Managing and coordinating the gas flowing from the offshore fields, via land plants and pipeline systems, to the various terminals occupies a key place in Gassco’s business.
Rune Baustad. TCC manager. (Photo: Øyvind Sætre)
Personnel in the transport control centre (TCC) at Gassco’s Karmøy head office have a lot to keep track of. Staffed around the clock, this advanced facility has big screens which allow the transport engineers to check gas pressure, temperature and composition as well as how much each field is producing.
On a daily basis, they also have to handle incidents large and small in the extensive system with one clear ambition: transporting the right amount of gas with the right quality to its destination at the agreed time – day and night year-round.
And the TCC delivers on that goal. Even though new fields with differing gas qualities are constantly being connected to the network, Norwegian exports reach the market with almost 100 per cent regularity.
“We depend on ultra-reliable ICT systems to maintain such stable operation,” explains TCC manager Rune Baustad. “If faults occur, these systems alert us.
“The TCC’s vital not only for Gassco, but also for European energy supply. So we have stringent security requirements and back-ups for the ICT systems and operating location.”
Companies which own and export gas via the Gassco network are known as shippers. Some possess interests in many fields, while others have more limited holdings. But all of them want the best possible price for their gas.
With its many pipelines and terminals in four different countries, the transport system has the flexibility to meet this requirement.
“The shippers want to exploit sales opportunities in alternative markets,” observes Baustad. “This means we can experience big variations in delivered volumes during a day. Our job is to balance these different needs.”
Information on gas flow in the transport system can be market-sensitive. So Gassco reports incidents on fields and in its network which could be significant for gas deliveries. This information is posted to its website, and many people follow it.
The transport control centre at Gassco’s Karmøy head office. (Photo: Øyvind Sætre)
The TCC also works to detect leaks in the pipelines which Gassco operates and in other pipelines covered by operating agreements. Computer models simulate parameters such as pressure, temperature and flow, helping to identify changes. These trigger alarms which the staff must react to.
Coordinating maintenance is a key job in addition to day-to-day operation, particularly during the annual overhaul season from April to October when many activities must be synchronised. Such harmonisation reduces the loss of capacity and optimises value creation from gas production.
