Once an oil or gas discovery is made, operators face a broad spectrum of development options. One of the decisions that has to be made at the outset is the approach that will be taken for lifecycle management. Management takes into account both time and technology in effectively scheduling routine and daily work.

Norway-based oil and gas engineering company Aker Solutions recently launched one of the most advanced integrated operations suites available in the industry for lifecycle management as part of its expanding drilling lifecycle services (DLS) business.

Into the future
The most recent development has been dubbed the Iport. It is a large facility in the company’s main office in Stavanger, on Norway’s west coast. This facility is the physical manifestation of science with a vision in this discipline.

The technology behind the simulators used in the Iport is derived from the gaming industry. (Images courtesy of Aker Solutions)

The main component is 3-D simulator software technology for training, planning, and testing purposes in relation to drilling projects. The technology behind the simulators is derived from the gaming industry, which has provided strong data processing engines and great visual quality. Techniques such as laser scanning are used to ensure all of the physical measurements of every rig used in the program are correct.

The process is called Visioneering – the combination of visualization technology and engineering.Visioneering goes beyond the simple use of simulators. It requires cooperation and close dialogue with the client at every stage of every project.

According to Ole Paulsen, who heads Aker Solutions’ performance technology center, “The main feedback from clients has been that the simulator makes quality assurance of rigs and equipment much easier.”

Precision is critical, he said. “Having access to complex information in the form of images simplifies project planning and execution, clarifies communication, and reduces risk and cost in addition to having simulators as working tools.”

Training in simulators has proven to be an effective and efficient way of gaining offshore experience without ever having set foot on a rig, which provides significant cost and HSE benefits.

The uniqueness of the center is that it combines the simulators, technological facilities, and services under one roof – in one port. The center has five main areas on the ground floor, each equipped with a simulator. The five areas include a dome-shaped training simulator, two Visioneering suites, a mission control room, and an online rig support room.

The dome simulator is the biggest simulator in the Iport and is used mainly for training offshore personnel.

In the two Visioneering suites, personnel can meet for planning, engineering, and precommissioning. They can check compatibility between pieces of machinery as well as compatibility between existing software/equipment and new software/equipment to be installed.

Training in simulators has proven to be an effective and efficient way of gaining offshore experience without ever having set foot on a rig.

All of this is accomplished in accordance with the Visioneering work method.

In the mission control room, clients can bring their own servers and have access to simulators that allow them to visualize drill floor activities (XfactorDES) and drilling processes (XfactorDPV) on their rigs. Other possibilities include multidiscipline operational training, well construction and drilling management, mission control, and support.

Personnel who staff the online rig support room provide 24-hour support for troubleshooting and general support for day-to-day operations. For example, in an emergency situation, the support personnel have access to all rig documentation as well as a simulator. This improves their ability to communicate with offshore personnel to facilitate rig operation and repair without having to send personnel offshore.

The first floor of the facility has a small cinema with a specialized screen, walkways, and a meeting room associated with the mission control room.With all of these technological inventions and facilities available, the Iport center provides in one location everything clients and visitors need to ensure a project’s success.

The performance technology center was established under its current name in 2010 by the internal merger of Aker Solutions’ drilling equipment hub in Stavanger, Norway, and its wholly owned subsidiary First Interactive, which also was based in the country’s oil capital. The division is spearheading the development of new technology in Aker Solutions’ DLS business and today has more than 10 years of operational experience.

The performance technology center employs approximately 100 employees in two Norway offices in Stavanger and Oslo; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Kharkov, Ukraine. The center is part of Aker Solutions’ global DLS business, which operates in all major deepwater drilling hubs around the world.

In addition to domestic bases in the cities of Kristians and and Stavanger, the group has major hubs in Rio das Ostras, Brazil; Houston; and Singapore.All of the locations are fully equipped with Aker Solutions’ simulators and highly experienced and qualified staff who can provide around-the-clock service on Aker Solutions’ full range of topside drilling equipment.

In 2011, the company plans to roll out the advanced features from the Iport to these locations to make the technology and service available to more customers around the world.