Mittelplate is the largest oil field in Germany. The drilling and production island is located in the North Sea north of the mouth of the Elbe, seven kilometers from the coast. It is operated by DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG in cooperation with the BASF subsidiary Wintershall Holding GmbH.
With an annual production volume of currently 1.4 million tons of oil, the Mittelplate field is Germany's largest and most productive oil deposit. The oil field contains around 65 percent of the remaining economically recoverable German oil reserves. Since it was developed in 1987, over 35 million tons of oil have been produced.
The request
There is a control room on the drilling platform for process control. In this control room, the gas warning system, fire alarm system, camera system and process control systems are monitored and operated by the respective shift manager.
The associated, powerful computers were previously located directly at the workstations. This not only limited the space available with each additional system, but also led to increasing noise and heat pollution from the fans and rotating hard drives. In addition, the computers had to be regularly cleaned of dust.
As part of a renovation project, the new control room was to be made quieter and more ergonomic. Materials were used that not only offer visual added value, but are also functionally able to contribute to the acoustic calming of the room.
The outsourcing of the IT infrastructure to a separate control room provides additional downtime potential. In order to connect the outsourced computers to the workstations in the control room 50 meters away with uninterrupted access, DEA required a high-performance, fail-safe transmission and switching system.
The request
There is a control room on the drilling platform for process control. In this control room, the gas warning system, fire alarm system, camera system and process control systems are monitored and operated by the respective shift manager.
The associated, powerful computers were previously located directly at the workstations. This not only limited the space available with each additional system, but also led to increasing noise and heat pollution from the fans and rotating hard drives. In addition, the computers had to be regularly cleaned of dust.
As part of a renovation project, the new control room was to be made quieter and more ergonomic. Materials were used that not only offer visual added value, but are also functionally able to contribute to the acoustic calming of the room.
The outsourcing of the IT infrastructure to a separate control room provides additional downtime potential. In order to connect the outsourced computers to the workstations in the control room 50 meters away with uninterrupted access, DEA required a high-performance, fail-safe transmission and switching system.
The use
The main benefit of the renovation project is the optimization of the working environment in the control room by gaining space and making the room acoustically quieter. The computers are now located in the remote control room in a climate-controlled server cabinet that optimally protects the devices from dust and unauthorized access. This increases the safety and service life of the devices and time-consuming cleaning work is a thing of the past.
In addition to the user-friendly environment, the system offers extensive switching options so that employees can access all connected devices and computers in real time from their respective workstations – with optimal video quality.
Thanks to these measures, the control room has been transformed into a highly efficient control center and a place where employees can feel very comfortable. Today, it is a communicative space for Mittelplate staff, as well as for day visitors from external companies.
From planning to construction and production operations on the drilling platform, a safety concept that is unique worldwide was implemented, setting new standards for environmentally conscious raw material extraction. The IHSE solution has enabled the history of effective and trouble-free oil production to be continued and expanded.
