Honeywell International, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.) announced a collaboration with TotalEnergies (Paris) for the ongoing pilot of its AI-assisted Experion Operations Assistant at TotalEnergies’ Port Arthur Refinery in Texas. The initiative aims to support and empower operators to make timely and informed decisions while also providing the opportunity to enhance operational autonomy.
Built on Honeywell’s flagship distributed control system, Experion Operations Assistant is an advanced AI-powered solution designed to transform the way operators monitor plant operations from the control room. By merging operational analytics with real real-time predictive insights, the solution facilitates a more efficient workflow within critical refinery operations. With the integration of this new solution, operators in the control room can forecast potential maintenance events before they happen and minimize risks associated with unsafe operations and production losses.
“Partnering with Honeywell at our Port Arthur Refinery represents an important step in our journey toward operational excellence across our facility,” said Raphael Duflos, VP and General Manager of TotalEnergies’ Port Arthur Platform. “We believe this solution could contribute to safer operations, reduced downtime, and minimized product losses.”
TotalEnergies has already implemented an initial pilot of Experion Operations Assistant at the Port Arthur site’s Delayed Coking Unit (DCU). Preliminary results show 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, enabling operators to quickly implement corrective actions before an event. The company has also recently partnered with Cognite to deploy industrial AI across its full value chain.
“Honeywell’s decades of domain expertise and industry knowledge are helping to solve our customers’ toughest challenges with tangible solutions like Experion Operations Assistant,” said Jim Masso, President and CEO of Honeywell Process Solutions. “This pilot with TotalEnergies will mark a meaningful milestone for bridging the gap between autonomous technology and the operators that keep these facilities running safely and efficiently every day.”
Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf Coast, TotalEnergies’ Port Arthur Platform refines crude oil into transportation fuels and produces petrochemicals used in a wide range of products like plastics, rubber, and pharmaceuticals. The pilot is a successful collaboration between Honeywell, TotalEnergies’ Port Arthur platform and its technology headquarter branch OneTech.