Compare · Synergi alternative · FlowSync, the WorkSync engineering platform
WorkSync FlowSync vs. DNV Synergi: which gas-network simulator fits the work that fills your day?
DNV Synergi (its transmission engine is Synergi Pipeline Simulator, formerly the Stoner Pipeline Simulator) is the long-running standard for gas distribution and transmission hydraulic simulation. Strong in transient analysis, PHMSA integrity workflows, and emergency-response modeling. Building a populated model is the time-intensive part of any simulator workflow: weeks of engineer time to ingest PDFs, GIS, and as-builts before you run a single scenario, and a static model is only as current as its last manual rebuild. WorkSync FlowSync handles that ingest layer for you and runs the simulations engineers reach for daily. Most customers run both, with FlowSync feeding Synergi.
WorkSync vs DNV Synergi (incl. Synergi Pipeline Simulator, formerly Stoner Pipeline Simulator): the honest comparison.
| Capability | DNV Synergi | WorkSync FlowSync |
|---|---|---|
| Industry depth (gas distribution/transmission) | Decades. Used by major LDCs and pipeline operators globally. | Built for the same domain; ships with hydraulic engines for steady-state and transient gas + liquids. |
| Model build time | Hand-building a populated model takes weeks of engineer time, as it does with any simulator | Hours. Model Builder extracts from PDFs, P&IDs, GIS layers, and as-builts automatically. |
| Model freshness | Refreshed when the model is manually rebuilt | Auto-syncs against the WorkSync DataHub on a schedule; current as of last sync |
| Daily-driver simulations (steady-state, sensitivity) | Yes (full hydraulic engine) | Yes (built natively for the data Model Builder produces) |
| Transient analysis (line pack, blowdown, surge) | Industry standard. Especially strong on transmission lines. | Yes; Synergi remains the right tool for the deepest transient work on regulated assets |
| PHMSA integrity workflows | Mature; widely accepted in regulated submissions | We feed Synergi for the integrity submission, not replace it |
| AI engineer agent (cited answers, MOC drafting, sensitivity runs) | Not part of the core product | Yes. Taylor reads every drawing in your project folder, cites every answer |
| Live SCADA-bound simulation | Manual data load | Connected to the DataHub; sims see current operating conditions |
| Pricing model | Licensed per seat/module through DNV | Per-module, per-asset. Annual license below VP signing authority. |
| Co-exist with each other? | Yes | Yes. Many customers feed Synergi from FlowSync's auto-built model |
Because your evaluation deserves it.
DNV Synergi (incl. Synergi Pipeline Simulator, formerly Stoner Pipeline Simulator) is the right call in some situations. WorkSync is the right call in others. Here’s the real-world split.
01When DNV Synergi (incl. Synergi Pipeline Simulator, formerly Stoner Pipeline Simulator) wins
You need the deepest transient analysis on regulated transmission
Synergi has decades of refinement on transient mechanics for high-pressure gas transmission, plus PHMSA acceptance patterns most regulators recognize on sight. For the once-a-year integrity submission on a major asset, Synergi is the right call.
You already have mature Synergi workflows
If your engineering team has years of Synergi muscle memory, custom scripts, and an integrity submission process the regulator likes, do not rip it out. We add the model-build layer above it.
You operate primarily critical transmission assets
Long-haul transmission with major pipeline integrity exposure justifies the deep tool. WorkSync's sweet spot is the daily-driver work across distribution networks and gathering systems where you cannot afford weeks of model-build time.
02When WorkSync wins
Your engineers spend more time building the model than running it
If hydraulic studies wait in queue for weeks of model-prep, FlowSync's Model Builder pulls the model from your PDFs, GIS, and as-builts in hours. Engineers run the analysis the same day the request comes in.
You want simulations on live data, not last quarter's snapshot
Synergi runs whatever you load into it. FlowSync's Flow Simulator runs against the WorkSync DataHub, so the model sees current SCADA pressures, flows, and demand. Daily-driver simulations are accurate without a manual refresh.
You want an AI engineer agent reading your drawings
Taylor knows every MOC, every datasheet, every operating procedure in your project folder. She cites the source on every answer. Cuts the "engineer who knows is in a meeting" bottleneck without replacing the simulator your team already uses.
You operate a large pipeline network
A 4,000+ mile pipeline network where typical study turnaround drops from 200 hours to 20 minutes is the canonical FlowSync win. Synergi is still the call for the integrity submission; FlowSync is the daily-driver layer.
Most operators run both. Here is the path.
The cleanest pattern: FlowSync sits in front of Synergi, not on top of it. Model Builder ingests PDFs, GIS, equipment datasheets, and as-builts into the canonical asset model. That model exports cleanly into Synergi for the deep transient and integrity workflows your team already runs there. Your engineers stop doing data entry. Synergi gets fresh, validated input. Daily-driver scenarios run inside FlowSync; the once-a-year integrity submission still runs in Synergi.
Net effect: same Synergi seats, same regulatory acceptance, but the engineering team gets weeks of capacity back per quarter and the model stays synced to live source data instead of waiting on the next manual rebuild. Co-existence is the default recommendation, not migration. We will tell you honestly which scenarios still belong in Synergi.
How to evaluate any AI vendor in oil & gas, including this one.
The head-to-head above is useful if you already know which AI initiative you are pointed at and what it costs. If you do not, four diagnostic questions apply to DNV Synergi (incl. Synergi Pipeline Simulator, formerly Stoner Pipeline Simulator)and to WorkSync equally. If any of these come back unclear for the vendor you are evaluating, the comparison has not really started yet.
Which of the three objectives is this AI initiative actually pointed at?
Replace a SaaS contract, speed up a costly decision, or automate a process. Anything else is dashboard theater. Score it in dollars before evaluating any vendor.
Which of the four closed loops does this vendor cover, and where do they stop?
Operations, Automated Engineering, Safety Analysis, Preventative Maintenance. The QA discipline (six elements) runs underneath. Vendors that ship one loop force you to stitch the rest yourself.
What is the Year-3 TCO at full deployment, not the Year-1 pilot quote?
Personal-use AI subsidies do not scale. Token spend, inference compute, integration, ongoing maintenance. Vendors who cannot give you a defensible Year-3 number with a confidence range have not thought about their own cost curve.
Is this designed for the workflow, or are you stitching tools together that were not?
Build-it-yourself runs seven figures and degrades quietly. String-tools-together fragments the data layer and multiplies SaaS contracts. The third path is a system designed for the loop from the data layer up.
“Our model build was always the bottleneck. Two weeks per asset before anyone could run a scenario. WorkSync gave us the populated model in an afternoon. We still run integrity work in Synergi, but the daily questions get answered the same day they come in.”
Engineering leadership · Midstream Pipeline Operator · 4,000+ miles of pipeline
Common questions
Is the Stoner Pipeline Simulator still a separate product from Synergi?
The Stoner Pipeline Simulator was rebranded under DNV's Synergi line and is now Synergi Pipeline Simulator (SPS). References to the older "Stoner" name today refer to that same transient pipeline simulation engine, now part of the DNV Synergi family.
Can FlowSync export its model into Synergi?
Yes. The canonical asset model FlowSync builds (topology, equipment, operating data) is the same input Synergi expects. The export keeps your existing Synergi engineering workflow intact and removes the manual model-build step that used to come before it.
Will FlowSync replace Synergi entirely?
For some operators, eventually. For most, the recommendation is co-existence: FlowSync handles model-build and daily-driver simulations; Synergi handles the deep transient and PHMSA integrity workflows your team already runs there. We do not push migration as the default.
How does pricing compare?
Synergi is licensed per seat/module through DNV. FlowSync is a per-module, per-asset annual license, below VP signing authority. Many operators run both: Synergi for the engineers who need the deep transient work, FlowSync as the model-build and live-data simulation layer for the broader engineering team.
Does FlowSync handle PHMSA integrity workflows directly?
Not as the primary submission tool. Synergi is the regulator-accepted workhorse and we leave it as the system of record for integrity. FlowSync's contribution is keeping the underlying model fresh and validated so the data Synergi sees is current.
See WorkSync on your data, alongside your existing stack.
See it on your data. Qualified operators get a 4-week proof of value at no license cost. Integration in under 1 week; full standup in 2.