The MOL Group consisting of refining and petrochemical companies from Hungary and Slovakia owns one of the largest crude oil and product pipeline system in Europe. The old SCADA and wire based communication system have been replaced by a new DIWICON pipeline management system using redundant GPRS communication and Intranet technology instead of SCADA. The result is a lightweight, cost effective reliable system, easy to implement and operate, with new exciting features and interesting possibilities. The DIWICON technology made possible as for example the installation of a pressure gauge or a specialized leak detection device anywhere in the field without power lines and communication wires. After three years of operation MOL states: after the 3rd generation GSM and Internet even pipelines will never be the same.
The MOL Group consists of the Hungarian MOL & TVK, and the Slovakian Slovnaft national refining and petrochemical companies. The group is the leading Central European integrated petroleum group realizing spectacular growth in the region with activities in all regional countries including Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, and Slovenia.
In order to cost effectively supply the entire region MOL has an extensive pipeline system which is divided into two integrated parts; the product and the crude oil pipeline systems.
The total length of MOL's product pipeline system (Fig. 1) is more than 1,800 km with a transport capacity of 15 million tons per year. It has 2 international connections - to Slovakia and to the Ukraine. There are 3 connected production sites, 17 tank farms for stock, and 4 connected partners. 17 different grades of product are transported in the product pipelines without any physical separation, which means we need a very clean cutting technology for the separation of one product from the other.
(Figure in full paper)
Originally, there were many problems with the communication availability and reliability for the pipeline Operation Supervision System (OSS). In 2003 we started a project to improve the capabilities of the system. I was the technical coordinator of the project realization team, and was responsible for making a system which best serves MOL's demands for both technical (easy to use, secure, reliabile) and cost requirements. Later, during the implementation I lead the customization process for the MOL group's pipeline system.
We used some new, unique, and innovative technologies that make our pipeline operation supervision system very special.
Most importantly, the communication system we have realized for the entire pipeline operation supervision system is based on redundant 3rd generation GSM/GPRS(Global System for Mobile communication / General Packet Radio Service)technology. This is the main communication platform on the 2,700 km long MOL product and crude oil pipeline systems.
Secondly, instead of SCADA systems for the process control and process visualization, we use intranet technologies.
Finally, we installed shared intelligent local process control centers connected to each other over GPRS, using ABB DCS to secure independence from the central application.
The combination of these unique technologies is called DIWICON technology. DIWICON stands for:
