect weak signals, making it possible to
anticipate problems before they become worse. This is what is known as predictive
maintenance. Thanks to significant progress in transmitting this data at high speeds,
processing can now be centralized and carried remotely in control centers, known as smart
rooms. This method is extremely useful for refineries, which cover several square kilometers.

Sensor technology:

Chemical sensors that can detect small concentrations of hydrocarbons in gas streams and
physical sensors that measure temperature and pressure could be studied to determine their
possible use in a processing environment.

Sensors

Digital analysis techniques have been used for many years in the exploration of oil and gas
deposits, particularly through seismic reflection surveys.These techniques have made it
possible to obtain 2D, then 3D and now 4D (or time lapse) images of potential deposits. After
drilling, additional measurements are taken using sensors that are lowered into the wells to
assess pressure, temperature and the properties of the rocks. These methods are known as
logging. Sensors are being used more and more, and research is being carried out to make
them smaller and more autonomous. Major oil companies have grouped together within the
international Advanced Energy Consortium1, which is working on miniaturization projects
that leverage nanotechnologies to develop sensors measuring just a few square millimeters.
The goal is to leave these sensors permanently at the bottom of wells, meaning they must be
able to resist high temperatures and pressures and be equipped with a battery and
transmission system so they can function autonomously. The resulting big data will be
collected and transmitted to specialized analysis centers equipped with supercomputers and
provide detailed information on a series of factors (the flow of oil or gas, the presence of
water, etc.), that can help improve extraction and rationalize management of the deposit.
3. Improving water recycling efforts

In order to decrease freshwater usage, O&G companies are exploring more effective ways of
recycling and reusing water for their operations. Increasingly, companies are aiming to use
100% non-potable water by improving filtration oxidisation methods, as well as advanced
chemical-free water treatment solutions to neutralise bacterial contaminants such as sulphate-
reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria.