Total E&P UK is a leading oil and gas company operating in the North Sea. In the Culzean gas field off the coast of the UK, the group is implementing an Operational Intelligence Platform (OIP) after a study verified demand for the Culzean gas deposits. The OIP is intended to enable efficient decision making and proactive operational management via access to timely data, data visualisation, monitoring/alerting capabilities and access to relevant systems and supporting documentation. Total opted to implement the OIP using plant engineering and operations intelligence software from Siemens. Breaking the project down into multiple phases allows all those involved a high level of flexibility and cost control, and also the opportunity to come up with a fast, efficient response to any arising challenges. Natural gas from the Culzean field is forecast to meet around five percent of total UK demand.
One of the main objectives behind implementation of the OIPl is to facilitate how information is handled, made available, and distributed. The aim is for the entire operations team to be able to access a jointly used information environment in which real-time data can be integrated seamlessly into maintenance and engineering data, affording personnel an overview of the Culzean asset’s performance and status at any time. The OIP is based on six main pillars: operations, health and safety, production, maintenance, planning and logistics, as well as the work areas of individual employees.
Smart software solutions
The platform is being realised using XHQ operations intelligence software and Comos Walkinside plant engineering software from Siemens. XHQ aggregates, relates and presents operational and business data in real time to provide personnel with a solid basis for performance management and decision-making. Comos Walkinside makes available 3D design data from the engineering phases and allows it to be used throughout the entire asset lifecycle. Implementation of the XHQ and Comos Walkinside software solutions for the project was managed by Siemens partner SLN Chemtech.
Step-by-step implementation
The project was implemented in multiple stages: proof of concept and verifying the performance of the tools used, commissioning, and joint solution development. Taking a cooperative joint approach to development along proved enormously helpful when it came to dealing with tricky and in some cases unexpected challenges.
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