IRC’s ‘Optimise LNG’ is a state of the art supply chain simulation tool.

For the first time it combines the detailed RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) capabilities of ‘traditional’ RAM software with the comprehensive requirements of both shipping simulation and receiving terminal operations.

Until now it has been necessary to use multiple models to fully simulate the supply chain. As an example, the outputs from rigorous RAM analysis have had to be simplified for inclusion in the shipping simulator, the outputs of which in turn have been simplified for input to the receiving terminal operations.

Optimise LNG allows LNG operators to fully optimise their supply chain using a single model. This provides the following benefits over the existing multiple model approach:

• Elimination of disconnects between models: the simplification of results from one tool for input to another will always result in such disconnects. Complex LNG supply chains are generally susceptible to the more infrequent but longer term interruptions that such simplification will not account for.
  
• A clear audit trail of inputs: this allows clear justification of the outputs and the subsequent decisions. A single model managed by a single person requires only a single data set. Since there is only a single model there is no risk whatsoever of data inconsistencies across models which can lead to incorrect decisions.
  
• Provision of reliable results leading to faster more confident decision making: a quicker decision making process will result from the faster and more readily justified results produced by Optimise LNG. In the fast paced world of LNG projects it is critical that the teams making decisions get the information they need quickly. To assess a minor design change with Optimise LNG requires that change to be made, the model to be run and the results to be presented. The existing approach requires the RAM model to be run, the results to be simplified for input to the shipping simulation, those results to be input to the receiving terminal simulation before results can be presented. And even then the issue of disconnects and data consistency will still result in an incomplete understanding!