CASE STUDY

ICS Lifecycle Upgrade HMI Modernisation

Project Overview

A North Sea gas terminal operating critical Integrated Control & Safety System infrastructure faced increasing operational and cybersecurity risks due to ageing hardware platforms approaching end-of-life support status.

Legacy operator stations, servers, and associated system components were experiencing growing reliability concerns, while outdated HMI graphics no longer aligned with modern operational standards and usability expectations.

Sentinel ICCS Ltd was engaged to modernise the control system environment through phased lifecycle upgrades, infrastructure replacement, and HMI migration to Gray Scaling standards all while maintaining uninterrupted production operations and system availability.

Industry

Oil & Gas

Environment

Onshore Gas Terminal

Service

Control System Modernisation

Standards

IEC 62443 / IEC 61511

Challenges

01

Obsolete Infrastructure

Critical ICSS hardware platforms had reached end-of-life support status, increasing operational risk, hardware failure exposure, and long-term maintainability concerns.

02

Operational Continuity Constraints

System upgrades had to be implemented without disrupting live production operations, requiring careful migration planning and phased deployment strategies.

03

Legacy System Compatibility

Existing controllers, field I/O, and operator environments required compatibility validation with upgraded IT infrastructure and modernised HMI platforms.

04

Offshore Execution Limitations

Project activities were executed during restricted operational windows and Covid-related logistical constraints, impacting procurement, mobilisation, and engineering coordination.

Solution

Sentinel ICCS Ltd developed and implemented a phased lifecycle modernisation strategy designed to improve operational resilience, system maintainability, and cybersecurity readiness while preserving uninterrupted production support. 

The project included replacement of obsolete operator stations, servers, and associated IT infrastructure alongside migration of HMI graphics to modern Gray Scaling standards for improved operator usability and situational awareness.

To minimise operational disruption, Sentinel ICCS established a reference system environment for engineering validation, FAT activities, and phased deployment testing prior to live implementation. 

The upgrade programme also introduced virtualised infrastructure solutions to reduce hardware footprint, improve recoverability, and strengthen long-term operational support capabilities across the control system environment.

Results

The modernisation programme successfully upgraded critical Integrated Control and Safety System infrastructure without impacting controllers, field I/O, or live production operations throughout implementation. 

Sentinel ICCS Ltd improved overall system reliability, maintainability, and operational resilience by transitioning the environment to a fully supported hardware platform aligned with current industry standards. 

The migration to Gray Scaling HMI graphics enhanced operator visibility, usability, and alarm response consistency while supporting improved operational decision-making. 

Virtualisation technologies reduced physical infrastructure footprint, strengthened disaster recovery readiness, and established a scalable foundation for future lifecycle upgrades and cybersecurity improvements.

Project Impact

The control system modernisation improved operational reliability, reduced infrastructure risk, and restored long-term OEM support capability across the Integrated Control and Safety System environment. 

By upgrading obsolete hardware and modernising HMI systems, Sentinel ICCS Ltd helped the client improve system performance, operator visibility, and overall operational resilience without disrupting production. 

The project also created a scalable foundation for future lifecycle upgrades, cybersecurity improvements, and long-term operational continuity.