CC-00-168 GAS PLANT DMCPLUS PROJECT AT KNPC (MAA) REFINERY

Description:

This paper presents some observations from the highly successful KNPC Mina Al Ahmadi Refinery Project commissioned in January 2000. This project involved 3 parallel gas trains, which were split into 4 separate DMCplus controllers, utilising ‘sub-controllers’. After commissioning the controllers, the product qualities could be operated very close to their limits, thereby resulting in improved yields of the more valuable components. A further benefit of the controllers was reduced fuel gas consumption due to a combination of system pressure reduction, and reduced reflux ratios. This benefit has been conservatively estimated at $1,000,000/ year. This reflux reduction also yields approximately 10% increased unit capacity. One of the key points from this project was the size and complexity of the commissioned controllers. In all, there are 133 Manipulated Variables, 27 Feedforward Variables and 166 Controlled Variables in 4 Main DMCplus controllers, which are split into 16 Sub-Controllers.