The StatoilHydro Grane installation in the North Sea is using IO extensively.

StatoilHydro defines integrated operations (IO) as collaboration across disciplines, companies, and organizational and geographical boundaries made possible by real-time data and new work processes to allow safer and better decisions to be reached more quickly.

To help identify the methods, technologies, and work processes necessary to integrate its operations, StatoilHydro created TAIL IO, a research and development consortium consisting of ABB, IBM, SKF, and Aker Solutions. The project is jointly managed by StatoilHydro and ABB.

The consortium and StatoilHydro are contributing equally to the project in terms of input and resources. The Norwegian Research Council is also a major contributor to the funding of the project, which has a budget of approximately US $40 million and will run for a period of 3.5 years.

As its name suggests, TAIL IO is aimed initially at improving operations in fields approaching the tail end of their life spans — the stage of a project where the production rate is declining, facilities are aging, and operational costs are high.

Though developed primarily for brownfield application, most of the solutions developed in TAIL IO will also be applicable for greenfield installations.

The program

TAIL IO is divided into seven technology areas where there is a high degree of collaboration.

Condition-based maintenance and performance monitoring. Effective lifecycle management requires continuous asset history tracking for monitoring operation, wear, damage, and maintenance. Careful monitoring of the assets’ condition and performance allows the implementation of predictive maintenance programs that significantly reduce maintenance costs and risk of failure. Without this information, performance suffers, and maintenance costs rise. Health, safety, and environment (HSE) are improved when more information about the plant’s condition is available.

The objective of the project is to review and develop systems, methods, and work processes to improve condition-based maintenance. The project is developing methods for early fault detection and residual life prediction and for condition monitoring of critical assets such as pumps and valves as well as electrical, rotating, and static equipment.

Several pilots will enter the trial phase in 2008. Methods for early fault and disturbance detection will be tested on two specific offshore installations. Methods for residual life prediction and non-intrusive inspection are also on their way to being piloted.

A successful trial phase recently ended for condition monitoring of an electrical equipment pilot that enables remote drive diagnostics. Continuous effort will go toward using electrical signals for condition monitoring.

Corporate decisions support model for strategic planning of turnarounds and shutdowns. StatoilHydro regularly shuts in production on its fields to carry out preventive and corrective maintenance activities, plant modification, and new field tie-ins. In 2006, turnarounds and unplanned shutdowns were the single most important cause of lost production. This fact was the impetus for several initiatives aimed at minimizing production losses.

The goal of this project is to develop a tool that can accommodate a vast and complex range of data with the ultimate objective of minimizing the number and length of asset shutdowns. The work processes, methods, and solutions developed will consist of three main building blocks: a turnaround and shutdown knowledge analyzer, a turnaround and shutdown risk analyzer, and a turnaround and shutdown optimizer.

Development of the knowledge analyzer and the risk analyzer is well on its way. These solutions will be the basis for developing the optimizer. The first prototypes are ready, and pilots have been started. Three offshore facilities are currently using the prototypes for monitoring of the performance of their 2008 turnarounds.

A first prototype of a solution for simulation and optimization of turnarounds has also been developed. It will be tested on one facility this year, with further developed planned.

Wireless communication and sensor systems. IO requires reliable and smart 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 green fields wireless instrumentation cuts commissioning time and adds flexibility.

The goals for the project are to design new and open communication systems, install wireless instrumentation to reduce cabling and capital expenditure, and automate maintenance tasks to reduce maintenance man-hours.

Collaborative visualization tools for preparation, training, executing and supporting maintenance operations. The project goal is to increase the efficiency, safety, and quality of maintenance operations on oil and gas facilities using 3-D computer models for planning, training, and support. The aim is to develop a tool that can support a wide range of functions (including multi-organizational team collaboration) to perform maintenance operations and diagnostics and to improve the level of assistance from centers of excellence.

Mobile ICT. The focus of this area is on man-machine technology, work processes, and mobile ICT (information and communication technology) infrastructure that support plant personnel. The growing deployment of wireless networks and devices is making it increasingly possible for maintenance technicians to have continuous access to support systems and personnel via a wireless connection and personal digital assistant (PDA).

Participants in this project are working on a prototype for testing fire and gas sensors, eliminating manual work, and reducing interaction and dependencies between the control room and the field worker performing detector testing. The field worker has direct access to the control system and is able to perform a much more efficient and secure operation by use of technology to identify and verify that the correct detector is deactivated, tested, and reactivated once the test is complete.

Test results are directly logged in systems, and there is no need for additional paper work and running back and forth to the office. The handheld device that is being used communicates directly with the safety and automation system. It can provide location tracking and can transmit live video and audio from the offshore plant to the control room and vice versa.

Further the project has a pilot using of RFID (radio frequency identification) for asset tracking of containers. Both passive (in-out) and active (position) RFID are used.
Robotics. The sixth subproject concentrates on robotics technology to supplement and extend human inspection and intervention capabilities at subsea, topside, and onshore facilities. The objective is to develop solutions that combine tele-robotics and advanced visualization to enable remotely operated inspection and maintenance operations, as well as to identify and close technology gaps.

Remote operation includes traditional monitoring and control of the process as well as inspection and light maintenance tasks. robots will operate as the extended eyes, ears, and hands of the field operators and will work in tandem with them for dangerous, difficult, and dirty tasks. The primary purpose of the system is to improve HSE. Only during process shutdowns will maintenance crew be present within the process area. Transportation to offshore installations will be considerably reduced as well.

TAIL IO robotics tests and demonstrates the concept of future offshore facilities and closes many of the challenging technology gaps. The concept is being tested in advanced lab facilities before the next step toward offshore pilots. Two large lab facilities have been built to support this work.

Common infrastructure. A critical success factor for fully integrated operations is access to real-time production information as well as equipment and performance data from processing and operational units across the organization. Access is achieved through a common architecture for the operations and maintenance systems, which makes it easy to find, interpret, and understand real-time data across all facilities.

Integrating data from control and monitoring systems with the overall administrative systems and support of corporate as well as plant-specific work processes and goals will strengthen the integration between sea and land. The project has completed a proof-of-concept phase and is now performing a full-scale pilot involving several dedicated assets.