Iraqs State Company of Oil Projects (SCOP) Karbala Refinery is set to use refining processes and automated control to maximise production of liquefied gas, petrol, gas oil, fuel oil, jet fuel and asphalt
Once completed in 2020, the facility is expected to have a refining capacity of 140,000 bpd. Production will meet the latest international standards, serving the growing domestic demand for oil in Iraq and reducing the current level of refined product imports.
Rotork Plc, the British-based manufacturer of industrial flow control equipment, has ordered large quantities of IQ3 non-intrusive intelligent electric valve actuators, designed specifically for automated flow control systems in hazardous environments, for the Karbala Refinery.
With their diagnostic and asset management abilities, the IQ3 actuators are set to facilitate the reliable, efficient and safe operation of the refinery. Comprehensive operational data including valve torque profiles stored in actuator dataloggers aims to enable predictive maintenance and optimise plant performance.
For critical areas, actuator duties will include the provision of a Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2) Emergency Shutdown (ESD) function. Recognised around the world, the SIL system identifies the requirements for a Safety Instrumented System (SIS). In the flow control industry, Rotork is one of the leaders of this technology, with IQ3 actuators certified for use in a SIS up to SIL level 2 for a single actuator or SIL level 3 for two actuators in a redundant system.
These actuators are equipped with the Rotork SIL safety module, which monitors the standard IQ3 control board and provides diagnostic coverage and redundant control in order to perform the desired safety function. A safety function status relay provides remote indication of the actuator availability and the redundant safety function operation, with the same status duplicated locally on the actuator display.
