Digital Energy and Collaboration
As I was doing the research for some previous posts I came across the Statoil website and their notion of Integrated Operations. The images included on this post are from their site. That is their phrase for what others (me included) are calling Digital Energy. I believe that Statoil has a rich site on this topic. It’s obviously an important topic for them. I agree. The above link will take you to their Integrated Operations pages.
One thing to remember is that Statoil is the Norwegian oil company and their main activities are located on the Norwegian Shelf. They also do exploration and production many other places as well. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico for the U.S., the Norwegian Shelf is loaded with all kinds of bad weather and harsh conditions for offshore exploration and production. Like the Gulf of Mexico for the U.S., they have the opportunity of locating operating centers along their own native shore line. Since conditions on the Norwegian Sea are much harsher than the Gulf of Mexico, their motivation to minimize offshore platform staffing is 
much greater than here, although it’s a growing concern here. That drives the development of those operations centers and the need to integrate them with their platforms.
That development of those onshore operation centers drives what I see as a very mature model of information sharing and collaboration. For example, they seem to have made heavy use of fiber optics to connect platforms. However, fiber loops in the Gulf have been growing as well. What that means is that high bandwidth to offshore platforms is becoming more the norm, providing the infrastructure for better communications and collaboration. That means better video conferencing, application sharing and access to cloud computing. That results in more effective collaboration between those on-shore command centers, production platforms and corporate offices including more real-time data availability. Decisions become much more real-time and less bureaucratic.
The result of this increased connectivity between platforms is an improved ability to manage and optimize the operations of an entire oil field. This improved connectivity also means the ability to use more off-the-shelf software. The availability of more software tools is also increased by the growing adoption of the WITSML standard from Energistics. The WITSML standard is the most mature, but others are evolving (like PRODML and RESQML). These data standards allow system vendors to build products that can interoperate. The growth of these standards is slow and painstaking. I know, I did a tour on the Energistcs group as a company representative, primarily on the PRODML standard. For me, it was like watching grass grow. You can do it for a while but eventually the frustration will get the better of you. The industry will benefit from the work of more patient people than me.
For those of you who prefer video to reading I am providing a link to Statoil’s film page. Obviously, these short films focus on Statoil’s efforts but they are also educational. There is one video focusing on operations which captures the essence of what I have been writing about. It isn’t overly technical for those of you with more of a business focus.
What excites me is the high bandwidth communications to each operating location, either on land or sea, combined with more use of off-the-shelf software supporting common data standards like those from Energistics. This will allow producers, vendors and consultants to become connected in new and creative ways. Such improved collaboration will allow better decisions to be made faster. We are already seeing that infrastructure evolving. However, its use needs to be more wide spread and include smaller players than we see today.
Once again, thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you next time.
