TECHNOLOGY

Information and Communications Technology Development

PGN's information technology is operated in line with the Company's Standard Operating Procedures, which are audited to international standards. To support the customer service system, the Company has built a strong and reliable information technology platform to ensure the integrated, timely and accurate delivery of information.

To ensure optimal performance in its natural gas distribution operations, PGN uses information technology to regulate and monitor its operations, including:

1. Operations technology, using the AMR/Automatic Meter Reader and SCADA/Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems, field measurement and control systems and gas distribution information systems.
2. Operating Assets management, using GIS (Geographical Information System) and AIM tools.
3. Capacity management, using gas transaction management system and pipeline capacity management (GMS/Gas Management System and SCADA).
4. E-SCADA technology, a system that was developed from AMR and is integrated with the existing SCADA system in offtake stations, which is used to monitor gas customers online using a GPRS communication system. Ascertaining the gas coming into the Offtake Station (SCADA) as well as the gas used by customers on line (AMR GPRS), it creates an information system known as the Gas Balance, which enables the Company to monitor whether the incoming supply matches the volume of gas being distributed.

The distribution network system comprises one or more segments of the network of pipelines that carry gas from the delivery point or storage system to power, industry, commercial and residential customers.

To ensure that the gas received from suppliers and delivered to customers is of the quality and quantity required, each Delivery Point and Receiving Point has to be equipped with a Metering System. The Metering System is a gas measurement system in the form of a Diaphragm, Orifice, Turbine or Ultra Sonic Meter, which is used to determine gas quantities. The metering system is equipped with a pressure transmitter and a temperature transmitter to correct the volumes measured to the standard conditions.

To ascertain gas quality, the metering system is equipped with a Gas Chromatograph, H2S analyzer, H2O analyzer and Hydrocarbon Dew Point Analyzer. The Gas Chromatograph determines the Hydrocarbon, N2 and CO2 composition of the gas; this composition is then used to calculate the GHV (Gross Heating Value). The H2S analyzer analyzes the H2S content of the gas while the H2O analyzer analyzes the H2O content. The Hydrocarbon Dew Point Analyzer is used to determine the Dew Point of the hydrocarbon mixture in the gas.

The selection of information technology is always designed to help PGN to respond to the increasingly complex and competitive challenges in the gas business.