Balance the Imbalance in Real-Time - Save hundreds of thousands monthly with accurate imbalance sheets
27/01/2021 Stratus Technologies Systems Ltd
A natural gas gathering and treating company was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in imbalance sheet accounting due to its inability to accurately monitor data from the point of extraction through distribution. Their old technology that used RS232 communications with standalone SCADA was slow and frequently failed, crippling their systems.
To remedy this problem, the company launched a project to upgrade their old system to a modern process automation system. Because the company understood the value of having continuous accurate data at each of their locations and the expense of frequent technical refreshes — continuous availability with system redundancy and longevity were key requirements for the new system.
In their search for a solution to meet their needs, they attended an automation event and evaluated a storage array. The proposal they received called for 42 standard Dell™ servers connected to one storage array. With a non-redundant architecture and warranty coverage that needed replacement every three years, this solution did not meet their redundancy requirement or their longevity requirement. Clearly this complex and costly method was not the answer to their problem.
Their automation solution provider introduced them to Stratus Technologies always-on ftServer® platforms. Not only could this platform provide the redundancy and continuous availability the company was seeking, but it could also support virtualisation reducing their server needs (and associated cost) from 42 to 8. With a long track record of proven reliability and longevity, automatic system generated replacement part ordering, real-time management and monitoring without the need for IT expertise, it proved to be the perfect solution for the company’s remote locations. The company has not experienced any downtime since deployment. Today, with real-time accurate data, the company has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in imbalance sheet reporting providing them with complete operational visibility and no more “blind moments”.
“Our imbalance sheet matches up so closely from what is pumped from the producers to what is delivered to the users, that we literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars a month.”
Network Administrator
Print this articleFor more information, please contact:
Catherine Roberts
Stratus Technologies Systems Ltd
Waterman's House
Waterman's Court
Kingsbury Crescent
Staines
Middlesex
TW18 3BA
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1784 415220
Email: catherine.roberts@stratus.com
Web: https://www.stratus.com
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