ABB’s oil and gas customers will receive a more comprehensive, locally supported service with the opening of a new office in Aberdeen.
Nautilus House, situated on Waterloo Quay is the new home for ABB’s Oil and Gas Automation Service operation which was previously located at St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. This is now the second site for ABB in Aberdeen, the other site located at Commerce Street is the UK site for Marine Service, Turbocharger Service and spares for Automation Products. Mike Crawford, ABB’s UK Vice President for Automation Service, says: “This new office, staffed with experienced resources, is dedicated to the offshore market and will provide a comprehensive local service to deal more effectively with our customers growing demands. This is ABB’s ongoing commitment to support the oil and gas industry in its endeavour to maximise production from new and mature installations.”
The Oil and Gas Service Operation has over 30 staff in Aberdeen comprising engineers, lead engineers, telecom specialists and consultants. This is in addition to the 60 office staff and engineers based at Commerce Street. Further expansion is planned together with our ongoing graduate development programme.
Nautilus House offers an Automation System staging area with the ability to connect to offshore platforms automation systems remotely and extremely securely. The installation of one of ABB’s newest control systems - 800xA is central to achieving this advanced facility which brings all automation functions under a single operations and engineering environment. This provides many benefits for process control, safety management and information management.
The system features an ABB Extended Operator Workplace (EOW), an ergonomically optimised workstation designed to enhance the operator’s working environment and effectiveness. Incorporating a three metre wide contoured high resolution screen, the ABB EOW includes an ergonomically designed motorised desk that can be adjusted to suit the needs and working style of operators.
Cameron Fyffe, ABB’s UK operations manager for Oil and Gas Automation Service says: “The system’s communication facilities will allow authorised personnel at Nautilus House to see and talk with operators on remote sites as well as having the potential to control the facilities on a platform remotely”.
The 800xA system will be used for a wide range of activities to benefit ABB’s oil and gas customers, including developing software for customers’ control systems offshore. “We follow strict onshore engineering change procedures,” says Fyffe. “The 800xA will give us the ability to perform thorough testing of software onshore before it goes to the platform. A range of I/O cards allow us to simulate the operation of a full range of field devices, giving us the ability to test the software against expected results.”
Another major use will be to develop graphics for 800xA customers. Says Fyffe: “Control Room Operators (CRO), the personnel who control the plant through our systems will be invited to give their input on the design of graphics. We conform to all human factors regulations for offshore platforms and to have users contributing to the development of the display graphics will help ensure we get it right first time.”
The system will also be used for training customers to ensure that product staff are kept up to date with the continuous developments of ABB’s control and safety system solutions.