Digital, whatever the sector of activity, becomes a crucial necessity for the technological and economic development of companies. The Oil and Gas sector is no exclusion. For many decades, oil and gas companies have been equipped with increasingly powerful digital analysis tools and a multitude of sensors to regulate and optimize their production.
Hence, advances in digital are bringing new life to the sector, giving free rein to innovation. The oil and gas sector is in real pain, especially upstream, the progress made at the digital level is a real opportunity for its players to refine their business model. It also helps in making significant savings, especially where the investment costs and operations are essential.
One of the areas where digital technology has been particularly beneficial is in the field of well intervention. This is a process used to manage the life of an oil or gas well to enhance its performance or to close it safely. The use of digital technology in well intervention has led to more efficient operations and significant cost savings.
Digital technology is now a part of the habits of the sector, which has been equipped for many years with powerful sensors, analysis software, and equipment.
To achieve such cost reduction objectives, it is necessary to identify the levers on which to act and which are:
Improve sensor performance and operations
The use of sensors is not new to the sector which, since 1980, deploys in mass sensors for the reception of the waves emitted during a geophysical prospection. The trend today is to multiply the use of latest sensors to collect more data and have better forecasts.
In order to improve the performance of these sensors and their maintainability, oil tankers are now using new maintenance technologies, notably through the use of drones that make it possible to verify that the sensors placed on the ground are working properly and to solicit operators only when it’s necessary.
Better control of production and risks associated with installations
On production sites or drilling operations, the smart rooms make it possible to remotely monitor the operations with the objective of concentrating the expertise to better accompany the maintenance and monitoring activities. It also provides immediate support in case of a problem on site.
The predictive maintenance and algorithmic advances provide additional assistance to engineers who can develop maintenance strategies “long-termits.” Moreover, advanced digital technologies equip these smart rooms as hyperspectral scientific imaging technologies or seismic analysis techniques by spectro-electromagnetism for oil exploration.
Cybersecurity: A Strategic Sector to Protect
Digitalizing by connecting more and more facilities and operators seems to be a very good opportunity for the Best Lubes Oil Company in the sector. It helps to innovate and achieve their goal of reducing costs, crucial for their survival.
However, the sector is the victim of numerous cyber-attacks because it constitutes a strategic sector at the origin of many geopolitical conflicts.
Connect production and distribution sites for better cost control
To make the best use of data from both production and distribution sites in control rooms, operators now connect all production, processing, and storage processes together. Thus, sensors are connected to optimize the flow of material to distribution centers to control the storage of crude oil while meeting the demand.
The cloud allows subsequently storing and managing large amounts of data accessible worldwide by all teams. It is also a great way to improve exchanges between contractors and operators who can benefit from the same database to collaborate together at a lower cost. Also, it helps in promoting more and more work on the move.
Conclusion
Digital progress will undoubtedly improve the oil and gas sector with the ability to generate even more strategic data. By analyzing them with more efficient systems, operators will be able to control production in a better way.
