On The Job Training of the PCR’s Students

In mid of August, 2007, my department accepted two students from the Politeknik Caltex Riau (PCR) under On The Job Training Program to learn about the instrumentation system commonly found in upstream oil industry for one month. And I was appointed as their supervisor during the program. At the end of the program, these students had to make a report and presentation.

After gave them a brief introduction about our company, I explained a little bit more detail about the crude oil processing principles and its facilities started from the oil well to the gathering station. The process knowledge is very important if you want to be a good instrument engineer.

Due to time constraint, I directed them to learn specifically about the application, operating principle, and calibration of the pressure switch used to protect the pump and the level transmitter used in the level control system. For those, they had to learn about pump operation principles, fluid mechanics (pressure), electricity, analog and digital signals, programmable logic controller, and calibration principles. That was a lot, right?

I also allowed them to have hands-on experience to calibrate the pressure switch and the level transmitter using deadweight tester, pneumatic hand pump and HART field communicator.

The program was ended after submitted their report and conducted the presentation. So.. good luck, guys !!!

Published in: on July 26, 2008 at 3:44 pm Comments (4)

The Internal Short Course of Pressure Gauge

Having experience as training instructor, I was attracted to give a sort of short course in field of instrumentation to the others . The course title was Pressure Gauge: Selection, Installation, Operation, Maintenance & Calibration. It was held on May 27th, 2007.

My reason to choose this topic was that it was found that most of pressure gauges installed for monitoring of the pressure of the pump’s suction and discharge sections did not a vibration & pulsation-proof type. So that, It was difficult to read the measurement reading and also shortened the gauge life. Moreover, most of the gauges installed were heavy corroded due to the corrossive atmosphere. So, by presenting this topic I would like to ‘enlight’ people in Pedada Area who involves in utilizing the gauge about the right selection, operation and also how to maintain & calibrate it properly. The use of the Chandler Engineering Deadweight Tester to calibrate the gauge was also demonstrated. Related participants who would do the maintenance & calibration of pressure gauge were asked to have hands-on experience before do their real job.

 You may download the course material of pressure gauge on the bottom of this post (in Bahasa Indonesia only). By downloading the file you are considered agree with the disclaimer beneath. Don’t forget to visit my blog often since there will be more course materials you can download. .

Disclaimer: Neither I, Hendri, BOB nor any of their affiliated entities assumes responsibility for the selection, use and maintenance of any product on this course material. Responsibility for the selection, use, and maintenance of any product on this course material remains with the purchaser and end-user.

Published in: on July 25, 2008 at 10:48 am Leave a Comment

The Instrument Documentation

While looking for the tools for the shop, I also looked for the brochure/product flyer, product bulletin, operation & maintenance manual of each type of the installed field instruments. These documents are very important for maintenance activities including calibration & troubleshooting.

I also documented the instrument drawing such as P&ID, wiring diagram, instrument & control block diagrams, termination diagram etc which kept separated by other department. Based on P&ID and site survey, I developed the Instrument Index document for listing all field instruments installed.

Both manuals & drawings were filed in a single rack for easy retrieval and also burnt into CD ROM as backup.

For documentation of the instrument maintenance & calibration activities, I developed the several forms suitable for each type of instrument such as pressure transmitter, pressure gauge, pressure switch, temperature gauge, RTD, control valve + I/P & pneumatic positioners. At this moment, all forms are still on the Microsoft Excell format. The ISA instrument specification forms containing the technical specification of each type of instrument installed were also developed.

The instrument document files

The instrument document files

By end of 2008, I would like to use a sort of instrument maintenance software, not a fancy/complicated one but it can be used as a single ‘gateway’ for documenting all type of instrument calibration forms, manual, maintenance & calibration scheduling, notification and reporting as well.

Published in: on at 7:34 am Leave a Comment

Development of the Instrument Maintenance & Calibration Shop

When I started to work, we had no tools for field instrument maintenance, troubleshooting & calibration except the digital multimeter only! So, I was asked then to develop a shop for instrument maintenance & calibration for Pedada Area. It was planned that after having such shop there will be no more outsourcing contract to maintain & calibrate our field instruments.

I searched the tools mainly by surfing the internet. And by end of 2007 we almost completed the shop by having the following instrument maintenance & calibration tools:

  • Chandler Engineering Deadweight Tester model 58-150H for calibration of high pressure-sensing instrument such pressure gauge, pressure switch & pressure transmitter .
  • Rosemount 375 HART Field Communicator for HART-based instrument configuration, troubleshooting & calibration.
  • Ametek T-930 Pneumatic Hand Pump for calibration of low pressure-sensing instrument such as pressure gauge, pressure switch & pressure transmitter as well as for calibration of 3-15 psig pneumatic positioner.
  • Ametek CTC-140A Dry Block Temperature Calibrator for calibration of temperature gauge, RTD.
  • Ametek ASC300G Advanced Signal Calibrator for calibration of turbine flow analyzer as well as other functions.
  • GE Panametric IS Remote Control Communication Unit (RCCU-3) for configuration, troubleshooting of GE Panametric XMT868 Ultrasonic Flowmeter.
  • Fluke 770Ex 4-20mA Loop Calibrator for calibration of 4-20mA DC I/P Positioner.
  • Fluke 771 Milliamp Process Clamp Meter for 4-20mA DC signal measurement without breaking the loop.
  • Fluke 83 III Digital Multi Meter.
  • Ametek JofraCal Software for calibration documentation of the dry block.
  • GE Panametric Panaview Software for configuration & troubleshooting of GE Panametric XMT868 Ultrasonic Flowmeter.
  • Brother PT-1280 Printer Label for labelling the instruments after calibration.

Published in: on at 4:26 am Leave a Comment

In the Beginning of the Employment

I joined this oil company on July 1st, 2006. After 2 weeks training of the basic petroleum engineering & achievement motivation, I was sent to Bandung for basic military training for 3 weeks.

At the end of the training, I got the permission to get married in Surabaya for 3 days only and then went back to Pekanbaru and one day after went to the operation field i.e. Pedada Area in Siak-Riau and leaved my wife in Surabaya. So, no honeymoon at all!!! Poor us…(((

For 3 months they put me on the job training (OJT) as a brief introduction to the company operation management by joining all departments starting from the production operation, maintenance, HS&E, design & contruction, HR&M and so on even they would put me on the maintenance department.

However, after one and half month persuing the OJT, my superior, the Maintenance Team Manager Pedada sent a request to the OJT supervisor to release me from the OJT activity so that I could involved on the supervision of the instrument maintenance & calibration contract awarded to a service contractor for 3 months.

During the contract, I was sent to Jakarta with others to have a meeting with an automation company who was awarded to install new Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) in Pedada and Pusaka Gathering Stations to replace the old ones.

At Nov 2006, the PLC project was started, and I was asked also to supervise the project started from PLC installation, commissioning and start-up including its human-machine interface (HMI) program. During the project, I ever had to stay in Pedada for 23 days continuously while our regular schedule was 10 days ON, 5 days OFF. This was because I was the one who only has the background of PLC. I missed my wife so much at that time…. What a though moment I had in the beginning of the employment.

Published in: on July 10, 2008 at 5:25 am Leave a Comment
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