Data Brings Offshore Platform Anywhere and Everywhere

To the unfamiliar, offshore oil rigs might conjure a certain image: the sun setting over the rippling ocean, a helicopter or boat ride away from land, as a group of workers breathe the sea air while bringing in oil.

This is just one facet of life on offshore platforms, which are located in “4D” environments: dull, dirty, dangerous and distant. Even reaching these offshore platforms requires a treacherous journey, maneuvering helicopters onto windy production platforms that are being installed further away from land—making the trips longer and more costly.

Fortunately, there’s a better — and safer — way to operate offshore platforms. Emerson technology makes it possible to operate offshore production facilities like platforms and vessels from the safety and comfort of dry land.

Of course, the nature of offshore facilities means there will always be a need to have experienced workers onboard periodically to keep things running smoothly. But by installing small, advanced sensors throughout the platform and leveraging secure Industrial Internet of Things communications and analytics software, experts can have real-time access to operations and performance data from anywhere in the world.

Sensors constantly send data, where it’s analyzed by specialists who use the information to anticipate issues and make adjustments to maximize key performance indicators. The technology — which makes it possible for a controls expert in Louisiana to weigh in while a flow expert in Nebraska offers insight at the same time — enables companies to bring the right real-time data to the right expert, regardless of geography.

Enabling experts anywhere across the globe to view and interpret the data addresses another challenge the oil and gas industry is experiencing: a drastic upswing in the number of experienced engineers set to retire in the years ahead. The complex operations of an offshore platform require in-depth knowledge of operations and trends. The ability to transmit data anywhere enables experts to provide insights and reassurance.

This integrated business approach, using advanced automation technologies, is bolstered by advancements in control technologies, field devices and robust networks that enable remote monitoring, resulting in better and faster decision-making.

By leveraging today’s smart instruments and automation technologies, we see experts collaborating from across the world, making offshore platforms safer and more efficient.