Alder: The real step change is that we're moving from cameras simply showing operators what's happening offshore to systems that can actively identify events and draw attention to things that need investigating.

Remote surveillance itself isn't new. We've been involved in projects for years where cameras on offshore installations feed into onshore control rooms. In Australia, for example, we've supported the integration of surveillance across numerous onshore and offshore facilities, with centralized monitoring and management from Perth.

But traditionally, someone still had to be watching the footage or reviewing recordings to spot an issue. AI changes that. Cameras can now analyze scenes continuously, recognize defined events and alert operators when something needs attention. 

And when you combine those alerts with information from other operational systems, it becomes even more powerful. An onshore team receiving an alarm can immediately access relevant footage, assess what's happening and involve the right people, rather than starting with a call offshore to find out what's going on.

That's particularly important as operators move towards smaller offshore crews and normally unattended installations. You can't have eyes everywhere, and you don't necessarily want to send someone offshore just to establish whether there's a problem.

AI doesn't replace experienced operators or their judgement. What it does is make it possible to monitor more effectively across multiple assets, prioritize what needs attention and make better decisions with the people and resources available.

Offshore: What offshore applications are delivering the greatest value today from visual analytics, and where are oil and gas operators seeing measurable improvements in safety, efficiency or uptime?

Alder: Safety monitoring is certainly a key area, particularly where analytics can identify defined events linked to essential protocols.

On a production platform, for instance, AI analytics can detect someone entering a restricted process area or alert a supervisor when required PPE, such as goggles, a hard hat, gloves or high-visibility clothing, is not worn. This is valuable at any time, but especially during maintenance campaigns, when activities and personnel movements can change significantly.

It’s useful to highlight the benefit of edge-based analytics here, something we’ll be demonstrating at ADIPEC with our COEX cameras. Here, the analytics run within the camera itself, rather than relying on a central server.

Why is this particularly interesting for offshore? Because the in-camera processing reduces demands on network bandwidth and central processing resources. It also gives operators more flexibility to introduce AI where it will deliver the greatest benefit—perhaps on just a handful of cameras monitoring higher-risk areas—without necessarily having to invest in additional server infrastructure.

It's a practical way to strengthen safety monitoring while keeping deployment proportionate to the need.

Equipment and process monitoring is another important application for analytics. Take flare monitoring. Thermal imaging paired with analytics can help operators assess flame conditions and identify changes that may indicate abnormal combustion or the potential for unburned hydrocarbon releases. With ever-tightening regulations regarding environmental impact, this has demonstrable value.

Radiometric-enabled thermal cameras can also identify temperature anomalies at selected equipment locations, helping maintenance teams target inspections more effectively and investigate potential faults before they develop into problems that could cause unplanned downtime.

And then there's the quality of the image itself. Offshore facilities can be difficult to monitor at any time of day or night due to environmental conditions, particularly around reflective pipework. Solutions like adaptive infrared illumination are worth mentioning here. This capability adjusts illumination to changing viewing conditions, providing more consistent imagery for incident verification without the need for constant manual adjustment. 

These developments all result in benefits that operators can measure, whether that's time saved on inspections and incident investigations, maintenance costs avoided or reductions in unplanned downtime. And in an offshore environment, where interventions can be costly and disruptive, even relatively small improvements can have a meaningful impact on the bottom line.

Offshore: As oil and gas operators look to reduce offshore personnel exposure, what role do surveillance and monitoring technologies play in supporting normally unattended installations and other remote offshore assets?

Alder: This is where reliable remote visibility really comes into its own.

Think about a normally unattended satellite wellhead platform. If an equipment alarm comes through, the onshore team needs to establish what's happening and whether somebody needs to go out there. Having access to camera footage alongside process data can make that assessment much easier.

For mature assets, that matters commercially as well as operationally. Operators are under pressure to manage costs as production declines, and unnecessary visits can be expensive.

There's also the safety benefit of reducing personnel exposure to offshore travel, transfers and hazardous working environments.

For installations operating with smaller crews, there's another advantage. Onshore specialists can support fault investigations remotely, so expertise doesn't always need to be physically based on the platform.

With experienced people becoming harder to replace, making better use of that knowledge is increasingly important.

Essentially the aim is to make offshore intervention more targeted, while giving both offshore crews and onshore teams the information they need to manage the asset safely.

It’s important to add [that] none of this completely removes the need for physical inspections or reliable communications. And any equipment used has to be suitable for the offshore environment in terms of hardiness. But these are considerations, not challenges. The benefits are there for the taking.