VR delivers increased safety and major cost savings
15/09/20
“This is what we have been waiting for for the last 40 years,” says Arild Toft of Aker BP about the potential of simulating training onshore by giving staff the experience in a virtual environment to prepare maintenance operations, save precious time and increase safety.
“If you save 24 hours in a 10 days shutdown, this is the equivalent of a day of extra production. For many operators this translates into significant increases in production and profitability,”
“The best thing about VR technology for us is that it will provide better insight and understanding of how an offshore facility works with regards to planning and operations.”
Arild Toft, Aker BP
The biggest benefits of applied VR technology are:
“Real-feel” user experience and early quality testing of the offshore environment, work processes/sequences and quality assurance on equipment used
Substantial savings and reduced downtime in maintenance and modifications
Increased safety because of onshore dry runs
Better alignment between operators and suppliers in a shared VR environment
Aker BP, Wintershall, Neptune Energy, Vår Energy and OMV are companies that have participated in technology demonstrations in PwC`s Energy Experience Center in Stavanger (link here), as illustrated by two use cases highlighted below:
Use case 1: The mandatory offshore awareness training with VR saves time
The oil companies have a planned maintenance shutdown schedule to improve the reliability and safety of installations. Subcontractors who are used here often have to travel to an offshore installation for the first time. The subcontractors must carry out an awareness training programme to familiarise themselves with the platform. They need to know where cabins, safety equipment, and escape routes are located.
The Virtual Reality solution provides a tremendous “real life” picture of the offshore environment and the tasks to be performed before employees physically travel offshore. “Time is precious. The oil companies save significant time when training new offshore staff onshore” says Thingbø.
Use case 2: Maintenance of valves to improve efficiency and reinforce safety
Another example is onshore simulation of tasks around complex procedures for equipment maintenance. Dependency conditions and work sequences are crucial for safety offshore and how time is allocated. Practicing the tasks onshore in a Virtual Reality context up front will make the job both safer and faster. The initial business case indicates 30-50% savings in downtime caused by maintenance tasks.
At PwC we are witnessing major progress and positive results as we work with Norwegian operators to test and apply this technology. These tests aim to prove the viability of the VR platform, business cases and the user experience. In order to facilitate this, PwC’s Energy Experience Center has established a permanent VR lab where our clients can test drive and explore this technology.
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