by Mark Davison
The UKCS oil and gas industry has a challenging backdrop, as a mature basin with declining reserves and falling production levels, workforce issues, higher taxation rates along with the need to transition to a lower carbon future. To remain competitive, oil and gas operators are striving to transform their operations, improve reliability and availability of their assets while reducing costs and carbon emissions. To address these challenges, accelerating digital transformation is a critical success factor in the future of the oil and gas industry. Forward thinking digital solutions to enable new ways of working can significantly improve collaboration, efficiency, prioritise capital spending and build more agile operations to withstand future market disruptions.
Digital transformation is not a technology led solution, but a holistic approach that encompasses data, innovation, people and culture. Successful transformation requires all aspects of the industry operating eco-system, its suppliers and external partners to be digitally enabled and it is critical that all companies develop their own digital transformation strategies as there is no current best practice model in the sector to replicate.
At PD&MS, our digital transformation encompasses every level of the organisation, with the aim to foster a digital culture, empowering innovation and embedding digital talent. Our digital transformation journey has focussed on shifting the mindset of the workforce and developing new capabilities to support long term sustainable change, this has involved adjusting our recruitment strategies to include individuals with core digital skills bringing diverse knowledge and experience. Our goal has been to create digital fluency in the workforce through embedded digital applications at all levels.
To continue creating value for our customers, whilst reducing cost and improving service delivery we are consistently seeking to find ways to become more efficient, thinking differently and taking advantage of new technologies so we’re fully embracing digital transformation. With the industry requiring a more flexible, multi-skilled and technology enabled workforce we are integrating digital technology across our entire business operations to create more adaptable and agile work environments where teams are more flexible and more nimble.
At PD&MS we are a trusted lifecycle partner supporting clients and their operations at all stages of the asset lifecycle. Our digital transformation strategy is focussed on customer value creation; through understanding our client’s business problems first and the results they want to achieve, we implement tactical digitisation programmes with a clearly defined digital roadmap aligned with our clients’ needs to deliver tangible results. We understand all aspects of our customers’ operations and work processes and we focus on optimisation and effectively monetising digital initiatives, identifying unique needs and offering tailored digital solutions leading to operational efficiency, increased profitability and overall customer satisfaction.
We have successfully deployed VR technology to create more effective and collaborative teams optimising project planning and site execution. This has been achieved by incorporating VR into collaborative design reviews to enhance 3D modelling and visualisation to provide a better understanding of complex construction activities, site constraints and hazardous tasks, identifying issues early in design development leading to improved problem solving and reducing safety risks. VR technology has also been successfully applied in the preparation of efficient asset shutdowns and TARs through effective work scope planning and preparation, optimising work programmes and reducing planned shutdown days. VR technology has also been used for training and asset familiarisation for a transient construction workforce resulting in significant safety benefits and delivery performance.
Working with operators supporting very mature assets we are leveraging a range of technologies to capture, build and maintain a comprehensive real world geospatial visual twin. Our technology services include laser scanning, drone surveys, 360 degree photography and photogrammetry. By providing virtual replicas of physical assets and integrating real time data we are enabling operators to optimise performance, reduce costs, enhance decision making and improve safety across all phases of the asset lifecycle.
We are also embracing digitalisation to transform our work process, creating an integrated digital project eco-system to optimise end to end project delivery. The process involves the deployment and integration of intelligent engineering systems and creating efficiencies through integrating interfaces, data movements and information available in an automated and visible way across all internal and external stakeholders. Our automated engineering data process creates significant value to our customers, reducing the time and cost to create deliverables, eliminating duplication of engineering data for procurement, fabrication, construction work pack development and completions certification and reducing inefficiencies and wasted administration between functions. Our digital project eco-system also extends to our supply chain where we have incorporated RFID track and trace technology to improve material and equipment traceability, streamlining logistics through automated data collection and reporting and improving the speed and efficiency of logistics operations along with reducing equipment and material costs by optimising inventory levels of critical equipment.
As part of our PD&MS lifecycle services solutions we are integrating emerging digital technologies to modernise maintenance practices moving away from traditional reactive maintenance towards data driven, predictive maintenance strategies enhancing efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness. In collaboration with our RSK Group partner The Woodhouse Partnership and their world leading DST modelling and evaluation digital toolkit we are utilising data analytics and artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance to anticipate equipment failures before they occur, maximising production uptime and optimising maintenance planning. The DST digital toolkit promotes data driven decision making leveraging data analytics to improve maintenance processes, optimise resource allocation and enhance operational efficiency.
Our digital transformation initiatives are also significantly contributing to reducing carbon emissions across client operations and promoting energy efficiency. Within our specialist consultancy services group Optimus Plus, we carry out in depth computational modelling to simulate different operating scenarios to optimise flare performance to identify strategies for reducing methane emissions from flaring and venting including optimising flare design and operating conditions. We are also working closely with operators on IoT and AI strategies to improve emissions monitoring and predictive maintenance, using IoT devices to gather real time data from equipment and operations with AI analysing information to predict issues before they occur, allowing operators to address emissions proactively saving time and resources.
PD&MS are an industry leading integrated engineering, procurement and construction services provider to the energy sector supporting clients’ operations across all phases of the asset lifecycle.