Major European Refinery Completes Successful Integration of MOD-4100 Crude Oil Analyser with Advanced Process Control
Novel machine learning approach enables practical connectivity with existing APC systems, delivering measurable efficiency gains
[London, UK] — A major European refinery has successfully completed integration of Modcon Systems’ MOD-4100 Crude Oil Analyser with its Advanced Process Control systems, achieving measurable efficiency improvements during crude oil switching and demonstrating the viability of an approach long discussed but rarely implemented in practice.
The project addressed two critical challenges: maintaining product specifications during crude slate changes and sustaining profitability throughout feedstock fluctuations. The refinery can now maximize desired distillate output while minimizing energy costs—capabilities previously only partially attainable.
Prior to this project, the refinery’s APC system responded to crude variations only as their impact appeared in product streams. The completed project enables predictive adjustment based on actual crude properties, eliminating production variability and energy inefficiency operators previously accepted during crude transitions.
“The idea of informing the APC regarding the current feedstock composition isn’t new, but executing it through an efficient, transparent, and reproducible methodology is non-trivial,” said Mr. Gregory Shahnovsky, CEO of Modcon Systems. “This deployment validates our proprietary approach to integrating with existing APC systems. For refineries planning analyzer deployment, we offer two paths: leveraging their current APC as this customer chose as the first step, or direct implementation with MODCON.AI, our next-generation platform. Either approach unlocks the feedforward control capability; the choice depends on the refinery’s modernization timeline.”
Technical Approach
The deployment used Modcon’s proprietary methodology, including state-of-the-art dynamic modeling of the Crude Distillation Unit. The critical challenge was ensuring smooth, noise-free feedstock composition measurement that APC systems could reliably utilize.
Modcon’s virtual homogenization technology applies machine learning to crude oil spectrometric measurements, transforming variable analyzer data into stable inputs enabling predictive process adjustment. The result is feedforward control—the distillation process adjusts based on incoming crude characteristics rather than reacting to product quality deviations.
“Establishing this connection required extensive validation,” explained Evgeny Mosarsky, Chief Technology Officer. “The deployment has been running stably in production, consistently delivering the data quality control systems require even as crude slates vary.”
The system enabled the refinery to fully leverage its existing APC and Real-TimeOptimization solutions’ multivariate process-control potential. It integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, requiring no APC or RTO platform replacement.
Industry Implications
Crude oil analyzer deployments remain limited industry-wide, partly because refineries have lacked clear pathways to integrate them with APC and RTO systems. This deployment demonstrates integration challenges can be systematically addressed, potentially opening the door to broader analyzer adoption. Industry analysts estimate improved crude switching capabilities could save the global refining sector hundreds of millions annually.
Modcon Systems reports growing interest from refineries worldwide and is currently in discussions with several major operators regarding comparable projects.
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About Modcon Systems
Modcon Systems Ltd. specializes in advanced process control solutions for the oil and gas industry. The company develops the MOD-4100 Crude Oil Analyser and technologies for connecting analyzers to existing APC systems. Modcon also offers MODCON.AI, a next-generation APC/RTO platform for refineries seeking to modernize control infrastructure. With demonstrated expertise in dynamic modeling, practical deployment of complex control solutions, and analyzer connectivity, Modcon Systems serves major refineries worldwide
