PV GAS has mastered the operation of the first LNG port warehouse in Vietnam.

The putting into operation of Thi Vai LNG Terminal also affirms the capacity, intelligence and courage to conquer new and modern technology of PV GAS in particular and Petrovietnam in general.

Energy industrial wonder

LNG Thi Vai Terminal – the first LNG import, export and storage project in Vietnam managed by Vung Tau Gas Processing Company (PV GAS VUNG TAU) – in the middle of November, the sudden rain in the early morning was not enough to dispel the heat, although the sun was not harsh, the air was still thick, with a faint heat radiating from thousands of tons of concrete and steel, signaling that we were standing in front of a large-scale industrial project.

The large PV GAS VUNG TAU port warehouse complex with an area of ​​over 40 hectares, is capable of receiving "super ships" carrying LNG with a capacity of up to 100,000 DWT. Photo: PV GAS.

To enter here, we must follow a strict safety procedure – which is the lifeblood of the energy industry. It is not simply watching instructional videos or checking the equipment we carry, we are thoroughly "informed" by safety officers about every smallest risk. Wearing protective gear, we follow Mr. Ly Van Quang – safety officer – onto a specialized electric car, starting our journey to explore one of the modern industrial wonders.

Appearing before our eyes is a large port complex spanning an area of ​​over 40 hectares, this is a place that owns a deep-water port capable of receiving "super ships" carrying LNG with a capacity of up to 100,000 DWT. With an average warehouse capacity of 1 million tons of LNG/year. This place is not just a warehouse, but is truly an important energy artery, contributing to ensuring national energy security in the context of increasing demand for electricity and clean energy.

The most surprising thing for anyone coming here for the first time is that unlike the usual noisy and bustling image of industrial projects, the space is completely quiet and peaceful. There is no sound of hammers, no shouts of hundreds of workers. Occasionally, we can see the typical yellow silhouettes of workwear, which are the operating engineers patrolling by bicycle or quietly checking parameters at the valve clusters.

Mr. Ly Van Quang explained that this "desertion" is a clear demonstration of the application of high automation processes in operations at the Port Warehouse. All operating, pumping, and storage processes are controlled by a safety monitoring system and a modern control system, allowing for minimal manual intervention. At each key position, only 1-2 personnel are needed to monitor according to a predetermined time frame. People here do not use their physical strength to operate machines, but use their intelligence to master technology.

Amidst the clean and well-planned industrial space, the intricate pipeline system appears like a giant network of blood vessels, intertwined in a complex but orderly manner. And the center of all eyes is the LNG tank - the "heart" of the entire complex.

The LNG tank is over 50m high – equivalent to a 15-17 storey building – and has a diameter of up to 82m, with a capacity of 180,000m3. Photo: PV GAS.

Only from dozens of meters away could we fully take in the massiveness of this structure. With a height of over 50 meters – equivalent to a 15-17 story building – and a diameter of up to 82 meters, this 180,000m3 tank makes anyone standing next to it feel like a dwarf lost in the world of giants.

Running along the tank body is a zigzag iron staircase system, clinging tightly to the wall, leading to the towering top. Mr. Quang shared that every day, the operators will climb up and down twice at that height to directly check the valve systems, check the operating parameters and working conditions on top of the tank. These are silent, meticulous and responsible steps, ensuring that the country's energy flow is always smooth and absolutely safe.

Elite human resource strategy - Affirming Vietnamese intelligence

The central control room is a space of high concentration. Photo: PV GAS.

Entering the central control room is entering a space of high concentration. Before our eyes are dozens of large electronic screens constantly flashing complex technical parameters, outlining detailed operating diagrams of the entire port warehouse in real time.

Standing in the middle of this operating "brain", we clearly realized that, to operate a massive and potentially risky energy project like this smoothly, there is no room for negligence or improvisation. Every parameter, no matter how small, must be continuously controlled by a strict, professional process.

Mr. Tran Kien Quoc - technology engineer: This is the first LNG project in Vietnam, marking a major turning point for the national energy industry, so for him, this task is both a big challenge full of pressure and a valuable opportunity to develop expertise and accumulate practical experience. Photo: PV GAS.

Sitting in front of the modern control system, Mr. Tran Kien Quoc - technology engineer, direct operator of the shift - could not hide the pride mixed with caution in his eyes. Sharing with us, he said that participating in the operation of the Thi Vai LNG Terminal has a special meaning in his career.

This is the first LNG project in Vietnam, marking a major turning point for the national energy industry, so for him, this task is both a big challenge full of pressure and a valuable opportunity to develop expertise and accumulate practical experience. The challenge lies in the fact that this technology is too new, unprecedented in the country, requiring many times more effort to approach and understand. But the opportunity lies in directly mastering the leading advanced technologies.

Up to now, after a long time of effort, he and all the operators have completely confidently mastered the technology, ensuring that all port warehouse operations take place safely, stably and with optimal efficiency.

To gain such confidence and courage, few people know that this team had to go through a long training journey. Mr. Luu Cong Son, a technology engineer, said that to be capable of receiving and mastering this Port Warehouse, the operating team had to go through an intensive training process lasting about 2 years. It was a period of perseverance, including having to absorb a large amount of technical documents from contractors and equipment manufacturers, and at the same time participating in a series of training courses, both internally and abroad.

In particular, the key factor that helps them grow quickly is the practical training method: the team has worked closely with the contractor to carry out the work, from the field work to the control room to grasp and master all the technology. Thanks to those tireless efforts, the operating team has quickly eliminated the gap in qualifications, completely mastered the technology and ensured absolutely safe operation right from the first days of reception.

Mr. Luu Cong Son, technology engineer: Field inspection is always the "last layer of protection", a reliable barrier that surpasses all automation technology, to ensure absolute safety for the entire project and surrounding area. Photo: PV GAS.

Looking more generally at the actual operations, Mr. Son shared more about the working time here. Unlike normal administrative work, the port warehouse's operating rhythm must be guaranteed to be continuous 24/24h. To maintain the system, the operating team works in 2 shifts, 4 teams rotating continuously. Each shift lasts 12 hours with 10 personnel scientifically distributed in positions: from the central control room acting as a commander, to the field positions, the wharf area for importing and exporting goods for ships, the tanker loading station, to the electrical equipment management department. This detailed distribution is to ensure that all parameters are closely monitored from many sides, maintaining the smoothness and absolute safety of the entire system.

During the conversation, when I expressed my curiosity about a detail that sounded "manual" in the digital age: The hardship of operators having to climb to the top of the 50-meter-high tank twice a day to check parameters. I wondered, while all the data had been transmitted to the control room, was this really necessary?

Mr. Son gave an answer that completely convinced me of the absolute rigor in the operational thinking here. He explained: “The caution lies in the fact that, even though the parameters have been controlled in the control room, we still have to make the journey to the top of this tank.”

The reason he gave was not a lack of trust in technology, but an understanding of the limitations of machines. Technology, no matter how modern, can sometimes malfunction. Parameters transmitted over digital lines can be distorted, or surveillance cameras, no matter how sharp, always have "blind spots" that cannot cover every corner of the device.

Particularly dangerous is LNG, where very small gas leaks can occur that even advanced sensor probes can miss. Therefore, it is necessary for operators to climb directly to a height of 50 meters, use the naked eye to observe, use the ear to listen and use on-site sensation to check. He emphasized that field inspection is always the "last layer of protection", a reliable stop that surpasses all automation technology, to ensure absolute safety for the entire project and surrounding area.

The team of operators who are holding the state-of-the-art technology of this LNG terminal are very young, averaging only 28-29 years old.

Another pleasant surprise we noted was that the team of operators who are holding the state-of-the-art technology of this LNG terminal are very young, with an average age of only 28-29 years old. Contrary to the image of experienced workers, this is a new generation of engineers full of energy. This is the result of the attention, systematic training strategy and trust in assigning tasks from PV GAS's leadership.

With a solid professional foundation from systematic training programs and the opportunity to access and master advanced technology from the beginning, these young personnel are holding valuable practical experience. They are ready to become the key resource to successfully implement PV GAS's long-term strategic goals in the LNG sector.

In a deeper discussion with Mr. Pham Nguyen Quoc Cuong - Manager of PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse, he said that right from the start of the project, PV GAS took the "anticipatory" step by recruiting and arranging internal personnel to build the best professional team ready to operate the first LNG project. After two years of training, the operating force has truly mastered the system, as evidenced by the fact that by October 2023, as soon as the general contractor Samsung C&T handed over the project, this team took over and operated it safely, continuously and effectively.

Mr. Pham Nguyen Quoc Cuong - Manager of PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse: With the existing resources, PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse is fully capable of expanding to other technical services such as commissioning for new projects, or consulting on building an O&M management system for a completely new LNG warehouse. Photo: PV GAS.

Mr. Cuong emphasized the economic value of this strategy: Building a team of skilled operators not only ensures stable operation but is also a key solution to save costs. Instead of having to depend on and hire foreign experts with expensive salaries, Vietnamese people have taken charge of the project with their intelligence, courage and confidence. In fact, over the past 2 years, the Thi Vai LNG warehouse has always ensured absolute safety and handled all arising problems well.

Instead of having to depend on and hire foreign experts with expensive salaries, Vietnamese people have taken charge of the project themselves with intelligence, courage and confidence.

Regarding future orientation, to meet the responsibility of providing high-quality human resources for the Corporation - especially when PV GAS is upgrading the Thi Vai LNG warehouse to 3 million tons and many new projects - the unit has proactively built a reserve operating force. Currently, the port warehouse has established a reserve team with a ratio of 1:1 compared to the existing staff (equivalent to 30 - 40 people). This force brings dual benefits: both ensuring the ability to continuously replace the operating warehouse and being a source of human resources ready to immediately supplement the upcoming LNG projects.

In parallel, the Corporation also has a strategy to expand further: forming and deploying LNG terminal operation training services to the outside, with the pioneering responsibility belonging to PV GAS VUNG TAU Terminal. Currently, the unit is actively building a system of professional documents and a team of lecturers. The workload is huge, including establishing a comprehensive training process from basic to advanced, as well as in-depth content on troubleshooting. At the same time, the best qualified operators are being trained to become core lecturers.

Mr. Cuong affirmed that with the existing resources, PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse is fully capable of expanding to other technical services such as commissioning for new projects, or consulting on building an O&M management system for a completely new LNG warehouse, thereby not only serving the Corporation well but also being ready to provide services to the market, affirming the position of the Vietnamese energy industry in the region.

Green, modern, smart port model

Discussing further about the technical infrastructure, Mr. Pham Nguyen Quoc Cuong said that right from the time of construction, LNG Thi Vai Port Warehouse was invested in equipping with the world's leading advanced technology system. The outstanding feature of the production operation line here is the very high level of automation. This has fundamentally changed the traditional working method: the role of humans has shifted from manual operations to monitoring tasks, focusing on handling unusual situations and performing specialized maintenance work.

Green - clean - beautiful port warehouse campus. Photo: PV GAS.

In the daily operation process, all parameter recording and data extraction are performed directly on the synchronized information technology system. This digitalization allows data to be collected at a fast speed, helping the analysis, assessment of the current situation and decision making process to take place promptly and accurately, ensuring the energy flow is always smooth.

However, with the view of not stopping at initial achievements, PV GAS aims to continue to invest heavily to optimize efficiency and increase productivity by promoting the extensive application of modern technological solutions, especially the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to support production operations. A series of new management systems related to maritime safety, ship reception processes and advanced management platforms have been and are being deployed in practice. The core goal is to move towards the "Smart LNG Warehouse" model, ensuring management and operation activities achieve optimal efficiency and absolute safety, thereby enhancing competitiveness in the market.

Operator engineers patrol the port warehouse on bicycles. Photo: PV GAS.

The efforts to innovate and apply technology not only help production activities take place safely and save costs, but also make PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse become a typical model in the port warehouse system of the whole country. The orientation of sustainable development according to the "Green Port" standard is seriously and synchronously implemented by the unit.

The most obvious result is that PV GAS VUNG TAU Port Warehouse has achieved 85/100 points in the "Green Port" assessment criteria according to Vietnam maritime standards, far exceeding the required threshold of 70/100 points. This figure is a true testament to the persistent efforts in building a modern, environmentally friendly port warehouse that fully meets the strict requirements of the integration process.

Looking back on the past, it can be affirmed that the safe and effective operation of the LNG Terminal is a convincing proof of the technological mastery of the young Vietnamese operator team. Through a systematic training strategy and the use of internal human resources, PV GAS has successfully solved the economic problem by saving a large amount of money compared to the option of hiring foreign experts, while ensuring absolute safety right from the beginning of the reception.

This achievement not only opens up new potential directions for service development but also affirms the pioneering position of PV GAS and Petrovietnam in the LNG field, making practical contributions to the green energy era and sustainable development of the country.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/pv-gas-da-lam-chu-van-hanh-kho-cang-lng-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam-d786627.html