Face to Face
Patrick O’Farrell
Project Manger SCADA, Telecom and Controls for Strategic Reconfiguration

Patrick O’Farrell joined Alyeska in 2003 to help modernize the Trans Alaska Pipeline System’s (TAPS) communication and control systems. He supervises development and installation of systems that will efficiently and safely monitor and control the entire 800-mile-long pipeline from a single control center in Anchorage. O’Farrell moved to Alaska from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he worked as a consultant and for Alliance Pipeline, which transports natural gas from Western Canada to lower-48 and Canadian markets.

Q: What is SCADA and what does it do?

A: SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. It’s TAPS’ main maintenance and operation system. TAPS’ current SCADA system dates back to the 1980s and relies on human operators stationed along the pipeline. Modern pipelines use automated and remotely operated systems, which are more efficient and reliable because they constantly monitor, collect and analyze information from an entire pipeline to help operators better understand, predict and manage actions up and down the pipeline.

Q: How have pipeline operations changed since TAPS was built?

A: TAPS builders had to invent their operations and safety systems from scratch. Their systems relied on good engineering judgment. Today, we have the benefit of years of pipeline experience and ensure safety and integrity by following well-established standards that set minimum requirements for every pipeline component and system. Our team then backs these systems up by protecting them against risks that might otherwise arise.

Q: Is it safe to reduce the number of human pipeline monitors?

A: Yes. The reconfigured TAPS will be operated by systems that have extensive remote monitoring, diagnostic, maintenance and control capabilities. It will allow operators to share information and consult with experts worldwide. And it will keep some workers along the pipeline.
TAPS new SCADA system will operate 24/7 and is extremely reliable. Crucial systems will be backed up. The fiber optic telecom link used to transmit data and commands, for example, has a backup satellite link.
TAPS will become one of the world’s first pipelines to use a High-Integrity Pipeline Protection System (HIPPS). HIPPS is already a standard safety feature at petroleum refineries and chemical processing plants. This failsafe emergency system will be separate from normal operation systems and is more reliable than human monitors. TAPS’ HIPPS will monitor the entire pipeline, from individual valve positions to pipeline pressures and pump status, and will trigger alarms if anything abnormal or unexpected happens. It will also start appropriate emergency responses and identify likely problems for human operators to target.
HIPPS will operate even when TAPS’ normal control systems shutdown and will have the potential for only one “failure” every 100 years. A failure means a hazard could occur. HIPPS will guard against such events by automatically shutting the pipeline down.