Maximizing the potential of process engineering databases

The authors discuss their work with a major oil and gas production company. It shows that technical computing and, particularly, the utilization of integration databases, high-performance engineering workstations, and data networking can create major profit opportunities. Properly utilized technical computing can make more time available for optimizing the conceptual design process that critically affects the life-cycle economic performance of process plants. Computer-aided drafting has little influence on total economic performance once a plant is operating, but an investment in process engineering effectiveness can earn a leveraged benefit through its effect on both capital investment and future operating costs.