How do you upgrade a decade-old SCADA system in a hazardous gas-field environment – without downtime, without data collisions and while reusing the same radio frequency during migration? For Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), the solution was RipEX and RipEX-HS.
https//www.racom.eu/ru/case/wellhead-monitoring-for-pakistan-petroleum-limited
Challenge: A Legacy SCADA Network Unable to Support New Field Compression Facility
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), a state-owned oil and gas company, operates the Adhi gas field south of Islamabad. To slow natural production decline, a new Field Compression facility was deployed. This increased the need for:
- permanent, real-time wellhead monitoring
- reliable communication from remote, hazardous locations
- support for modern automation and reporting
- low-power operation for solar sites
- redundant master stations for maximum availability
PPL’s original SCADA system, installed about ten years earlier, no longer met the requirements of the upgraded production process.
System integrator Avanceon was contracted to design and build a modern, future-proof radio communication network.
Solution: RipEX and RipEX-HS Meet All Technical and Safety Requirements
After detailed analysis and consultation with PPL, the following requirements were identified as mandatory:
- multiple serial and Ethernet ports
- Base Driven Protocol (BDP)
- high data speed in the 400 MHz band
- low energy consumption for solar power systems
- hazardous-area approval
- fully redundant hot-standby master station
Only RACOM’s RipEX family met all criteria.
Key solution elements:
- RipEX-HS redundant master station with automatic switchover eliminates downtime concerns
- sleep / save mode ensures continuous 24/7 operation on solar power
- built-in Modbus TCP server and Modbus TCP–RTU conversion simplify SCADA integration
- RACOM’s Migration mode allows coexistence with the old network on the same frequency, ensuring a seamless cutover without collisions
- gradual migration of RTUs and radios without any service disruption
Results: Faster, More Reliable and Easier to Maintain
Since commissioning, PPL and Avanceon have monitored the new network closely. They report:
- significantly higher reliability than the legacy system
- much faster communication performance
- easier configuration and maintenance
- improved operational awareness and reduced manpower needs
The success of the project led to approved planning and budgeting for expansion to additional sites.
Avanceon praised the level of support provided by RACOM and expressed eagerness to collaborate on future deployments across Pakistan’s critical oil and gas infrastructure.
