A control room is a centralized facility where operators monitor and manage systems and processes in real time. Control rooms serve as the brain of operations across multiple industries, with the energy sector being among the largest. Here, operators oversee everything from energy production to transportation and distribution, ensuring that energy supply chains run reliably and safely. However, running complex systems over extended periods poses numerous challenges that operators navigate daily. Leading companies are increasingly adopting an operator-centric approach to rethink and set up control rooms with operational efficiency in mind. This approach to initial control room setup and future expansion not only enhances operator performance but also safeguards personnel, protects assets, minimizes environmental impact, and boosts profitability.
This article aims to provide actionable insights to guide companies in setting up and maintaining efficient control room operations. It explores the significance of technological innovation, process optimization, and strategies for mitigating risks associated with human factors. While the article focuses on the midstream oil and gas industry, the insights presented here are applicable to other sectors as well. By applying these insights, companies can design and foster control room environments that are not only efficient but also adaptable to the rapidly changing landscape of their industry.
Understanding Control Room Operations
As control rooms ensure consistent and optimal asset handling, operators execute several tasks simultaneously. All operations can be grouped into categories based on their purpose:
- Monitoring: Continuously tracking system performance and environmental conditions through various data feeds and Human Machine Interface (HMI).
- Control and Coordination: Executing commands to manage systems, often through automated equipment, coordinating between different operational teams, and achieving production targets.
- Data Management: Collecting, processing, and analyzing data to maintain operational efficiency and ensure compliance with regulations.
- Maintenance: Supporting any ongoing maintenance of the assets by managing the production.
- Emergency Response: Reacting quickly to unforeseen events or alarms and implementing emergency protocols to mitigate risks and prevent accidents.
- Reporting: Compiling and generating reports on operational metrics, incidents, and compliance, which are critical for decision-making and regulatory adherence.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
To perform these functions, control room operations are governed by guidelines and protocols known as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which provide operators with structured frameworks to streamline decision-making. Common SOPs include:
- Performing routine checks of systems and equipment.
- Identifying and reporting anomalies or malfunctions.
- Accurately logging data and maintaining standardized records.
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory documentation requirements.
- Reporting and documenting incidents or near misses.
- Following up on investigations to identify the root causes of incidents.
- Responding to various emergency scenarios, such as fires, spills, or equipment failure.
- Carrying out emergency protocols.
- Documenting operational status and outstanding issues.
- Passing on all relevant information in detailed handover reports.
Technology and Tools for Control Room Operations
In addition to adhering to procedures, control room operators utilize various advanced technologies and tools to track system performance metrics, manage assets, and communicate with field personnel and fellow operators. The primary systems used in control rooms include:
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA): To monitor and control industrial processes over long distances.
- Distributed Control Systems (DCS): To control complex processes with high levels of automation.
- Process Data Historian: To collect and store real-time operational data for analysis and reporting, enabling trend identification and performance monitoring.
- Management of Change (MoC): To facilitate the systematic management of changes in processes, equipment, and operations.
- Communication Infrastructure: To facilitate collaboration across teams. Communication systems such as intercoms, radios, and video conferencing enable operators to coordinate effectively with field personnel.
With the increasing reliance on digital systems, cybersecurity becomes paramount. Control rooms may become targets for cyber threats that can disrupt operations and compromise safety. Thus, companies implement robust cybersecurity protocols, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits, to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Safety Standards and Compliance Regulations
Given the complexity of operations and the high cost of errors, control room operators are required to adhere to safety standards and compliance regulations. Control rooms within the energy sector in the United States must meet compliance requirements to ensure safety, operational integrity, and environmental protection. These requirements are extensive and established under federal law or by legal bodies such as:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- American Petroleum Institute (API)
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)
Most organizations provide a clear framework, while some supply guidelines that companies need to assess and apply to their specific situations.
Significance of a Control Room Operator
While it is crucial for control rooms to follow standard operating procedures, be equipped with technologically advanced systems, and adhere to compliance requirements, no control room can operate effectively without well-prepared and knowledgeable operators. Operators make critical decisions to maintain a reliable energy supply chain and ensure the safety of personnel, assets, and the environment. Therefore, the efficiency of control room operations is directly linked to the organization of operations and the effective resolution of the challenges that operators face.
Challenges in Operating Control Rooms
When control rooms are set up in a way that operators manage several complex systems, they may inevitably encounter issues. These challenges can lead to inefficiencies, interrupt operations, or even result in emergencies. To mitigate the risks associated with inefficient operations, companies benefit from analyzing operational challenges, which we discuss below.
Complex Regulatory Environment
Control rooms must comply with numerous regulations, making it challenging for operators to navigate them. Operators may not always be briefed on the latest policy updates, and in some cases, regulatory frameworks are only indicative, leaving operators unclear on how to implement them.
Lack of Technological Integration
The rapidly changing technological landscape necessitates that systems be regularly updated and capable of integrating with newer solutions. However, due to budgetary constraints or other factors, some control rooms utilize outdated technology, which means the assets are not used to their full potential.
Human Factors and Error Management
Operators undertake numerous tasks and execute hundreds of commands during a typical 12-hour shift. The volume of information they must track, assess, and respond to creates cognitive overload, while the pressure to manage assets optimally leads to operational fatigue. Many operators tend to hyper-focus on maintaining consistency and safety, which can detract from communication between teams. It is also important to note that different operators apply varying decision-making patterns, making it challenging to ensure consistent operations. Additionally, operators must make critical decisions in a high-pressure environment, a situation that can lead to costly mistakes.
Poor Emergency Preparedness
Another challenge control room operators face is a lack of preparedness for emergencies. Having effective emergency response protocols in place is insufficient for ensuring rapid response during critical moments. Companies need to institute regular practice sessions; however, these can be difficult to organize due to insufficient staffing, budget limitations, and logistical issues.
Resource Constraints
While companies strive to maintain a sufficient number of operators, particularly during peak hours and emergency situations, hiring new staff poses a challenge. Operators are required to possess specialized knowledge and undergo rigorous training to effectively operate a control room, resulting in a limited pool of candidates. Furthermore, when highly experienced operators retire, companies often lack the resources to transfer their knowledge to younger staff comprehensively. Budget constraints can hinder efforts to hire new staff and provide adequate training for existing operators.
Best Practices for Setting Up Control Room Operations
At this point, you should have a clear understanding of how control rooms operate. Now, let’s explore the best practices for establishing efficient control room operations.
Ergonomics and Efficient Spatial Design
Companies should not underestimate the impact of the physical space in their control rooms. Creating an ergonomic control room enhances operator comfort and efficiency. Thoughtful spatial design, including adjustable workstations, optimal equipment placement, and ergonomic furniture, reduces strain and improves focus—leading to better operator performance. When planning a new control room or expanding an existing one, it is advisable to engage an experienced industrial architect to ensure the setup meets specific business needs and is highly functional.
Compliance with Industry Regulations
Adhering to industry regulations and standards is critical for operational safety and legal compliance. Companies should establish protocols to regularly review documentation for updates. When a company can quickly implement regulatory changes, it significantly enhances operational safety and mitigates risks associated with non-compliance.
Comprehensive SOPs for All Control Room Functions
By developing and maintaining detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), companies ensure consistency and clarity in operations. However, it is vital to regularly review and update these SOPs in response to new technologies or operational changes.
Sufficient Training and Certification for Operators
To manage complex systems both safely and effectively, operators must receive comprehensive training and pursue ongoing certification opportunities. This ensures that they remain competent and up-to-date on the latest technologies and procedures.
Transparency and Clear Communication
Establishing robust monitoring and implementing structured reporting methods promote transparency in operations and facilitate effective communication among staff. By routinely recording and sharing performance metrics and incident reports, companies enable all team members to stay informed and collaborate efficiently on operational challenges.
Mitigating Human Factors and Associated Risks
According to a report by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), approximately 70% of incidents are caused by human factors such as operator fatigue and cognitive overload. The statistics demonstrate that the most vulnerable area of a control room is its operational setup. Implementing strategies like shift management and workload assessments can minimize risks and maximize effectiveness, although such implementation remains challenging and costly.
Automating Control Room Operations
Having reviewed the previously mentioned practices, you might be wondering how all of these can be implemented without allocating additional time and budget to every area of improvement. Even if finding extra resources were not an issue, the sheer volume of tasks an operator handles manually remains overwhelming.
As the industry has learned to automate assets and equipment, it has left operators with an increasing number of systems and protocols to manage, alongside hundreds of commands to execute manually. Therefore, it’s time to ask, how can operations be simplified without sacrificing operational consistency or safety? The answer lies in a technological solution that minimizes manual and routine tasks, enabling operators to focus on high-level decision-making.
Software Solutions to Enhance Control Room Efficiency
When faced with software solution options, companies must decide whether to develop proprietary software or adopt a third-party solution. Developing software in-house is usually feasible only for larger companies due to the significant initial investment and operational scale needed to ensure a desirable ROI. Even those with the means to develop software internally may choose a third-party solution, which offers numerous benefits, including customization and expertise gained from serving clients across the industry.
Despite a clear demand for control room automation, the market has not fully caught up with this need. CruxOCM is at the forefront, disrupting the market with a novel and comprehensive automation platform – RIPA™, which can be supplemented with additional solutions to further enhance control room efficiency. Currently, CruXOCM primarily offers software for the midstream oil and gas industry, but the solution can be successfully utilized in utilities, renewable energy, and other sectors as well.
RIPA™ software by CruxOCM
RIPA™ (Robotic Industrial Process Automation) functions as a closed-loop software that simplifies industrial asset management through automation. When deployed, RIPA™ integrates seamlessly into a control room, alongside SCADA and DCS systems. Operators launch RIPA™ with a single change at the control point, executing all intermediate commands into SCADA on their behalf. RIPA™ operates independently of SCADA and DCS, ensuring that essential safety constraints remain unaffected within the primary systems. All changes to control points are recorded in the historian and communicated via Open Platform Communications (OPC) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT).
RIPA™ was created by Vicki Knott, a former control room operator in heavy industries, and Roger Shirt, an experienced energy industry professional and former CEO of a company that automated hundreds of field sites across North America. RIPA™ utilizes Advanced Process Control (APC), sequencing, physics-based model, and continuous improvements, all of which enhance prediction capabilities to help automate control room operations. Having experienced control room operations firsthand, Vicki understood that operators need a comprehensive solution—one that reduces manual workload and enables informed decision-making, rather than adding another tool to their responsibilities.
Benefits of Automating Control Room Operations
Adopting the right automation solution transforms the challenges a company faces into opportunities for improvement. Here are the benefits that a comprehensive automation software solution like RIPA™ offers:
- Efficiency: An automation solution incorporates standardized procedures, ensuring operational consistency that, in turn, minimizes unpredictability. This reduces workload and improves communication, allowing operators to focus on high-level tasks. As performance improves, job satisfaction also rises. Operational efficiency is enhanced through the codification of best practices, ensuring closer adherence to compliance regulations. As operators experience less stress, it aids in retaining experienced personnel and effectively preparing new operators.
- Safety: By significantly reducing the number of manual commands, automation software improves equipment reliability and helps keep the system within process safety boundaries. The reduced workload and improved safety minimize human factors, subsequently lowering the risk of operational errors and emergencies.
- Sustainability: As operations become automated, equipment reliability improves, emergency risks decrease, and assets are managed with greater efficiency. As a result, overall energy consumption is reduced, and emissions and environmental impacts are minimized, making operations cleaner.
- Profitability: Automation also enhances operational consistency, allowing assets to be utilized at greater capacity, thereby generating higher profits. Moreover, consistent operations increase equipment reliability and reduce maintenance efforts, prolonging equipment life cycles. Ultimately, this reduces costs and boosts profitability. By lowering emissions and emergency risks, companies can save on environmental taxes and avoid substantial losses.
Tracking and Improving Efficiency in Control Room Operations
Once a company has established control room operations, it’s crucial to assess efficiency by monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Response time
- Downtime
- Incident frequency
- Operational availability
- Safety compliance rate
- Data accuracy and quality
- Training and certification levels
Maintaining records of these metrics before implementing changes allows companies to measure improvements in efficiency. It is advisable to conduct regular audits and assessments to track data over time. Additionally, updating technology and tools is essential, ensuring that updates do not disrupt operations.
It is also noteworthy that automation software is often offered as a service (SaaS), which not only undergoes regular updates but can also be customized to meet specific efficiency KPIs.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-paced and complex operational landscape, ensuring that control room operations are set up efficiently is more critical than ever. The right automation software not only eases asset management, but also significantly improves safety and promotes more sustainable operations. By adopting comprehensive solutions like RIPA™, companies can streamline their control room operations, enhance safety, improve equipment reliability, and empower operators to focus on high-level decisions—all of which ultimately drive higher profits.
Regardless of the stage your company is at in setting up the control room, it is worth assessing your operational efficiency and adopting some, if not all, of the strategies discussed in this article. Whether it’s investing in ergonomic designs, upgrading technology, or exploring automation software, each step you take can lead to significant improvements. Embrace the opportunity to transform challenges into achievements—your operators, your business, and the environment will thank you for it.
