Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – A new UK offshore study suggests that adopting data analytics and digital technologies for asset maintenance and operations could increase production and lower maintenance costs on the UK continental shelf (UKCS).
The Technology Leadership Board, Oil & Gas Technology Centre, and the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) participated in the program.
Last year, failures of critical equipment on the UKCS such as gas compression, oil export, power and water injection systems are said to have led to lost production of around 110 MMboe.
The study examined how data from topsides production and operations equipment are currently being used, and how the data could help improve production efficiency and maintenance planning, thereby reducing operational costs.
Over 60% of the participants reported that data infrastructure was adequate, with extensive sensor coverage across offshore facilities and ‘good to excellent’ transmission and data storage.
Some North Sea and international operators are already implementing data analytics technologies: examples cited included a 65% reduction in system outages and annual maintenance savings of more than £1 million ($1.29 million) annually on a single system.
However, the application ofdata analytics is not consistent across the industry or individual organizations, the findings suggested, with a lack of awareness as to what digital technology is available and the value it could deliver to a business.
There was also a perception of high costs associated with implementing such technologies, and risk aversion to their deployment.
Adopting data analytics and digital technologies across the basin could improve the reliability of critical equipment and systems by 25% and reduce overall maintenance spend by 15-20%, the report concluded, generating £1.5 billion ($1.94 billion) per year of value to the UKCS.
Recommendations include issuing the industry with a standard methodology for assessing data analytics technology maturity; working with the industry’s leadership on opportunities to close the gaps; and via the OGA, engaging operators on deployment of digital technologies at their UKCS assets as part of their technology plans.
09/06/2018
