Integrated Operations (IO) are defined as “collaboration across disciplines, companies, organizational and geographical boundaries, made possible by real-time data and new work processes, in order to reach safer and better decisions – faster.”
To help identify the methods, technologies and work processes necessary to integrate its operations in the operation & maintenance area, Statoil in 2005 initiated an R&D project called Tail IO, and awarded a consortium consisting of ABB, IBM, Aker Solutions and SKF a three and a half year R&D contract. The major part of this project was concluded early 2009.
The consortium and Statoil have contributed equally to the project. In addition, the Norwegian Research Council has contributed significantly to the project in terms of funding. The total budget approximates $40 million.
As the name suggest, TAIL IO main focus has been on methods, technologies and work processes that can improve operations at fields approaching the end of their lives, i.e., the stage where oil & gas production is declining, facilities are aging and cost of operations is high. Extending the economic lifetime of these fields is vital to all companies, also those operating on the Norwegian shelf. However, most of the solutions developed are also applicable to fields in other phases, green fields as well.
Watch the TAIL IO project video
Get more insight into the TAIL IO project by watching the videos about the solutions, the benefits, IBMs role, how Statoil and the consortium have been working together, what lies in the future and the technology behind
The Tail IO Projects
Common integration architecture
Real-time information about production, equipment and performance from all processing and operational units is a critical success factor for integrated operations to be fully deployed across an enterprise. The Tail IO project has developed and tested a solution that standardizes the access to real-time data across facilities and domains, and that support existing as well as new applications and work processes. The solution is by Statoil called GODI (Global Operations Data Integration), by IBM IIF (Information Integration Framework). The solution is based on open industry standards like ISA 88 and 95 and ISO 15926, and open IT standards like OPC and web services, and makes it possible to standardize applications and work processes across assets.
The solution was in 2007 through an extensive proof-of-concept on two of Statoil’s most complex facilities in the North Sea. In 2008 a full-scale pilot was carried out at two additional facilitis. A total of 11 use cases and 61 test cases were successfully executed. IBM already has commercialized the solution and offers it to customers world wide.
Condition and performance monitoring
Condition based maintenance (CBM) is a central part of Statoil’s maintenance strategy. For condition based maintenance concepts to be fully implemented, solutions for monitoring of the condition of critical equipment, and early detection of events that may disturbe the performance of the equipment is critical.
In the Tail IO project several solutions for monitoring of equipment has been developed and tested, e.g., solutions for monitoring of electrical drives and static equipment. In addition, solutions for early detection of events have been developed and piloted. This includes IBM’s Key Production Indicator and Event Early Warning (EEW) solutions. The KPI solution was used for calculation of parameters like pump efficiency and turbine equivalence time, while the EEW solution was used for early detection of clogging in separators Both solutions may improve the regularity of critical equipment, reduce shutdown time and repair costs.
Turnarounds and shutdowns
Statoil regularly closes down the production on its oil and gas fields, due to preventive and corrective maintenance activities, modifications of the facilities, and tie-in of new fields. Turnarounds and unplanned shutdowns generally speaking are the single most important cause for lost production. Statoil has launched several initiatives to minimize production losses due to turnarounds and reduce the probability of unplanned shutdowns. The Tail IO project has developed three solutions to support these initiatives:
- Monitoring of the performance of ongoing turnaround projects, from start to end
- Optimization of the duration and frequency of turnarounds on an individual asset, with respect to production
- Optimization of the duration and frequency of turnarounds across interdependent assets
The first solution currently is being rolled out across Statoil’s various assets offshore Norway. The two other solutions Statoil and IBM are continuing development of.
Wireless communication
Integrated Operations requires more reliable and smarter instrumentation. On existing offshore facilities there is little or no space available in cable trays for additional cabling, and the cost of adding new hardwired instruments is very high. For both brown and green fields wireless instrumentation cuts commissioning time and adds flexibility.
The Tail IO project has tested wireless networks and instruments both in laboratories and in real life. The tests have been encouraging, and important contributors to Statoil’s plans for heavier instrumentation of its fields, and the consortium’s plans for development of required technologies.
Collaborative visualisation
There is general agreement in the industry that the efficiency, safety and quality of maintenance operations can be improved using 3D computer models for planning, training and support. In other industries solutions and processes for testing of maintenance operations in a 3D environment already are in use. In the Tail IO project Statoil, Aker Solutions and IBM successfully have tested a solution for simulation of maintenance operations in 3D on two of Statoil’s facilities.
In the two pilots 3D models from Statoil’s PDMS system and work orders from SAP have been imported into the Delmia solution, a solution that is provided by IBM and Dassault Sytstemes, and simulated in 4D. In both pilots problems that could have lead to an increase of downtime were identified, and material generated that support safe job analysis and upfront training of operators and technicians. Both Statoil and Aker Solutions now are exploring the potential associated with the Delmia solution, in co-operation with IBM.
Mobile ICT infrastructure
The TAIL IO project has defined a vision for the future operations in the oil and gas industry that can be expressed like this: “Bringing the field worker’s office into the plant”. This is a strong message and a wish to make the field worker more selfcontained and efficient in his or her operations inside the plant, being onshore or offshore.
To support this vision, the Tail IO project has run two projects, one developing a solution that allows operators in the field to test fire & gas detectors without any support from the control room, and one developing a solution for real-time tracking of containers on Statoil’s onshore bases. Both solutions have been successfully piloted. Statoil and IBM now are discussing how to continue the efforts in this field.
Robotics technology
This year will be an exciting year bringing together all the threads of the TAIL IO Robotics – Future Facilities project. The goal of the project is to develop and demonstrate an advanced automation system including flexible robot manipulators for remote operation of future offshore platforms.
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