INSTRUMENTATION AND

COMMUNICATIONS MAINTENANCE
Hand-Out for Technical Operator Training February
2016
1.0 Introduction

The Kenya pipeline company runs a multiproduct pipeline. Maintenance of the

pipeline infrastructure in KPC is carried out by the Engineering department which
is divided into four sections namely:-
Mechanical
Electrical
Instrumentation & Communications (I&C)
Corrosion Control
The Instrumentation and Communications division was established at
establishment of KPC as a maintenance unit for pipeline measurement, control and
safety equipment. Until August 2004 the Section was known as Tele-control and
Instrumentation (T&I). For the delivery of specific grade of petroleum product from
the source to the point of dispensing the pipeline has in place various equipment
and systems for the safe, efficient and effective operation of the pipeline aimed at
maintaining the quality of product being transported.
I&C section is responsible for maintenance and management of the following of
these systems:-
 Control System
 Pipeline field instrumentation
 Metering System
 Tele-Communications systems
 Tank Inventory System
 Loading System
 Terminal Automation Systems
 Fire Alarm Systems
 Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA) system
 Integrated Security Surveillance (ISS) System

2.0 Objectives of the I&C Section

Carry out management of the assets listed above through routine, breakdown
maintenance and replacement of obsolete equipment by:-
 Ensuring that all pipeline equipment & systems listed are functioning properly
and is available for the pipeline operations.
 Ensuring availability of equipment and systems required for the safe operation
of the pipeline in order to prevent environmental disasters.
 Integration between SAP and the production systems is functional for facilitation
of work processing to deliver KPC mandate of delivery of product from the port
of Mombasa to the Oil marketers.
 Upgrade pipeline equipment and systems for relevancy, effectiveness and
efficiency in line with development in technology.
 Development of skilled personnel in the field of Pipeline I&C and equip them
adequately to handle the work at hand.
 Involvement in Company projects in the field of I&C

3.0 Current Pipeline Installation under I&C Section

I&C Section Profile – Handout for Technical Operator Training – February 2016
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3.1 Control System
The Control system comprises of various equipment for automation of the
operations of individual pump stations/terminal. The following form part of the
control system:-
 PLC (Modicon-Schneider, Allen Bradley-Rockwel Automation)
 Local HMI SCADA ( RS Logix, Citect)
 Local station Historian
 Pump Control/Monitoring Module (Bently Nevada)
 Flow/Metering Computer (FMC- Micro-Flow; Summit-Khrone)
 Emergency Shutdown (ESD) Module
 Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) System
All Station/terminal instrumentation installed in the field and the components of the
control system are wired to the PLC to enable automatic operation of the plant from
the local HMI SCADA. The PLC intern is connected to the Global SCADA system in
NCC for remote operation of the plant from Nairobi Control Center (NCC) whichever
is applicable.

3.2 Pipeline Instrumentation

These are measurement equipment installed along the entire pipeline for the
purposed of monitoring and control of the pipeline. They include ATEX compliant
zone 0:-
 Temperature Indicators/Transmitters/switches/sensors
 Pressure Indicators/Transmitters/switches/sensors
 Differential Pressure Indicators/Transmitters/switches/sensors
 Flow Indicators/Transmitters/switches/sensors
 Level Indicators/Transmitters/switches
 Motorized Valves
 Pressure/Flow Control Valves
 Vibration Sensors
 Speed Sensors
 Junction Boxes
 Density Meters
 Flow Meters (PDM, Ultrasonic & Turbine)
 Pig/Interface detectors (Intrusive/ultrasonic)
 Assorted Cabling necessary for communication to PLC

3.3 Metering System

Flow meters are installed strategically along the pipeline to monitor quantity of
product flowing through the pipeline. The metering information generated is used
for inventory and product accounting. The metering system consists of:-
 Flow Meters (PDM, Ultrasonic & Turbine)
 Flow Computers
 Temperature transmitters
 Pressure Transmitters
 Flow Transmitters
 Batch meters (SCADA)
The metering information is relayed back to the global SCADA

I&C Section Profile – Handout for Technical Operator Training – February 2016
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3.4 Telecommunications System
The company runs its own Optical Access Network which carries all its
communication services from NCC to all its premises from Mombasa through Nairobi
to Eldoret and Kisumu. The system carries the operational data from the plants to
the central Global SCADA at NCC, is also used for company WAN and voice
communications. The communication system consists of:-
 18 node ECI; 10 Gigabit Optical access network
 8 node Motorola; Nairobi – Mombasa Analogue VHF trunked Network
 7node Motorola; Nbi –Eld/Ksm Digital VHF Trunked Network
 Omnibus conference communication system
 VHF Dispatch Consoles
 VHF Mobile vehicle Radios
 VHF Portable Handheld Radios (ATEX Compliant)
 Assorted equipment necessary for data communication
 Assorted equipment necessary for Voice communication
 Mini PABX for direct line communication between plants
 Redundancy Leased data links from Orange-TKL
 Public Address system

3.5 Tank Inventory System

The Tank inventory system is installed in the terminal sites where product is stored
in tanks. The system like its name is used to record the inventory of the product in
KPC storage facilities. The information is used by operations and product
accounting in processing product transfer to the oil marketers. The systems are
installed at each depot and integrated with the terminal automation system
(FuelFACS), the Global SCADA and SAP ERP system at server level. The system
consists of:-
 Radar Tank Gauge
 Pressure Transmitters
 Multi-Resistance Temperature transmitters (MRT)
 Level Switches (Lo; Lo-lo; Hi; Hi-hi)
 Field Communication Unit
 Remote Display Unit
 Tank Inventory Server
 Client machine
 Printer

3.6 Loading System

The loading system is installed in the terminal sites where product transfer occurs.
The system is mainly used in truck loading terminals but recently has been installed
in NCC for transfer of product from KPC tanks to oil marketers’ tanks. The system
works hand in hand with the Terminal Automation and the Tank inventory
(FuelFACs) systems in the delivery and processing of product loading to oil
marketer’s vessel. I&C components of the system consists of:-
 Truck loading preset meter controller (AccuLoad III)
 Digital Meter (FMC Technologies)
 Digital control Valves (FMC Technologies)
 Micro-switches and sensors for control of loading Arm

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 The AccuLoad is wired to the station PLC to facilitate automatic remote loading and
works hand in hand with the FuelFACS in processing the oil Marketers’ orders.

3.7 Terminal Automation System

The terminal automation system is a software system for processing loading orders.
This system is integrated to the truck loading, the tank inventory, the Global SCADA
and the SAP ERP systems. The system includes:-
 FuelFACS Server
 FuelFACS Client
 Ethernet Switch
 Ethernet – Serial switch (Lantronix)
 Bill of Lading (BOL) Printer
 Filling Advice Notice (FAN) Printer

3.8 Fire Alarm System

Petroleum is a very volatile substance and therefore petroleum facilities must have
very effective fire warning systems. KC has installed in all its facilities fire alarm
system. The system consists of:-
 Fire Alarm control panels
 Smoke detectors
 Heat detectors
 Flame detector
 Linear Heat detection system
 Alarm Sounders

The detectors are wired to the fire control panels for activation of sirens should a
fire incident be detected. In the event of a fire incident the control panel is wired
to the station ESD module for safe shutdown of the plant.

3.9 Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA) system

The Global SCADA system c/w Leak detection system is integrated with the station
control, the tank inventory, loading, Metering, SAP ERP systems either directly via
network switched or through the 10G optical access network. The components of
the global SCADA are:-
 Real time Server
 Historian
 Operator Client Workstations
 Engineering Console
 Printers
 Firewall/Network Switches
 GPS Time Synchronization device
The Global SCADA is connected to the following systems:-
 Station PLCs
 Flow/Metering Computers
 Station Tank Inventory servers
 Station Terminal Automation Servers
 Tele-Communication System
 SAP ERP via MII Module

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 The field instrumentation communicate to the global SCADA via the station PLC
and remote control of the station from the global SCADA is via the PLC enabled by
a bypass switch built into the station control panel to toggle between local and
remote control of the station.
3.10 Integrated Security Surveillance system
KPC has recently installed an integrated security surveillance system comprising a
CCTV and Access control system. I&C section is maintaining the hardware
component of this system, comprising:-
 Cameras
 Access control Units
 Door Mag-locks
 Access Card readers
 Fiber cabling
 Tele-Communication System
 Client Machines
 Network Switches
 ISS Servers
 UPS Systems
The system uses the 10G backbone for remote communication.

4.0 Pipeline Installation under Procurement

The I&C Section in at various stages in the of acquisition process and Upgrade of
several of its systems to meet the needs of its expansion of the pipeline, with both
Line 6; Sinendet - Kisumu and Line 5; Mombasa – Nairobi pipelines under
construction. Various systems are reaching the end of their life so are being
upgraded to cater for the current requirements of pipeline operations. The following
are some of those system:-
 SCADA & Leak Detection System Upgrade
 Hydrant Monitoring System (Moi & Jomo Kenyatta Airports)
 Automatic Spillage Containment system
 Fire Alarm System at PS27 & PS28
 Control System PS1
 Control System PS21, 22,24 & 25
 Metering system PS12, PS14 and PS1
 Product Custody Transfer 11
 ISS Phase II

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