MEXICO – Mexico’s grand Olmeca Refinery, now officially the largest oil plant in the country and one of the top three in all of Latin America, has taken a giant leap forward in terms of technology and control capabilities. The sprawling refinery, situated in the port of Dos Bocas, Tabasco, with a capacity to process a staggering 340,000 barrels of crude oil daily, has embraced cutting-edge Christie® solutions to manage its operations. This massive facility spans 556 hectares, boasting 17 processing plants, 56 storage tanks, 34 spheres, workshops, administrative buildings, and an extensive network of control rooms. To enhance efficiency and communication, Christie’s advanced AV solutions were the top choice.
The Olmeca Refinery was in need of advanced control rooms and boardrooms to manage and monitor oil production across the vast site. To achieve this, state-of-the-art video walls, projectors, and video wall processors were selected to facilitate seamless control and supervision.
Christie, renowned for its high-quality AV solutions, became the preferred partner for this ambitious project. The selection of Christie’s technology was meticulously considered, as Dimas Lopez, the general manager of Soluciones en Tecnologia de Mexico (STM), the Christie partner responsible for project integration, explains: “Christie video walls were chosen for their high quality and brightness, and we saw a real advantage of having a complete control room portfolio with a single brand.”
In the refinery’s main control room, eight 1.4 mm pixel pitch Christie Core Series LED video walls were installed. These expansive video walls, each measuring 8.5 x 3.2 meters, provide the flexibility and scalability needed for the control room’s critical functions. Equally important, they are known for their low maintenance requirements, ensuring continuous, reliable operation.
In the tactical room, two Christie LCD video walls were installed in a 4×2 configuration, offering HD resolution (1920×1080) and sub-1 mm bezels. Another control room features a 3×2 LCD video wall, also with HD resolution (1920×1080) and sub-1 mm bezels. These video walls enhance the real-time visualization and collaboration capabilities across the control rooms.
Robust Control with Christie Video Wall Processing Nodes
To efficiently manage the video walls, the refinery integrated 30 Christie video wall processing nodes. This comprehensive system allows users to view, listen to, and interact with information sources across the control rooms. The seamless integration of these video walls helps different teams within the refinery to combine multiple information sources simultaneously, enabling them to make the best decisions swiftly.
Enhanced Communication in Boardrooms
In addition to the control rooms, 16 Christie 86” LCD panels with 4K UHD resolution were incorporated into the various boardrooms of the refinery. These panels facilitate enhanced communication and productivity during meetings and discussions.
Furthermore, the Olmeca Refinery installed a remarkable Christie 30,000 lumen 3DLP projector to showcase the history of the Olmec civilization, from which the refinery draws its name. This addition adds a touch of cultural significance to the site.
The integration of Christie’s AV solutions at the Olmeca Refinery was a seamless process, thanks to Christie’s field engineers who provided invaluable support during the design and installation phases. According to Dimas Lopez, “The system has performed as we designed it,” and feedback from end-users has been overwhelmingly positive.
With Christie’s advanced AV solutions at its core, the Olmeca Refinery is better equipped than ever to manage its massive operations efficiently and make informed decisions in real-time. This partnership exemplifies the fusion of cutting-edge technology with the oil industry, ensuring a bright future for one of Mexico’s most critical facilities.
