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The project is one of the most significant investments ($250 million) since the construction of the trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) and involves installing electrically driven crude oil pumps at four critical pump stations combined with increased automation and upgraded control systems. The 800 mile trans-Alaska pipeline currently transports nearly 1 million barrels of crude oil per day across the Alaskan wilderness to the port of Valdez. To date it has a total throughput of over 14 billion barrels.

The reconfigured TAPS will be operated by systems that have extensive remote monitoring, diagnostic, maintenance and control capabilities. It will allow operators to share information and consult with experts worldwide, keeping some workers along the pipeline.

The solution that will be provided by the ICS Triplex Trusted TMR system and will be configured to monitor the entire pipeline, from individual valve positions to pipeline pressures and pump status, triggering alarms if anything abnormal or unexpected happens. It will also start appropriate emergency responses and identify likely problems for human operators to target.

The HIPPS will operate even when the TAPS’ normal control systems shutdown and will have the potential for only one “failure” indication every 100 years. Currently the pipeline consists of 62 obsolete HIPPS machines that will be integrated into seven new Trusted systems within seven pump stations along the pipeline. Alyeska has selected the Trusted product over an upgrade to the existing systems due to the superior capabilities of the Communication Interface module (T8151) to the existing Remote Gate Valves. The Modbus Master/Slave and IRIG-B features were carefully evaluated and judged to be simpler to configure and implement than that of the Tricon. In addition the SmartSlot feature was chosen for the IO module replacement enabling a smaller footprint for the whole project.

Local support and the ability to provide Alyeska with technical services and spare parts in Alaska through the ICS Triplex representative, Aurora Engineered Systems (located in Anchorage) were also contributing considerations in the selection of ICS Triplex.

Already a TUV SIL3 certified product, Trusted also recently completed UL 508 certification as the part of the project. The certification was completed at the ETL lab (NRLT recognized) in Richardson, Texas.

ICS Triplex is an independent global company that develops, manufactures, and maintains fault-tolerant control systems and turbomachinery control products for industries which demand high integrity critical control, fire and gas monitoring, and safety shutdown.

Additional information:

Headquartered in Anchorage, Alyeska also maintains operations in Fairbanks and Valdez and employs almost 900 people statewide and 1000 independent contractors.

Today TAPS is owned by a consortium of companies including:
BP Pipelines (Alaska) Inc. 46.93%
ConocoPhillips Transportation Alaska, Inc. 28.29%
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, 20.34%
Unocal Pipeline Company, 1.36%
Koch Alaska Pipeline Company, L.L.C., 3.08%

For further details please contact:

Vasso Tzomaka
Marketing Support Manager
ICS Triplex
Hall Road
Maldon
Essex
CM9 4LA
England
Tel: +44 1621 854444
Fax:+44 1621 851531
Email: vassot@icstriplex.com