Norwegian digital support centre to support offshore operations

Norway's Statoil oil company has showcased its Bergen-based integrated digital operations support centre and a drilling operations centre.

Chief Operating Officer Jannicke Nilsson said the use of digital technology on its Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) installations allowed Statoil to "work smarter, safer and more efficiently".

In particular, it could enable proactive decision-making support and improve platform operations and maintenance.  

She said it could increase value creation from operated fields in Norway by more than US$2 billion from 2020 to 2025 before tax.

Up to 2020, Statoil plans to invest up to NOK2 billion (US$256 million) in digital technology to create higher value and improve operations.

"Digital technology contributes to continuous operational improvements on our existing fields," says Nilsson.

"In new field developments oil and gas production will to an increasing extent be carried out from unmanned, robotised, standardised and remote controlled installations. Many operations will be carried out by fewer risk-exposed working situations. We will be able to control the maintenance work in a better way and improve safety and operational quality."

The centre is scheduled to open after the norther summer season, and gradually support all Statoil-operated fields and installations on the NCS.

The first fields to be connected are Gina Krog and Grane in the North Sea and Åsgard in the Norwegian Sea.