China has delivered its first “floating oil factory” with land-sea integrated operation system, marking a new breakthrough in the country’s application of the digital twin technology, reports CGTN.
First “floating oil factory”
Haiyang Shiyou 123 (Offshore Oil 123) ship is a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit that can process oil and gas on the sea, saving the process of piping from offshore rigs to onshore factories.
The ship is equipped with more than 8,000 sensors that monitor temperatures, pressures and liquid levels. The data collected by the sensors is transmitted to the server room, where commands are generated to control the ship’s production.
“With this ‘brain’ on board, we can see and use all the data in one place,” said Deng Xin, an engineer on the ship. “Our experiences are turned into algorithms that help make more optimized decisions.” “When things go wrong, we can diagnose and take actions faster,” Deng added.
Digital twin
In addition to the on-board system, a digital twin of the ship was also built onshore to enable the land-sea integrated operation. The digital twin lies in the smart control center in Shenzhen City, which is 1,000 kilometers away from the real ship. The digital twin is a virtual replica of the ship that can be used to monitor the production process in real-time.
“This ‘clone’ enhanced our ability to deal with emergencies,” said Zhang Baolei, deputy chief engineer of the Haiyang Shiyou 123 project. “The new system is way faster than the conventional, experience-based process.”
The Haiyang Shiyou 123 is expected to be transported to the Lufeng 12-3 oil field in the South China Sea in the coming weeks. The estimated capacity of the ship is 1.5 million tonnes per year.
The delivery of Haiyang Shiyou 123 is a significant milestone in China’s oil and gas industry. The ship’s advanced technology will help to improve the efficiency and safety of offshore oil production. It is also a testament to China’s growing capabilities in the field of digital twin technology.
Did you subscribe to our newsletter?
It’s free! Click here to subscribe!
Source: CGTN
