An integrated energy company with refining, wholesale, and retail operations throughout North America engaged Trindent Consulting to create and develop an industry leading hydrocarbon loss control program and reduce custody transfer losses. Over 24 weeks, Trindent implemented 16 changes that reduced refinery mass loss and crude loss by 44% and 77%, respectively.
How we Made it Happen™
Crude Measurements
- Installed an Integrated Loss Control Program to measure persistent discrepancies and implement corrective actions that resulted in a 44% reduction to the refinery mass loss.
- Reduced annual crude loss by $826,000 by enhancing the data consolidation process and implementing 165 meter factor control charts across all custody transfer points that statistically identify measurement errors.
- Implemented a Sediment and Water Oversight program that identified statistical outliers in addition to a retain collection, verification, and escalation process that corrected $844,000 in overbilling.
- Installed meter proving, and sediment and water testing witnessing checklists per API and ASTM standards to ensure measurement best practices are followed by third parties.
Truck and Rail Measurements
- Installed real-time bill of lading variance trackers for renewables railcar offloading and iso-octane truck offloading, resulting in an annual improvement of$673,000.
- Mitigated product quality and sludging issues for canola oil offloading, reducing losses by 74%.
- Reduced ethanol and biodiesel truck offloading losses by 23% and 64%, respectively. Achieved this by implementing a weight verification process and collaborating with suppliers to resolve measurement discrepancies.
Marine Movements
- Reduced annual, regular gasoline shipment loss by$421,000 by implementing a process to compare shore and vessel measurements as well as immediately investigating variances that are out of tolerance.
- Installed a quarterly audit on third party tank gauging using a witnessing checklist that follows API standards to ensure measurement accuracy and to escalate any gaps for improvements.
- Implemented a management of change process to ensure revised strapping tables are updated on key platforms including DCS and Production Accounting System.
“Your team collaborated effectively with our Steering Committee and teams to develop and implement best practices to improve refinery mass balance. This was Trindent’s second engagement with our organization, and like the first, Trindent overdelivered by leveraging their unique collaborative process to identify areas of improvement and deliver customized, sustainable solutions. Thank you for another job well done.”