Highly Detailed, Web-Based
Process Training for the MidStream Industry
Phil Rutledge
Western Gas Resources, Inc.
Midland TX
Mark Roop
eSimulation, Inc.
Houston, TX
Disclaimer
THIS PRESENTATION IS NEITHER INTENDED
AS AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE
ESIMULATION PRODUCT, NOR IS IT
INTENDED TO BE AN EXHAUSTIVE
INSTRUCTIONAL TUTORIAL ON THE USE OF
THE ESIMULATION PRODUCT. RATHER,
THIS PRESENTATION IS INTENDED ONLY
TO PROVIDE A PARTIAL SUMMARY OF
WESTERN GAS RESOURCE’S LIMITED
EXPERIENCE WITH THE ESIMULATION
PRODUCT. YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY VARY.
Business Issues
• Wide variance in operator competency
levels
• Risk of inappropriate or inexperienced
operator responses
– Safety
– Environmental
– Production losses
– Reduced economic operating efficiency
• Operators retiring – new untrained staff
Mid-Stream Training Challenge
•
•
•
•
•
Geographically diverse assets
Small number of operators
Working shifts
Limited no. of competent trainers
Lots of equipment training courses, but not
a lot of detailed process training options
RWD Technologies
• Plant specific operator training programs
for refining, petrochemical, and chemical
industries
• Procedural documentation services
• Generic web-based refinery courses
• Approached eSimulation about building
courses for mid-stream
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
RWD’s Learning Model
Unit-Specific Quantitative Analysis
Systematic Analysis of Direction, Magnitude
and Response Time of Changes
Competency
90-100%
Unit-Specific Qualitative Analysis
Able to Analyze Directional
Changes on Unit-Specific Processes
General Qualitative Analysis
Able to Analyze Directional
Changes on Common Processes
Experience, Procedural, and
Intuitive Based Analysis
40-50%
Equipment Savvy
Intuitive Feel for
Equipment Operation
and Basic Principles
15-20%
70 - 80%
eSimTrainer
Competency Target
30-40%
Industry average
operator competency
Training Capital
(time and resources)
Western Gas
• Challenged with the delivering process
training and refresher training to their
operators
• Realized need to train new personnel
quickly to backfill for retiring operations
staff
• Was very receptive to eSimulation’s and
RWD’s web-based approach
Project Description
• WGR awarded contract for development of
eSimTrainer courses
– Cryogenic Gas Plant Course
– Fractionation Course
– Propane Refrigeration Course
• Used one of WGR’s plant as the basis
• Project kickoff – Dec 03
Project Description (cont.)
•
•
•
•
Courses delivered – August 04
Quality issues – Course withdrawn
Cryo Course - Re-released in Feb 05
Fractionation and Propane Refrigeration
courses - Summer 05
• Courses enhanced based on industry
feedback
Courses
• Cryogenic Gas Plant
– Stabilization, amine treating, amine regeneration,
dehydration, turbo/expander, demethanizer, residue
compression
• Fractionation Course
– Depropanizer
• Propane Refrigeration
– Stabilization, amine treating, amine regeneration,
dehydration, propane refrigeration loop, compression
• SRU / Amine Treating – in-progress
Modular Design
• Orientation
• Overview of gas processing
– Different for each course
•
•
•
•
Analysis tools training
Fundamental concepts
Operations and control
Troubleshooting
Demonstration
Phil Rutledge
Western Gas Resources, Inc.
Deployment Strategy
• WGR deploys product in multiple ways
– Onsite orientation (make them feel
comfortable) – 1 day
– Web-based orientation using Net meeting or
Goto meeting
• Different intervals - Review discussion on
course progress
Deployment Strategy
• Kept students active and positive and
encouraged them to participate
• Put time limit on courses
30 – 40 hours for Cryo
11 – 20 hours for Fractionation
11 – 20 hours for Propane Refrigeration
• Started with easier course first to build
confidence
Strategic Value
• Improved operator productivity
• Reduced safety and environmental risk
by reducing inappropriate operator
responses
• Improved competency to allow operators
to consistently achieve operational
directives
Summary
• Western Gas has a tool to improve and
maintain operator competency
• Western Gas is in the process of a
corporate deployment of eSimTrainer
across all assets
Any Questions?