Alarm Management Optimization (AMO)

at Saudi Aramco

Presented at
GPA ‐ GCC Chapter – 5th Specialized Technical Seminar

Process Safety Management (PSM) in the                          
Gas Processing Industry
Wednesday 3rd November 2010
InterContinental Muscat, Oman

By
Saad M. Al-Abbud
Saad.abbud@aramco.com

Saudi Aramco
Process & Control Systems Department
 Contents
y Program Purpose and Objective
y Program Strategy
y Alarm System key Performance Indicators
y Example Case
y Alarm Management Optimization Methodology
y Alarm Management Optimization at Gas Plants
y Conclusion
 AMO Program Business Driver
AMO Program sprang from a survey conducted on 2004 to measure the
alarm management system performance level at Saudi Aramco Facilities.
Most sites were aware that operator overload and alarm floods are common
during disturbances and abnormalities of operations.
As we analyzed the issues around alarm management, we concluded that
operator problems with the alarm system were outcomes of an
inappropriateness of the design, implementation, and maintenance of alarm
systems as well as improper alarming practices.
 Program Purpose and Objective
y Purpose

To outline a five-year corporate plan to improve the alarm management system at

each plant in Saudi Aramco that will enable the consol operator effectively manage
alarms being generated during normal operation and/or abnormal situation.

y Objective

To achieve the higher Alarm System performance level that delivers higher plant
safety, reliability and availability.
 Program Strategy
y Conduct Site Survey
y Develop/use Alarm System Management Standard/Procedure
y SAER-5895 Alarm Management Guidelines for Process Automation Control
y SAEP-368, Alarm System Management (New)
y EEMUA, Publication 191 Alarm Systems: A Guide to Design, Management and Procurement
y ANSI/ISA-18.2 Management of Alarm Systems for the Process Industries
y Develop Alarm Philosophy
y Evaluate AMO Technology Applications
y Conduct AMO Training Courses
y Conduct Alarm Management Performance Study
y Perform Alarm Documentation & Rationalization
y Implement the Rationalized Alarms
y Implement Real Time Alarm Management
y Sustain the Improved Alarm Management System
 KPIs Interim Target Long Term Target

Average process Alarm rate <300 per day <150 per day
Percentage of time alarm rate 5% 0%
exceeds target
Alarm Event Priority Distribution ~80% Low, ~15% High, ~80% Low, ~15% High,
~5 Emergency ~5 Emergency
Suppressed Alarms Zero (Unless as part of defined Zero (Unless as part of defined
Shelving, Flood Suppression, or Shelving, Flood Suppression, or
State-based Strategy) State-based Strategy)
Chattering Alarms Not more than 10 0 per day
occurrences/week
Stale/Standing Alarms (more than Not more than 20 0 per day
24 hours old) occurrences/week

Floods (10 to 20 alarms in a 10 Not more than 5 per day Not more than 3 per day
minute period)
Floods (>20 alarms in a 10 minute Not more than 3 per day 0 per day
period)
Changes in Alarm Priority, Alarm None that are unauthorized None that are unauthorized
Trip Point, Alarm , Alarm
Suppression
 Alarms Per Day (Annunciated)
1000 Annunciated Alarms Per Day
Annunciated Alarms Peaks Exceed 2500
Annunciated Alarms w/o 10 Most Frequent
'Manageable' (300/day)
800 'Acceptable' (150/day)

600

400

200

0
- M arch 10, 2007 to M ay 10, 2007 -

% Of Days
Average Median Maximum % Of Days
More Than
Total Alarms Alarms Alarms Alarms per More Than 150
300 Alarms
per Day per Day Day Alarms per Day
per Day
Annunciated
12,979 209 136 2,585 15% 42%
Alarms
Annunciated
Alarms without 10 7,677 124 101 461 3% 24%
Most Frequent
 Alarm Floods - Count
Alarm Floods - Alarm Count 199 Separate
Floods
Peaks Above 1300
200
Highest
180 Count in an
Alarm Flood =
1320
160
Longest
140 Duration of
Flood = 1.83
120 Hours

100

80

60

40

20

0
- 62 Da ys -

Alarm Flood Analysis

Number of Floods 199 Highest Alarm Count in a Flood 1,320
Percentage of Alarms in Floods vs. All
Floods Per Day 3.2 Annunciated Alarms 61.4%
Total Alarms in All Floods 7,971 Total Duration of Floods, in Hours 51.5
Percentage of Time Alarm System is in a Flood
Average Alarms per Flood 40 Condition 3.5%
 Average Alarm Rates
Annunciate d Alarms pe r 10 M inute s
Highe s t 10- Peaks Exceed 100
100 m inute Rate =
226
90
Alar m Flood =
10+ in 10
80 m inute s

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
- 62 Days -

Annunciated Alarms per 
10 Min. = 0 >0 >=10 >20 >30 >50 >100
Cumulative   66.1% 33.9% 3.2% 1.0% 0.6% 0.4% 0.2%
Flood Flood Flood Flood Flood
No. of Alarms 0 1‐9 10‐20 21‐30 31‐50 51‐100 >100
Instances   5893 2744 194 38 21 16 16
% of time   66.1% 30.8% 2.2% 0.4% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%

Avg. Alarms per 10 minute period: 1.45
 Alarm Count

0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000

32B4B2ON.CHOFST

32B4B2FF.OFFNRM

31AI034.PVHI

32PC130.PVHI

30TI025.PVLO

32TI224.PVHI

32FR165.BADPV

32FS161.BADCTL
Most Frequent Annunciated Alarms

32LI140.PVLO

32LI201.PVHI
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Cumulative %
Frequent Alarms (Annunciated)
 Priority Distribution
Alarm Priority

Low High Emergency

100%
91%
90%
80%
80%
70% 63%
Percentage

60%
50%
40%
30% 27%

20% 15%
10%
10% 4% 5% 5%
0%
Total Alarm Settings Annunciated Alarms EEMUA

Alarm Priority Total Alarm Settings Annunciated Alarms EEMUA

Counts % Counts % %
Journal 407 3% n/a
Low 8,413 61% 516 4% 80%
High 3,675 27% 11,833 91% 15%
Emergency 1,324 10% 630 5% 5%
Total 13,819 100% 12,979 100% 100%
 Chattering Alarms (Annunciated)
Top 10 Annunciate d Chatte ring Alarms - 3 in 1 M inute
.
32B4B2ON.CHOFST

31AI034.PVHI

32B4B2FF.OFFNRM

32LI201.PVHI

32TI224.PVLO

32LI201.PVLO

32TI224.PVHI

32LI132.PVLO

32FI157B.PVLO

32LI200.PVHI

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Chatte ring Alarm Ev e nts

Unique Annunciated Chattering Alarms (tag.parameter) 73

Produced These Annunciated Chattering Occurrences (of 3+ alarms in 1 minute) 1,661
Total Chattering Alarm Events: 4,983
Percentage of all Annunciated Alarm Events that are from Chattering Alarms 38.4%
 Stale Alarms (Annunciated)
Annunciated Stale Alarms - Top 10
.

31P14BRN.OFFNRM

31CSCU04.CHOFST

31CSCU05.CHOFST

31CSCU06.CHOFST

31LI015.PVHI

30TI025.PVLO

32CIC04.PVHH

32B5B4ON.CHOFST

32B5B3ON.CHOFST

30TI028.PVLO

32B5P3ON.CHOFST

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Number of Instances These Alarms Went Stale (>24 hrs) During Analysis Period
Alarm Management Optimization Methodology
y Conduct Alarm Management System
Performance Assessment: Collect
Collect Alarm
Alarm
y Collect alarm data from existing system Data
Data
y Analyze the gathered data
y Identify improvement
y Bad Actors Resolutions
Maintain
Maintain
y Rationalization Analyze Data
Performance
Performance
y Verify against standards:
y SAES/SAEP Process AMO
y EEMUA: Publication 191, Alarm Systems: Methodology
A Guide to Design, Management and
Procurement
y ANSI/ISA–18.2: Management of Alarm
Systems for the Process Industries Implement Identify
y Implement Changes Changes Improvements
y Unnecessary Alarms
y Trip Points
y Priorities Verify Against
y Calibrations Standards
y Maintain the Improved Performance:
y Conduct post implementation assessment
y Repeat the same steps as necessary
 Alarm Management Optimization at Gas Plants
y Berri Gas Plant
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Alarm Rationalization
y Ju’amah Gas Plant
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Alarm Rationalization
y Hawiyah Gas Plant
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Alarm Rationalization
y Hawiyah NGL Recovery Plant
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Uthmaniyah Gas Plant  
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Shedgum Gas Plant
y Alarm Philosophy Document
y Bad Actors Resolutions
y Yanbu Gas Plant
 Conclusion
y Evaluate new AMO software applications prior to application to ensure new
versions meet SA requirements. AMO software is in a rapid development
phase and it is anticipated that regular AMO package evaluations will be
necessary.
y Target large value added facilities such as Gas Plants and Refineries first.
y Provide Corporate Training to users on a regular basis and on a site by site
basis.
y Conduct annual AMO Roundtable discussion meeting.
y Maintain Engineering Guidelines for Alarm Management.
y Conduct a post-implementation analysis to measure the improvement of
alarm system performance.
y Update Control System Standards to reflect the requirements of guidelines
for AMO.