Intelligent system for start-up of a petroleum offshore platform

It is difficult to control and to manage the start-up of a petroleum offshore platform. In order to solve this problem an intelligent system can play an important role, since available qualitative operator and design knowledge can be easily implemented to assist the operator during start-up. This paper describes the integration of an expert system with a fuzzy controller applied to such a process. The intelligent system has many heuristic rules to implement the automation of the start-up procedures, like the opening of many on-off valves while simultaneously monitoring process variables. It also has a fuzzy controller to optimize the opening of the oil wells, in order to minimize the start-up time. This intelligent system is being implemented in the platform P-19 of Petrobras, the Brazilian oil company, in Campos Basin, Brazil. The prototype has been operating since October 1998.