Energy Case Studies

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Mass Balance

• Established mass balance as a management process to identify, investigate, and resolve value leakages in terminal performance oversight
• Incorporated mass balance into blending terminals’ monthly stewardship report to eliminate volumetric shrinkage uncertainties and addressed over $11,500,000
  of unaccounted financial exposure

Crude Quality

• Reorganized bitumen production accounting models to capture accurate crude quality test results and recovered over 27,400 m3 of annual losses

• Addressed lab test procedure deviations (sampling, filtration, and centrifuge) that have caused 44% under reporting of basic sediment and water

• Implemented a review process to align field changes an accounting models, reinforcing positive behaviours in continuous improvements and variance investigations

Third-Party Oversight

“Trindent established the foundation for our hydrocarbon and accounting loss control program by supporting organizational framework, implementing industry best practices, and developing corporate guidelines and standards […]. Trindent has proven itself a strong partner that [we] can leverage.”

– Director, Business & Operations Services

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

VRU Operations Improvement

• Implemented a process and real-time analytics tool that determines ideal disposition of VRU condensate, resulting in an increase in settlement profit by $2,700,000
• Implemented predictive and equipment maintenance strategies, and risk management matrix to reduce VRU downtime by 66% and improve yield by $1,000,000

Meter Loss Reduction

• Reduced $5,100,000 in meter losses by developing and sustaining 11,000 meter factor control charts, meter factor linearization and regression tool, and an executive dashboard ranking meters by financial opportunity

• Developed a centralized database and implemented a machine learning process to eliminate manual proving data entry, allowing for the implementation of mandatory spot audit program on 3rd party provers

• Implemented automated process to communicate acceptable meter factor ranges to Terminal Operators, increasing immediate meter re-proving event by 300% and holding 3rd party provers accountable

• Developed proving frequency optimization program based on meter health, trend, throughput, and impact

Ethanol Blending & Quality Giveaway Margin Capture

“Working with Trindent has been a truly collaborative experience, bringing our team closer together and fostering cross-functional communication and cooperation. Their commitment to sustainment has made it easy to adopt new processes and tools, ensuring we can carry forward the improvements achieved during the project and continue building on them. This partnership has sparked a positive shift in how we approach our daily operations and we are impressed to say the least.”

– Senior Vice President, Operations

An integrated energy company with upstream, pipeline, and refining assets throughout Canada and USA engaged Trindent Consulting to create and develop an industry leading hydrocarbon loss control program and reduce pipeline system losses

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Hydrocarbon Accounting & Loss Control (HALC) Organization

• Established a HALC function to provide governance and oversight of oil movements across the Western Pipeline Systems.

• Developed and implemented company-specific HALC training modules.

• Coached key individuals on behavioral and technical requirements to drive industry-leading results.

• Implemented a data digitalization process to collect, consolidate, and evaluate custody transfer data in near real-time using machine learning.

• Installed a weekly HALC Review meeting to measure performance against targets, conduct root cause analysis, and assign action items.

Crude Quality:

• Installed a process to monitor basic sediment and water (BS&W) results within statistical tolerance and a witnessing program to industry standards, reducing 3,032 m3 of crude loss annually

• Implemented a management operating system that identifies density results outside of control limits driven either by poor habits or lack of adherence to API standards, supporting a process that ensures accurate volume correction factors and reduces 949 m³ of crude loss annually.

Crude Measurement:

• Installed 202 meter factor control charts across all custody transfer points per API MPMS 13.2 to ensure complete meter performance oversight, resulting in a 20.1% improvement to accuracy and recovering 2,765 m³ of crude annually.

• Implemented system tools to identify missed provings and analyze statistical variations in operating conditions, achieving 100% compliance to proving schedules and increasing 3rd party meter proving frequency to industry best standards.

• Implemented an annual meter prove witnessing program using API driven checklists, reinforcing positive behaviors and confirming process adherence to mitigate hydrocarbon losses.

“The Trindent team collaborated effectively with our Leadership team and key stakeholders to develop and implement best practices to improve refinery mass balance. Trindent has implemented a sustainable solution as they have set us up for success moving forward. It was a pleasure working with the Trindent team.”

– VP, Regional Planning and Optimization

Our client is a large refinery in North America, with already top-quartile Energy Intensity Index (EII) performance. They were looking to push the frontiers of their energy efficiency with the aim of seeking Energy Star certification while simultaneously reducing their CO2 emissions. Over the course of six months, Trindent developed and implemented over 170 changes that reduced natural gas consumption by 4.5% and electrical consumption by 3.7%. This engagement did not rely on any capital expenditures.

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

• Designed and implemented near real-time dashboards to monitor natural gas and electricity consumption, versus refinery forecasted demand.

• Implemented area-by-area sub-metering of electricity to promote ownership and awareness.

• Reduced flue gas quantities by repairing leaks, saving 2.2%, and implemented advanced flue gas monitoring processes.

• Reduced excess air in boilers by optimizing fuel-to-air ratios to improve boiler efficiency by 1.1%.

• Optimized the reflux ratio of the distillation column to produce energy savings of $1.2M by optimizing characteristics of the feed.

• Developed purchasing and repair specifications for motors (pumps, air compressors, fans, and other applications) to ensure that motor speeds, loads, and sizing were most efficiently selected.

• Reduced steam costs by $3.2M by implementing a scheduling approach that assigned priority to boilers that were more efficient.

• Implemented solutions to match natural gas consumption with forecasted demand and identify variances using statistical process control.

• Reduced electricity consumption by implementing over 60 changes to usage patterns in the plant such as lighting controls, and gradually replacing with LED lighting.

• Changed the FCC pumparound process to reflect changes over time to optimize energy efficiency.

• Saved 7,900 MMBtu per year in natural gas by optimizing boiler blowdowns that were excessive.

An integrated energy company with upstream, pipeline, and refining assets throughout North America engaged Trindent Consulting to create and develop an industry leading hydrocarbon accounting loss control program and reduce refinery mass balance losses

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Yield Accounting / Mass Balance:

• Established the foundation for Hydrocarbon Accounting and Loss Control (HALC) program, including the review of 3rd party measurement and quality data to improve efficiency and drive value-added activities.

• Introduced a process to correct monthly check meter volumes based on the actual volume invoiced, increasing the accuracy of Hydrogen volumes and improving the accuracy of refinery mass balance.

Crude Quality:

• Streamlined a process to sustainably gather and analyze custody tickets at injection and receipt points to mitigate crude quality discrepancies from 3rd parties, identifying $3,828,574 of addressable benefits.

• Developed a process to verify basic sediment and water (BS&W) results reported by 3rd parties within statistical tolerance, reinforcing positive behaviors to reduce the variance between test results and recovering an opportunity of $533,204 annuallized.

• Designed a monthly 3rd party laboratory witnessing program using ASTM driven checklists, resulting in 71.3% increase in BS&W deduction from crude compared to baseline

Crude Measurement

• Established an HALC meter oversight program for systematic monitoring of meter prove errors and schedule compliance, identifying an opportunity to recover $612,507 annualized

• Installed 45 meter factor control charts across all custody transfer points per API MPMS 13.2 to ensure complete meter performance oversight, achieving a 38.3% reduction in meter loss

• Developed system tools and a communication process to identify missed provings and analyze statistical variations in operating conditions, achieving 27.3% improvement to prove schedule compliance and increasing 3rd party meter proving frequency to industry best standards

“Trindent was resolute to optimize the refinery loss control operations, leaving [us] with a customized plan to ensure a seamless and sustainable project ownership. With your team’s expertise and [our] shared vision, I anticipate future collaborations in optimizing refinery processes.”

– Director TMO, Business & Operations Services

An integrated energy company with upstream, pipeline, and refining assets throughout Canada and USA engaged Trindent Consulting to create and develop an industry leading hydrocarbon loss control program and reduce pipeline system losses

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Hydrocarbon Accounting & Loss Control (HALC) Organization Set Up:

• Established a Hydrocarbon Accounting Loss Control (HALC) function to provide governance and oversight of oil movements across the Key Pipeline Systems.

• Developed and implemented company-specific HALC training modules and coached key individuals on behavioral and technical requirements to drive industry-leading HALC results.

• Implemented a data digitalization process to collect, consolidate, and evaluate custody transfer data on a near real-time basis with AI support.

• Installed a weekly HALC Review meeting to measure performance against targets, conduct root cause analysis, and assign action items.

Crude Measurements

• Reduced S&W variance between injection and delivery points, resulting in 1,263 m³ of crude recovery through the installation of a process to review/monitor S&W test results and the application of a S&W witnessing program to ensure adherence to industry standards.

• Reduced density measurement discrepancies, resulting in 948 m³ of crude recovery through the installation of a process to review and monitor density test results and the implementation of an annual witnessing program to identify out-of-tolerance samples and mixing practices.

• Reduced meter factor variances and improved compliance to proving schedules, resulting in 2,756 m³ of crude recovery through the development of over 200 Meter Factor Control Charts and the establishment of an annual proving witnessing program to ensure procedure adherence to API.

“The Trindent team collaborated effectively with our Leadership team and key stakeholders to develop and implement best practices to improve refinery mass balance. Trindent has implemented a sustainable solution as they have set us up for success moving forward. It was a pleasure working with the Trindent team.”

– VP, Regional Planning and Optimization

A vertically integrated multi-national oil and gas company operating in exploration, refining, distribution and marketing, and trading engaged Trindent Consulting to reduce gasoline quality giveaway at one of North America’s largest refineries.

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Planning and Optimization

• Implemented a process and a real-time application that integrates component tank and unit rundown sample results, improving property estimation by 44% and reducing recipe variance by 3.7%.

• Installed MBO backcasting process and volatility class specific RVP blend laws, improving property prediction accuracy by 44% and reducing quality incidents by 75%.

• Implemented a process to review MBO and LP constraints using statistical quality control charts, robust post-ethanol models, and execution performance tracking, resulting in 0.10 psi and 4.0°F buffer reductions for RVP and T50.

• Established a process to optimize aromatics and olefins distribution through grade specific post-ethanol models and a regression tool that updates analyte coefficients, maximizing post-ethanol octane uplift and reducing E0 octane targets by 0.25.

• Enhanced processes to improve product margins and achieve Profit Blend Optimizer’s objective function by implementing methods to utilize LP incentive prices and Tank Property Control that mitigates product quality concerns and giveaway.

Execution Excellence

• Minimized performance variability amongst Board Operators by 46% through standardized bias and limit adjustment processes, site specific blend start-up and execution checklist, system tools to support blend adjustment decision making process, and coaching to upskill new Board Operators.

• Implemented weekly cross-functional Blend Review Meeting with Root Cause Analysis framework to holistically identify reasons for quality giveaway and develop actions to address underlying issues.

• Mitigated 0.15 psi vapor loss during sampling through sustained adherence to newly implemented ASTM D5842 standard operating procedure (SOP), resulting in improved blend predictions, backcasting, and buffer reductions.

• Provided in-depth quality giveaway training, showcasing the economic impact of either removing or adding butane, alkylate, and heavy reformate to mitigate suboptimal blending practices.

Measurement Accuracy

• Improved measurement accuracy of components with low octane by up to 4.0 ON and reduced stress on lab knock engines through implementation of a SOP bringing an iso-octane mixture into the knock engine linear range.

• Implemented VUV method to determine aromatics, olefins, and ethanol content, improving hand blend accuracy by 10% and post-ethanol model predictions.

• Reduced sample turnaround time by 31% through active management, improving execution performance by 18%.

• Developed NIR modeling best practices and statistics log for model refining process, while discontinuing unnecessary NIR models by 33% to reprioritize lab resources.

• Implemented a site-specific blending guideline to sustain and improve on the new gasoline optimization program.

“Your team was collaborative and seamlessly integrated with our local team as technical augmentee, implementing best practices and reducing quality giveaway […] we are confident that the project annualized savings will continue to exceed the original plan.”

– VP Midstream Refining and Specialties Solutions, Americas

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Meter Proving Program Optimization

• Developed and installed meter proving scheduling optimizer to efficiently allocate limited meter proving resources over a large geographic area and ensure measurement accuracy.

• Installed customizable meter factor control charts to identify meters that are out of tolerance with API MPMS and Western compliance guidelines.

Hydrocarbon Loss Control Task Force

• Created and facilitated the launch of the Hydrocarbon Loss Control Task Force to enable effective investigation and management of all out of tolerance losses.

• Increased Executive visibility into the financial impact of operational indicators from the crude gathering and pipeline operations.

• Developed an extensive training program and management dashboards for all measurement activities performed throughout the Logistics system.

S&W Measurement Standards

• Designed and installed a process and system for measuring S&W variance between lease purchase and pipeline injection to reduce quality loss and highlight field measurement inaccuracy.

• Developed tools to enable effective oversight of all third-party measurement activities.

• Enhanced existing measurement manual to a full hypertext interactive document for easier use and reference.

• Standardized measurement processes and tools between trucking and pipeline functions to enable consistent quality and quantity measurement throughout the system.

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Meter Measurements

• Installed a robust meter measurement program which tracks leading and lagging indicators through Meter Factor Control Charts (MFCC), prioritizes witnessing schedule based on errors and stream value, and escalates meter errors utilizing a three-layer process including field corrections, regression analysis, and contract related adjustments.

Marine Variance

• Increased witnessing of marine observation by 700% without any additional FTE, improving the marine variance to 0.14% — a 5x improvement from baseline — while bringing the witnessing program at Deer Park in line with competitors.

• Provided marine movement dashboards to track KPI at each dock and inspection company by refinery and chemical plant, providing not only awareness of the marine performance, but also a process to reduce, and if necessary, escalate variances.

Inventory Measurement

• Increased the accuracy of the coke inventory calculation by changing the sampling location while improving the turnaround time required to meet end of month closing, directly impacting the hydrocarbon mass balance volatility.

• Increased inventory mass accuracy through the development of tools and process changes to calculate more accurate API gravities, reducing errors in the hydrocarbon mass balance.

S&W Accuracy

• Introduced Karl Fischer testing on pipeline crude, saving $735k in COGS through unaccounted water, impacting both mass balance and bottom line.

An oil and gas corporation, owned by one of the largest private companies in America, engaged Trindent to develop and implement an Energy Management program which included optimizing process heating efficiency and plant-wide steam utilization.

HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN

Energy Management

• Established regular Energy Review Meetings with Refinery Leadership, Operations, and Engineering teams to promote sustainable energy practices and initiatives by fostering collaboration through effective managerial oversight.
• Implemented a field walk program to identify energy optimization opportunities and develop a culture of continuous improvement.
• Enhanced the Shift Handover process by revamping the Operator Logbook to document deviations, unplanned events, and key operational actions, supported by a structured guide card to standardize information flow between shifts, resulting in $275,000 in annual savings through improved decision making and greater shift-to-shift transparency.

Steam Utilization

• Improved the steam turbine utilization and availability interface tool to reduce Utility Operator decision variability, leading to $1,600,000 of savings and decreased inefficient steam usage across various process units up to 90%.

Process Heating Efficiency

• Developed a systemized approach to optimize reflux rate and reduce reboiler duty to align energy usage with product purity requirements, resulting in over $1,500,000 in annualized savings and a 30% reduction in the respective furnace’s duty.
• Implemented a furnace dashboard to minimize excess fuel gas usage, resulting in 80% of furnaces meeting or exceeding their excess oxygen reduction requirements, achieving top quartile performance compared to historical data.
• Applied furnace-specific efficiency standards to benchmark performance, providing valuable feedback for Board Operators and achieving a 5% gain in heating efficiency.
• Unlocked additional unit throughput capacity by optimizing heat integration to address energy constraints, resulting in a 2% increase in charge rate.
• Implemented a process to investigate O2 sensor signal noise by identifying variability root causes and aligning tuning requirements, allowing operators to safely minimize excess oxygen in the furnace, resulting in improved energy efficiency and natural gas savings of $900,000.

“Trindent helped develop and improve work processes to make sustainable improvements around reduced steam venting, heater O2optimization, and steam letdown efficiency. Together, we embraced an informed and proactive energy management approach, yielding substantial improvements and cost savings.“

– Director of Refinery Planning