In the midstream sector, a SCADA migration is a high-stakes transition where precision isn’t just a goal—it’s a requirement for safety and compliance. PipeCom recently spearheaded a complex issue resolution and cutover project for a major North American midstream operator, ensuring their transition to AVEVA Enterprise SCADA 2024 (ES24) was stable, secure, and fully optimized.
The Challenge: Beyond Standard Installation
While many firms can perform a basic installation, PipeCom was brought in specifically to resolve the “Show Stopper” punch list items that often stall large-scale migrations. The project scope involved a 49-day timeline covering three major control systems across North America.
Critical hurdles included:
- System Synchronization: Resolving status issues where DSS systems were not receiving real-time progress updates.
- Security Architecture: Migrating DSS servers to a DMZ network while maintaining replication through strict firewall protocols.
- Operational Readiness: Identifying and fixing errors in Batch Tracking and Mode Switching that were causing alarms and replication failures.
Technical Leadership in Action
As a leader in OT/IT consulting, PipeCom deployed a specialized team of SCADA and Automation engineers to methodically debug the system from the control center to the field.
1. Advanced Protocol Deployment (OPC UA)
Our team successfully completed the installation and testing of the OPC UA protocol across all servers and clients, ensuring compatibility with Delta V and providing access to live data.
2. Resolving Batch Tracking & Countdown Errors
A significant technical win involved the Batch Tracking Functionality. Our engineers diagnosed OasErrlog issues related to product types and volume correction, successfully mitigating the errors that led to unnecessary system alarms. We also resolved Countdown functionalityerrors found in baseline batch transfer screens.
3. Optimized Replication & Storage
To improve system performance, we successfully moved historical archiving from local drives to a Network Attached Storage (NAS)solution, ensuring high-availability data redundancy.
The Outcome: A “Zero Incident” Cutover
By systematically clearing every show-stopper—from SSRS reporting setup to Mode Operation verification—PipeCom enabled a successful “Go” for the final console cutover.
The result was a modernized, PHMSA-compliant SCADA environment that provides the operator with enhanced real-time analytics and a more secure network posture.