Emerson to Automate New Offshore Platform in UK Solan Field

Premier Oil has awarded Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson, a $17 million contract to automate a new offshore production platform in the Solan oil field on the U.K. Continental Shelf.

Emerson’s technologies and services will enable Premier to safely and efficiently manage the platform 100 miles west of Scotland from an onshore operations center in Aberdeen.

Designed for unmanned operations, the platform could serve as a model for future developments in marginal fields, where such operations can help increase profits as well as worker safety. The Solan field is expected to produce approximately 40 million barrels of oil, with an estimated initial production rate of 24,000 barrels a day by the end of 2014.

As the project’s main automation and electrical contractor, Emerson will provide full project services including project management, detailed design, configuration, acceptance testing, commissioning, and startup support, all as part of a complete solution.

“We are delighted that Premier recognizes the value of our complete automation solutions for offshore operations,” said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “Our industry specialists look forward to helping Premier turn their vision of a remotely operated platform into a safe, efficient, and profitable reality.”

The integrated solution will use Emerson’s PlantWeb™ digital plant architecture, including its DeltaV™ digital automation system, DeltaV SIS™ process safety system, CSI 6500 Machinery Health™ Monitor, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software. Other elements will include Emerson’s Rosemount® pressure, temperature, radar level, and vortex flow transmitters; Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters; and Roxar™ sand monitors and multiphase flowmeters.

Emerson will also provide electrical switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies, and satellite telecommunication equipment, as well as an operator training solution that simulates real-world situations to prepare operations personnel for incident management.

Premier is the operator and 60 percent owner of the Solan oil field.

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Press Release, September 4, 2013