(614e) Computational Tools for Supply Chain Optimization

The Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP) had developed a suite called SIGMA designed for strategic ? tactical planning in ECOPETROL's refinery located in Barrancabermeja (GRB). The SIGMA suite consists of the following applications: SIGMA-REF, SIGMA-CRUDE, SIGMA-FCC, SIGMA-BLEND and SIGMA-ENERGY. The main uses of this suite are the simulation and optimization of the supply chain of GRB, ?what-if? studies, technical-economic assessments of investment projects, evaluation of expansion / modernization plans and validation of volumetric and programming production plans in the refinery. SIGMA-REF application is intended for the simulation of process plants. Key decision making related to the crude oil diet to the refinery, operation of catalytic cracking units and fuel blending are carried out by SIGMA-CRUDE application, SIGMA-FCC application and SIGMA-BLEND application respectively. The industrial utilities model involved in SIGMA-ENERGY application allow the user to plan the consumptions and deliveries of energy according to the requirements of volumetric balance.

A great achievement of this project is the adoption of SIGMA suite as an official tool to the daily business management in ECOPETROL S.A. This project serves as an example to show how Colombian Petroleum Institute provides ECOPETROL S.A. with research, development and innovation based products and technology. Future work will be done to develop a global optimization model of the supply chain to GRB and to integrate strategic ? tactical planning of volumetric and energy balances.