KEPServerEX, OPC Connectivity Suite, ODBC Client Driver,Oil & Gas

Failsafe Controls'customer generated an RFP with very specific requirements for the envisioned system. They wanted an integrated SCADA system that would continuously collect data from each well, create timely and accurate electronic reports, and store current and historical data that could be accessed from the field or anywhere via a standard web browser. The system would monitor flow for all 1,800 wellsites and seamlessly integrate into the existing communications infrastructure. With Failsafe's help, the company estimated that even if they purchased the devices and equipment that was originally supplied by the outsourced service company, they would still realize significant savings and a relatively quick ROI. The customer calculated that their field supervisors and engineers would be able to more efficiently coordinate field activities and determine where manpower would be best allocated. Additionally, management would gain better and faster information to manage oil and gas fields. They would also be able to track aggregate production over time and be better guided when making major investment decisions.

Failsafe Controls'customer generated an RFP with very specific requirements for the envisioned system. They wanted an integrated SCADA system that would continuously collect data from each well, create timely and accurate electronic reports, and store current and historical data that could be accessed from the field or anywhere via a standard web browser. The system would monitor flow for all 1,800 wellsites and seamlessly integrate into the existing communications infrastructure. With Failsafe's help, the company estimated that even if they purchased the devices and equipment that was originally supplied by the outsourced service company, they would still realize significant savings and a relatively quick ROI. The customer calculated that their field supervisors and engineers would be able to more efficiently coordinate field activities and determine where manpower would be best allocated. Additionally, management would gain better and faster information to manage oil and gas fields. They would also be able to track aggregate production over time and be better guided when making major investment decisions.

Failsafe developed the web-based application in which data within the customer's Ignition SCADA system from Inductive Automation could be bi-directionally accessed and shared via OPC Unified Architecture (UA), the OPC Foundation's newest protocol.

OPC UA is cross-platform service-oriented architecture for process control that enhances security and interoperability. Failsafe also integrated Kepware's OPC Connectivity Suite as an OPC UA wrapper for the OPC Data Access (DA) based polling servers. Failsafe uses the Kepware ODBC server to communicate to the OPC DA client to manage and report alarms.

Ignition SCADA's unlimited tags, screens, and no-install clients deployed using web technology made it easy for Failsafe to manage the project. Ignition can connect to any number of databases and has the ability to open multiple web-launched design clients with its cross-platform commercial OPC UA server.

According to Albert Lambert, Web Automation Architect at Failsafe Controls, “The ease of collecting the data through Kepware, as well as their excellent support and pricing, was a key factor in our ability to win this bid. In fact, Kepware provided us with temporary licenses to get the project going and has gone way beyond expectations in terms of support and working with us.”

The customer also utilizes ABB Totalflow and Bristol Babcock flow computers to monitor gas/liquid flow rates, pressures, and temperatures. The OPC server accesses all of the Oil & Gas company's devices in order to integrate and communicate with historians, Ignition, and other OPC-enabled applications and devices.

The flow computers monitor changes that have been made to any of the parameters required to turn the raw flow meter data into volumes. They record events and alarms related to the flow meter (such as loss of flow, loss of required electrical signals from measurement transducers, or transition of these electrical signals near their upper or lower range). It keeps a running tally of the volume for each flow meter it monitors and perform a gauge off of this volume on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis.

In addition, the company has PLCs of various brands at 30 compressor stations and some Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) that interface to Ignition SCADA. The RTUs monitor the status of the wells at these control stations. Control is done locally at the stations where reports can be generated.

The main servers, which poll and collect data, are at corporate headquarters where IT can easily manage them. Management can access the data from any computer or via their mobile smartphones and tablets (such as iPhones, iPads, or Androids) by accessing HMI/ SCADA client screens created via the Ignition Mobile Module. In addition, the customer has set up redundant servers.

“The ability for management to view this data in so many different ways has made a big difference for the customer,” Lambert continued. “OPC UA makes this possible. It's easy to set up and you don't have to worry about the DCOM settings in the computers making the data more secure. This is the first time we've used OPC UA and we're extremely happy with the results—up and running faster, more security, and the seamless way Ignition and OPC UA work together.”

The OPC DA Client driver and the free OPC UA server interface for KEPServerEX to provide the ideal OPC Tunneling solution when used along with an OPC UA client. The OPC DA Client driver can connect to any third-party OPC DA server and make the data available as OPC UA. KEPServerEX's OPC UA server and Ignition's OPC UA client provide a communications tunnel between the customers' computers to transfer data securely and reliably. It also provides higher performance and deterministic failure modes—eliminating any reliance on Microsoft COM and DCOM technology.

KEPServerEX's ODBC Client driver was used for polling from and writing alarm data to an ODBC-compliant database that is also integrated with Ignition (OPC UA client). With KEPServerEX's OPC DA and ODBC Client drivers, the customer is able to manage operations through a single OPC server. KEPServerEX provides the ability to consolidate data and information from various sources. This not only ensures consistency and reliability, but also reduces the number of third-party communication servers from which the end application must gather data. Furthermore, having a single source gather data for client applications reduces network traffic, device and system resource usage, and data inconsistencies.