Production and operations at the Port Arthur, Texas, oil refinery operated by TotalEnergies SE are projected to improve with an expanded implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial automated technologies.

The initiative at the 238,000 b/d integrated refining and petrochemical platform focuses on installation of Honeywell International Inc.’s AI-assisted Experion Operations Assistant (EOA) distributed control system. This advanced AI-powered program enables monitoring of site operations from the control room to expedite informed decisions supporting improved production at the facility.

Completion of an initial EOA pilot at the site's delayed coking unit confirms that the AI-assisted solution has successfully forecasted five potential events, helping to minimize downtime and reduce emissions from flaring. The predictions were made an average of 12 minutes in advance of an alarm incident, helping operators to quickly implement corrective actions before an event.

The expanded use of EOA will result in safer operations and reduced downtime to support the production of transportation fuels and petrochemicals used in a wide range of products like plastics, rubber and pharmaceuticals.