Aspen economic evaluation 2

[1946ladjal]

Hi everybody,

I am a process engineer in Oil& Gas Company. I was assigned to make an estimation of a Project dealing with Crude Oil Separation, Before awarding EPC Contract with EPC Contractor.
So, I am using Aspen Economic Analyzer, which gives me an estimated Capital Cost.

My Question is:
Is the Cost of Engineering and Management services included in this Evaluation, Or No?
Please if anyone has a reponse to my question.

Regards,

 

[Heaviside1925]

Who is the estimate for? Your firm or the customer.
Are you looking for a TIC total installed cost including expense or just the capital costs.
If you are capitalizing engineering and management, then yes it would be included but if you are expensing these services then no.
If your question is with the Aspen in plant cost estimator program, then these are all based on predetermined cost codes set up in the project basis.
If you are not familiar with the program, I would seek out a similar cost estimate from your company and use that as a template.

 

[1946ladjal]

Thanks Heaviside1925, for your prompt reply.
I am estimating for my company that produces and sale oil and gas.
Frankly speaking, I did not get you when you say (If you are capitalizing engineering and management, then yes it would be included but if you are expensing these services then no).
Is that means, that[highlight #FCE94F] APEA Aspen Process Economic Analyzer[/highlight] takes in consideration the Services such as Engineering, Management, in Capital Cost, Or What.
If you are familiar with this Software, Please help me.

To Explain more, Aspen Economic Evaluation has three Modules:
-[highlight #FCE94F] Aspen Process Economic Analyzer APEA[/highlight]
- Aspen Capital Cost Estimator ACCE.
- Aspen In-Plant Cost Estimator AICE

And me, I am using the first one: APEA.

Thanks,

 

[Heaviside1925]

OP,
I made some assumptions in my reply, which maybe I shouldn't have. You state that you are working on a Project dealing with Crude Oil Separation.
Is this a modification or upgrade to an existing system?
Is this being constructed within the confines of an existing facility?
If the answer to either of the questions is yes, then I would be looking at using Aspen In-Plant Cost Estimator "AICE" for a cost comparison to an EPC contractor. If the answer is no, I am not as familiar with the other Aspen products in that family. When using AICE, you set the program parameters and indexes in the project basis section, so everything is predetermined when you run the actual evaluation. This includes what is considered capital costs and what is not. These decisions will be made by either your facilities accountants (if this is an in-house estimate) or your customers accountants (if you are a consulting engineer). It also depends on how exactly the EPC contractor is bidding the job, lump sum vs T&M as well as if the bid included engineering and management as part of the total cost or if these activities are bid separately. If you are a contract engineering firm and this is the first estimate you are doing for this customer, you should ask the customer for a "like" project Aspen database to use as a template. If you are the customer, then I would talk to your accounting people or others who have performed estimates similar to this and copy the estimate and modify as needed for your project.

 

[shvet]

Is the Cost of Engineering and Management services included in this Evaluation, Or No?

Yes, it is. You can study cost breakdown in the detailed report.
Aspen's total cost ≠ EPC lump sum. This is a total cost for an investor/owner, not a contractor. Curious to know how you are planning to retrieve EPC cost from the report without studing a detailed cost breakdown.

 

[1946ladjal]

Dear Heaviside,
Can we import a Hysys simulation case file to Aspen InPlant cost estimator§
Because if you want to import it to AICE, you will have only IZP files.
Please any idea.
Regards,

 

[Heaviside1925]

OP,
I do not know for sure, so I do not what to give your poor advice. The framework I have used the Aspen estimation products was in program and project management roles with some HSYS early on in my career. I relied heavily on our project engineers and estimators for technical aspects of Aspen. Does AICE have import functions? Yes. Do I know if you can directly from HSYS to AICE? I don't think so but there may be an indirect method or another Aspen product than can. What I do know is that my estimators and project engineers used Aspen technical support quiet often. So, unless you have in-house support or someone proficient in Aspen import functionalities, I would do the same in your situation. I am hoping someone on here can provide you better feedback concerning this than myself. Also consider posting these questions in an alternate forum such as the Project & configuration management, even though it might not be as active.

 

[shvet]

@1946ladjal
Questions you are asking relate to very basics of Aspen user skills. One is able to transmit data from the static simulation app to estimation app in auto mode or manually by report export/import depending on how many tokens have been bought.
You should start with software user's manual, user's guide, and webinars. This is definately the better way to get acquainted with software interface&features than asking random people at an anonim forum. I have gone this way and I reoommend you to prefer this way over others.

 

[1946ladjal]

Thanks Heaviside,

shvet!, You say that is a Very Basic, Sounds you master this matter. Give me an accurate answer by providing an example, for instance.

From my side, I checked I have not found.

 

[shvet]

an example of what are you asking for? I have not caught the point

 

[1946ladjal]

HI shvet,
An example of Hysys simulation case, that you could import it to Aspen InPlant Cost Estimator.

 

[1946ladjal]

Hi shvet,

to import a Hysys file *.hsc to Aspen In-Plant Cost Estimator, to make a CAPEX of the installation.

Regards,

 

[shvet]

I do not understand. Initially you said you EPEA for cost estimation, then you said you seek for importing to AICE. Which one?

For import a model to EPEA all you need is to find the button "send to EPEA" in Hysys toolbar.
For import a model to AICE I am not able to help as I am not familiar with AICE. As far as I know Aspen family products there should be an option for data transfer by the simulation workbook but actually I have not used that before.

If you are looking for Engineering and Management cost than what is not ok with reference cost breakdown in EPEA? EPEA reports both those items and moreover Engineering even is decomposed in basic, detail and procurement.