AI-driven Hull Inspections: Streamlining Safety and Efficiency
Vessels are crucial parts of different industrial operations. Considering this, the ship's main body: the hull, must be regularly inspected to ensure high asset integrity, safety, and efficiency standards. Hull damages such as cracks can lead to oil leaks, which can implicate direct emergency costs that surpass USD 50,000,000 according to Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, which is 100x more expensive than the investment to repair the defects on time (before the accident) not including compensations, fines, and asset depreciation. In this regard, hull inspections are a maintenance procedure that helps energy companies and bulk cargo transporters maintain high safety, compliance, [...]
Why system integration is a must
Intro As industries get more digitalized, the need for establishing an integrated digital environment increases. In this sense, the extensive amount of data that large operations generate requires interconnectedness in order to properly monitor every part of an asset’s infrastructure. In this post, we’ll take a look at why this integration is a must, the advantages it provides, and how it can improve the overall efficiency and productivity of businesses, especially heavy asset industries. The rise of digital tools and the need for integration The process of digitalization is reshaping how industries face their routines. From manufacturing to [...]
How APM is enabling longer asset life cycles while reducing downtime
Intro Managing equipment life cycle is a sensitive matter that requires a careful approach from heavy asset industries. In this context, properly addressing maintenance practices lies in reducing unplanned downtime and reactive maintenance strategies with the intent of improving asset availability and readiness. For this reason, Asset Performance Management (APM) is a key concept to understand how this process can be streamlined. However, before getting into how asset life cycles are being optimized, it is necessary to understand the role of APM. What is the role of Asset Performance Management? Asset Performance Management does [...]
Unlocking AI’s accuracy and reliability
AI's growth scenario From its early days as a theoretical concept to today's omnipresent reality, AI's journey has been characterized by exponential growth. According to a 2022 IBM research, more than a third of companies (35%) report the use of AI in their business, a four-point increase from 2021. This illustrates a key change in the way we face reality, but different from other technological revolutions: today’s tool learns from its own experience at increasingly higher speed and scale. These tools are programmed to have a human-like thought process. Moreover, they are now a reality in the [...]
Exploring Remote Inspection Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry
Intro The oil and gas industry plays a critical role in powering our modern world. However, ensuring the integrity and safety of assets in this industry can be a very complex and dangerous task. Traditional inspection methods often involve significant manpower and time, along with potential safety risks due to the nature of offshore production processes. In recent years, remote inspection techniques have emerged as a game-changer, revolutionizing the way inspections are conducted in these kind of facilities. In this blogpost, we will delve into the possibilities offered by remote oil and gas inspection, such as drones and 360 cameras. [...]
The economic impact of corrosion in Oil and Gas
Intro The oil and gas industry plays a pivotal role in powering our world. From exploration to production, these facilities are vital for meeting global energy demands. However, they face a persistent threat: corrosion. Corrosion occurs when metal structures are exposed to environmental factors such as moisture, chemicals, and gases, resulting in their gradual deterioration. The challenges of Corrosion in O&G In the oil and gas sector, where infrastructure is subjected to harsh conditions, corrosion poses a serious challenge. Pipelines, storage tanks, and offshore platforms are all vulnerable to this corrosive attack. Left unchecked, corrosion can lead to catastrophic [...]
Top 3 Oil and Gas Inspection and Maintenance Trends for 2024
The search for digital solutions to the challenges faced in the oil and gas industries intensifies every year. According to BDO Global, it is predicted that the digital oilfield market, consisting of the internet of things, analytics, and cloud computing, will surpass US$20 billion by 2023. In this dynamic scenario, it becomes increasingly evident that the Oil and Gas sector is embarking on an ambitious journey towards the integration of digital technology as indispensable tools to tackle their most pressing challenges. Among the myriad of trends shaping the landscape, certain key areas emerge as paramount [...]
Transforming Pipeline Inspection with Machine Vision
Oil and gas pipelines are critical operation components that must provide safe and efficient means of transporting energy resources across vast distances. However, ensuring the safety and reliability of these pipelines requires regular maintenance and inspection, which can be a complex activity Traditionally, inspection has relied on the human workforce in the field, who visually examine pipelines for signs of damage, corrosion, or other defects and then fill out reports to indicate anomalies or possible problems. However, this approach is time-consuming, costly, and can be prone to human error. Moreover, it is difficult to inspect pipelines located in remote or [...]
Unlocking the Potential of Drones in the Oil and Gas Industry
Oil and gas topside maintenance managers are facing a problem: the way their team currently inspects and assesses corrosion in offshore installations is outdated, hazardous, time-consuming, and prone to human error. With big-scale installations, visual identification of corrosion demands a lot of people on board, which is not only inconvenient but also unsafe. The good news is that the solution to this problem exists, and it involves using drones and computer vision algorithms to empower field workers to automatically detect corrosion with the support of technology. In this blog post, we'll explore how drones can help you unlock the potential [...]
Benefits of Predictive Maintenance for Christmas Tree Equipment in the Oil and Gas Industry
Predictive maintenance is a modern approach to equipment maintenance that aims to predict potential failures and prevent them before they occur. In the oil and gas industry, the importance of maintenance cannot be ignored, as equipment downtime can result in significant financial losses and a decrease in production, as well as a safety risk. For example, one of the most relevant equipment for upstream oil and gas industries during the product extraction phase is the Christmas Tree, which is largely responsible for controlling productivity and safety in the operation. In other words, a failure that impairs its operation can [...]
