Proserv has that globally recognised backwards compatibility to be able to integrate our technology within existing infrastructure and systems – and this fits centrally with how OKEA looks to enhance and refurbish legacy equipment to reduce costs but increase productivity.

Ole Tom Furu, Senior Sales Manager and Petter Eriksen, Senior Project Manager, both based at our Trondheim site, give the lowdown on our recent contract awards from OKEA concerning its important and long-standing Draugen field, and how our augmented controls technology (ACT) will be integral to our work.

What will Proserv Controls be doing for OKEA?

We have received two significant and valuable wins from OKEA in the past year.

In March 2021, we were selected as the service provider for the overhaul and refurbishment of a part of the existing original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) subsea production control system on the Draugen field.

This project is now on-going but since then, building further on the growing positive and constructive relationship between Proserv and OKEA, early in 2022, we secured a further upgrade contract relating to the current infrastructure on Draugen.

OKEA has long-term plans for the life extension of this asset, intending to maintain production for another twenty years, so our contracts represent a key component of that.

Having a subsea controls expert like us, as part of its support team, will prove advantageous as, by 2040, the asset would have been in production for nearly 50 years. OKEA, as the operator, has set a clear goal of optimising production and reducing downtime.

Service will be delivered from Proserv Controls’ locations in Trondheim and Stavanger, with close connection to the OKEA teams sited in Stavanger, Trondheim and Kristiansund.

The Draugen field has 11 production wells (generating more than 17,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent) so OKEA will overhaul its subsea control modules (SCMs) on the legacy system over time.

Our arrangement will be to provide condition-based maintenance and OKEA will make a call when its team will need our services and support.

So, these awards seem like a great opportunity to roll out our unique subsea electronics solutions. What are we supplying?

That’s correct. Right now, following our win in 2021 and engaging our augmented controls technology, or ACT, we are refurbishing two of the existing, legacy SCMs, integrating our own Artemis 2G (A2G) subsea electronics module (SEM) within these and installing one of the SCMs on a well, also adding a new ROV connector for hydrocarbon leakage detection.

With the coexistence capability that we are renowned for, this will mean that the restored SCM, enhanced by our SEM, will be able to communicate seamlessly with the other existing SCMs and connected instrumentation. The upgraded SCM will have options to include extra functionality through the newly available open interfaces. Our technology will use spare capacity in the umbilical to increase the communications capability.

For the operator, our solution will enable the possibility of using the present infrastructure for future additional wells, which was previously not possible, and will remove any potential obsolescence issues. That really fits with OKEA’s ethos of prioritising efficiencies on its assets.

As a core element, Proserv is also delivering a truly innovative and flexible integrated topside solution enabling highly effective communications with the newly renovated SCM. Much of the control logic will now be handled by the Distribution Control System (DCS), with the Master Control Station serving only as a gateway.

The topside interfacing has been developed alongside the DCS supplier ABB and we have used proven Proserv concepts delivered across several other projects in Norwegian waters. This solution will allow for a smooth and seamless switch over to our Proserv subsea electronics whenever required by OKEA. This represents a very cost effective and scalable approach that will help OKEA both to expand and maintain the system moving forwards.

The second SCM to be refurbished will currently be retained by OKEA as a spare unit, ready for installation once a legacy SCM has failed.

Our subsequent contract from OKEA earlier this year will see us upgrade the instrumentation, cabling and harnesses on a refurbished subsea tree, as well as renovate yet another SCM, again leveraging our communications expertise to broaden its available functionality, so transforming its future performance and capability.

What would you say has secured Proserv these contracts and not the actual OEM of the subsea equipment?

I would say there are two key parts to this. Our growing relationship with OKEA, who are based close to us here in Trondheim, and which has also developed further since we first carried out a study on the Draugen field.

But just as crucial has been our shared philosophy about how to optimise performance and extend the productive life of assets.

OKEA, as a leading mid-to-late life specialist operator, recognises the potential of ACT and how this can be applied to maximum value on long-standing, smaller brownfield assets where you need to be smart and creative to exploit more marginal gains.

Older fields will invariably have issues around reliability of subsea controls and obsolete, unsupported OEM equipment – OKEA has seen that Proserv is not only a market leader in solving these problems, but we can also boost future performance via our unique solutions.

Proserv has that globally recognised backwards compatibility to be able to integrate our technology within existing infrastructure and systems – and this fits centrally with how OKEA looks to enhance and refurbish legacy equipment to reduce costs but increase productivity.

Optimising asset performance and extending life also have environmental benefits too?

This is very important. Our core approach, with any customer, is always to see how we can innovate a solution that maximises existing infrastructure. Traditionally, this has had direct, obvious benefits around saving time by avoiding intensive intervention, and similarly about reducing expenditure by committing less OPEX to undertake major upgrades or replacements. These are already clear, strong advantages.

But when we look to harness our ACT coexistence capabilities, we can refurbish rather than replace equipment – effectively regenerating SCMs and giving them a new lease of life instead of intrusive, full system upgrades. This eliminates the carbon footprint of the manufacturing of the new components, the transportation to site and then the emissions of the vessels to support the replacement operation.

Similarly, when SCMs are performing reliably (and this is exactly what our A2G SEMs offer) that eradicates the necessity of vessels having to make further journeys to the asset to replace faulty modules.

Smart operators like OKEA can see the multi-dimensional benefits of this proposition. It stands to reason that if you alleviate unreliability issues and improve performance then you have an asset that is functioning at a high level and so it is more efficient in every sense, using less power, fluids and generating fewer emissions.

Also, if we look at the SCMs we will be upgrading for OKEA following our contract awards, because Proserv is able to offer wider bandwidth via its ACT solution, we can deliver additional functionality to existing, legacy SCMs. By incorporating the potential for hydrocarbon leak detection monitoring, the environmental benefits can be extended.

So, as we move forwards, we naturally hope this shared ethos will allow us to become more involved on the Draugen field, which is core to OKEA’s output and strategy, and to offer our support as it potentially contemplates further extensions both there and elsewhere in its portfolio.

Our Group CEO David Currie was in attendance yesterday at the official launch of the £9mn National Floating Wind Innovation Centre in Aberdeen. The Centre has been driven and developed by Energy Transition Zone (ETZ Ltd) and ORE Catapult.

David sits on the Board of Directors of ETZ.

The primary aim of the Centre, which represents a world first, is to support north-east Scotland becoming a global leader in offshore floating wind. A statement released by ORE Catapult highlighted the strong “synergies” between offshore wind and subsea technologies and expertise, as “75% of the world’s subsea engineering capability is based in the region.”

The initial focus will be digital simulation and modelling, moving on to the testing and validation of the key components of floating structures, including moorings and anchors, dynamic cables and electrical systems.

Speaking after the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally opened the Centre, David Currie commented:

“The new National Floating Wind Innovation Centre marks a key step along the road towards preparing and supporting our region, with its excellent subsea heritage and know-how, for the transition and pivot to a future where offshore wind, both fixed and floating, will play an increasingly major role in energy generation.

“At Proserv, we recognise this changing landscape and we are already harnessing our capabilities to build exciting and disruptive new technologies to enhance the performance and productivity of offshore wind farms.”

David Currie also observed that among its varied objectives, the new initiative intends to strengthen O&M practices with the goal of alleviating “premature failure and reducing unplanned maintenance”.

Just last month, Proserv announced that its new holistic cable monitoring system ECG™ had been selected by DEME Offshore to provide the entire inter-array cabling monitoring of phases A and B of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is set to become the largest offshore wind farm in the world.

Earlier this month, our Modern Apprentice Workshop Technician Yasmin Madden from our Great Yarmouth Subsea Centre of Excellence was invited by East Coast College in Lowestoft, where she is currently a student, to meet HRH Anne, Princess Royal who was visiting the campus and launching its new Athena Programme, which is intended to encourage more women and girls into the energy sector.

Yasmin also featured in a news report for ITV Anglia news the very same day! Here are a few images from the occasion (Yasmin is wearing her black Proserv sweatshirt). Well done Yasmin!

Personal growth and development are core commitments here at Proserv. Supporting colleagues through both mentoring and training are vital in making sure everyone has an opportunity to fulfil their potential. As part of our People Stories series, we ask Lee McLean, Manufacturing Manager at our Great Yarmouth facility, about his own mentoring of apprentices. We also talk to Yasmin Madden, Modern Apprentice Workshop Technician, about how having a mentor has helped her since they first joined Proserv.

It has been nearly two months since we signed the acquisition deal for Dron & Dickson‘s Middle East business to establish new Proserv electrical services. The new team are now all moved into our Abu Dhabi facility and have been welcomed with open arms by our Proserv family.

The team has set up a new dedicated electrical assembly room where we assemble (amongst other things) Weidmueller certified Junction Boxes, as well as significantly increasing our storage racking area for electrical components.

Angus Rodger, General Manager for Proserv Al Badie says: “It has been amazing to see how welcoming the team, new and old, have been during the past two months and the incredible effort and energy so many people have put into making this integration a success. There are too many people to thank in one post but I would like to thank everyone who has been involved so far!”

Please enjoy a quick fly round video of our great facility in Abu Dhabi!

We speak to HSE Lead and Global HSE Function Leader Rudy Capelo about our recent success organising Proserv Global Safety Day that focused on hand safety and the dangers of complacency.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I am currently the HSE Manager for Sommermeyer. I also hold a dual role as Global HSE Function Leader for all our sites. My primary focus is to provide HSE advice, guidance and mentoring as part of the management team. I also ensure compliance with all Proserv reporting requirements and HSE laws. As a leader, I understand I am only as good as my team. Therefore, to ensure Proserv continues to remain a safe place to work, I strive to create clarity, clear context and consistency with regards to HSE.

One recent accomplishment in our HSE world was our Global Safety Day, which was a first for Proserv.

Why is safety awareness so important?

Because safety is such an important part of our daily lives, it’s important to always remain aware of potential safety issues and consciously act in the best interest of safety.

It’s easier said than done, of course. Daily responsibilities at work can often distract even the most diligent employees and decrease alertness. Employees who have been doing the same job for years can be at an even higher risk. This is because they’re less likely to consciously think about their actions. Repetitive tasks can switch on a person’s autopilot to the point they don’t need to put much thought into their work.

When this happens, safety can become less of a daily thought, unless it’s brought back to the spotlight. Without ongoing awareness, employees may begin to neglect safe practices in lieu of faster, more efficient methods. Taking a shortcut once with no negative consequences makes it easier to repeat those shortcuts and look for new ones. But it’s only a matter of time before those ‘efficiencies’ result in an undesirable outcome.

At Proserv, safety is key. Because of the potentially catastrophic consequences that can result from complacency, we regularly conduct safety campaigns on various topics. Our recent Global Safety Day was one such effort to help keep the awareness at the top of everyone’s mind.

Why a global safety day?

We all know that safety begins from the moment we wake up, to the moment we get back into bed at night. I therefore wanted to showcase this, using one day in which safety was highlighted simultaneously around the globe.
The Global Safety Day is a safety awareness day in which all sites participate in multiple safety-related activities over the course of one day. As safety affects everyone, the day involved all our employees, from management to shop floor.

How was the day organised?

The HSE Leads at each site were tasked with developing their own ideas for how best to structure the day. They were however asked to base the day around the topics of safety complacency and hand safety. We ensured that we had materials and posters developed ahead of the day that highlighted these key themes.

Beyond that, facility leads were free to organise the day as they saw fit. This allowed individual site empowerment, and I was extremely proud that each site took complete ownership of the event. I will say that some of the activities really left a lasting impression on myself. Kudos to everyone!

What were some of the highlights of the Proserv Global Safety Day?

For one thing, participation levels were high, which truly showed the interest our employees have for HSE. Team building was also evident during the day, which only strengthened employee relations. This has a positive knock-on effect, as a strong team can, in turn, help to keep each other safe.

In terms of the activities that took place – there were many excellent ideas. One such activity was where employees at one facility were instructed to put a sock on their dominant hand to simulate a hand injury, and then attempt to eat lunch and move around the facility. I thought this was very effective.

Another activity was an art contest, which involved our employees and their children. It was great to see the many art pieces created. This was especially effective as, by involving their families, it shows how safety awareness doesn’t end once you leave the office.

Beyond that there were quizzes, presentations, themed lunches etc. Everyone really did a great job. Every site had fantastic ideas. I heard a lot of feedback that revolved around one site seeing what another site did, and thinking “now, why didn’t I think of that?” I will say this: I anticipate some friendly competition for the best ideas at the Global Safety Day next year!

How does the safety day link with our FRESH values?

Throughout the globe, we easily showcased multiple values, from Forward as a Team, Right thing, Right way, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Help, Share and Communicate. The activities highlighted teamwork, created excellent safety-related memories and allowed everyone to continue to focus on safety.

What are your future plans with safety initiatives?

This is a great question, and I’ve had a few inquiries about this. It’s important we do activities like this to keep our employees engaged. I believe the Global Safety Day, and the themes it showcased, will stick with our employees for a long time.

Even so, I intend to keep up momentum by conducting a few more mini campaigns throughout the year. One can never have too much safety. The key aspect will be to ensure that any campaign is meaningful and relatable. This will ensure we are not just ticking the box, and the Global Safety Day was anything but a box-ticking exercise. We will make sure we put our own Proserv touch on any HSE campaign, built around our FRESH values.

Name one piece of advice you would give to those reading this article for keeping safe.

Improve your own and others safety by understanding risks and always be aware of your surroundings. Continue to look for opportunities to improve and shine a light on any strengths and weaknesses. Always strive to maintain a culture of ZERO harm to those around you – whether it’s colleagues, their families, clients and beyond!

Proserv Profile: We spend time with Senior Sales Manager Luke Wassell and learn more about his current role and background.

Luke, you were promoted to Senior Sales Manager earlier this year, but in 2019 you made the move across from operations to sales, what prompted that decision?

I really felt my background and regular client interfacing in project management, as well as my time before that in the workshop and services, gave me an ideal profile to move into sales and business development. I had established a good, close understanding, not only of how our products and solutions are built and function, but of the voice of the customer too.

I am now 18 months into the role. I am thoroughly enjoying it and building relationships with our clients has been great. Within Proserv, the support I have been given has been extremely helpful, not simply in terms of training, but also being able to come together as a group and give opinions on things, suggest changes and openly share with colleagues that key voice of our customers.

Towards the end of last year, I took on the senior sales role and my responsibilities and accounts have increased. I now have a new additional challenge, beyond my role in the European market, of looking to grow our presence in East and South East Asia.

Do you see good opportunities for Proserv in East and South East Asia?

Yes, I certainly do and the discussions I’m having with new and existing clients are encouraging for both greenfield and brownfield opportunities. We are extremely close to formalising a second representative agreement in the region, with one already successfully secured, which I think will be highly beneficial, not only for subsea controls but across all our offerings, including topside. Building such partnerships makes it much easier for us to bid for future projects in the region.

Recently, several of our teams, including our IWOCS and subsea offerings, have also seen significant wins in South East Asia and we are determined to build on that success. Our goal, and the challenge, is to steer some customers in the region away from what they know, and towards our own market-leading technologies.

But you also have a key role in the UK market too, where are you seeing most interest and potential business development?

In the North Sea, my clients are typically independent operators who require fast, efficient service which we can provide. We have developed relationships with these key customers so that they trust us to deliver high-quality products, on time, and they can already see the long-term benefits of using Proserv for our service support, excellent reliability and, critically, our capabilities in resolving issues around obsolete subsea electronics equipment.

There are a number of opportunities on the horizon with independents that we are very excited about right now, and through building these relationships, we want to keep driving our footprint in the North Sea forwards. These customers don’t just see us as service suppliers but as partners, and through harnessing and growing this trust, we can continue to extend our installed base.

In the current climate, our affordable and rapid subsea solutions, integrating our coexistence and backwards compatibility capabilities, connect strongly with market sentiment.

Our expertise and technology benefit any operator, of any scale, and as we build our reach in the North Sea, and across other regions, we are actively looking to engage more and more with majors and independents who are less aware of the strength of our value proposition.

You mentioned your previous experience within the company and understanding the voice of the customer – how does that give you and other members of the Proserv sales team an edge?

I have been fortunate to have worked in several roles at Proserv and the skills I learned daily – especially in my early days as an apprentice and test technician, where I would try to discover as much about our products as I possibly could – can be called upon now.

Those skills and knowing our products, and how they work, enable me to relate to and understand the voice of a particular customer. I might have been that individual, either on site, in the workshop or offshore, and so know the specific issues and challenges. I can now bring several different hats to a situation from project management through to manufacturing and business development.

This means I can often propose potential options to clients, right there and then, while I can also go back to our team and talk with clarity and accuracy about what I think they need.

But this is the real strength of the Proserv sales team. We all have varied backgrounds: some colleagues have design backgrounds, others will have built products or tested them. Pooling that know-how can only help our customers achieve the right solution.

Finally, in your role, you need to keep an eye on industry trends, where is 2021 heading?

Currently, as we emerge from the pandemic, being cost-effective will remain key. At Proserv we have a strong reputation for subsea tiebacks, and I think these will continue to increase, including longer tiebacks. It makes more economic sense to tie back to an existing platform than build an entirely new hub when operators are being cautious. Such strategies fit our template perfectly and so the coming months look promising.

When the market is being careful as it recovers from such a tough 15 months, our ability to provide proven reliability at competitive prices, avoiding expensive and time-consuming interventions, will be a powerful offering.

Recently, we have also seen enquiries from customers around remote monitoring of systems on potentially unmanned platforms. This could provide another rewarding challenge for us to employ our proven and existing technologies to deliver on this growing need.

Overall, these are exciting times for the industry, with opportunities to engage technologies in the right area to supply maximum customer benefits.

At Proserv, we have our fair share of exercise enthusiasts, keen to keep fit and healthy. Senior Designer Scott Andrews is one such runner, and has recently undertaken a challenge to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by running the Virgin Money London Marathon. We recently spoke with Scott about his training efforts in preparation for the run on the 3 October 2021, and why the endeavour is so important to him and his daughter.

Why are you running the marathon?

My daughter and I both have Type 1 Diabetes. I am running the London Marathon to prove not only to myself but to my daughter that having Diabetes doesn’t have to stop you from achieving your goals.

I chose the London Marathon because it has always been a personal goal to complete it, ever since seeing family members finish the run many years ago. I have spoken with people that have run the marathon before, and they have said the atmosphere is amazing.

Have you done much running or any marathon events before?

I have always been a keen runner. As a runner, the London Marathon is one of those events that is a must, and this will be my first attempt. I have done many parkruns and completed the East Coast 10k event. As part of my training, I recently ran the Norwich half marathon event on the 13th of June.

What training are you doing to get ready?

I am currently running three times a week, varying the distance anywhere between two to seven miles. My current pace for these runs is approximately eight minutes per mile. My training app tells me that I need to run at a pace of 10.18 minutes per mile to complete the marathon in my desired finishing time of four hours, 30 minutes.

Over the past few weeks I have started to increase the distance, and I am trying to get used to the pace required to complete the marathon in the desired time. This has been hindered by the fact that I pulled my calf muscle a few weeks ago. All training was suspended until I could walk properly again.

What have been the biggest challenges in your training so far?

There have been many challenges so far. Planning routes to hit the target distances has been a key challenge, as well as making time within my family to go for a run.

My biggest challenge to date has been running with my condition. Training is difficult! Apart from the obvious injuries, having Diabetes means that I must ensure my blood sugar levels are at a reasonable level before I start my run. It can take anywhere between a few hours to a day for my blood sugar levels to stabilise enough to go on a run.

While I’m running I have to be aware of my blood sugar levels as they can start to drop mid-run. To be able to do this, I have self-funded the Dexcom G6 sensor and bought a Garmin watch. This enables me to see my current blood sugar levels on my watch, so I can react to any lows with dextrose tablets as soon as I see them. I must also deal with the aftereffects of a run, which can last anywhere between a few hours to 24 hours post-run.

Anything can affect my blood sugars and they can do unexpected things at any time. The main difficulty is that, on my current regime of injecting insulin, I can’t take the insulin away once I have injected it. The good news is that I have been accepted to have NHS funding for an insulin pump. I want to give a big thank you to the Diabetic Nurse that has made this happen. This will give me the ability to better control the insulin in my body and gives me the ability to pause/stop the insulin pump, especially when it comes to exercise. With the addition of the Dexcom G6 integration I will, essentially, have a semi-automatic mechanical pancreas making some of the decisions for me, thus meaning less stress. Hopefully!

How supportive have your colleagues been?

Support from colleagues has been great. Some have sponsored, some have told me about their hints and tips for running long distances (e.g. gels), and some have also told me about apps that help plan routes.

Have you had much support so far in terms of sponsorship?

To date, I have raised £691 of my £1000 target. This is with Proserv sponsoring me £300 of that, which I am very grateful for. I am hoping to achieve my target before the event, and possibly more. I appreciate that trying to raise money in the current situation is not ideal, and I am very fortunate that people have donated.

Do you have any tips for anyone considering running a marathon?

As I haven’t completed the marathon yet, my tip once completed might be not to do it at all – we’ll see! Currently, I would say preparation is key. Don’t underestimate the distance. Also, find someone to train with if possible, as running solo is not much fun!

If you would like to support Scott Andrews, please visit his fundraising page.

Maren Dahl Hirschholm, part of Proserv’s Trondheim team, reveals how the Aberdeen based company is playing its part in encouraging environmentally friendly habits in Norway.

At Proserv, as a controls technology company, we can be inspired by our latest successful innovation, or by an important contract win for our global team, but in Trondheim we have been consistently collecting one particular prize year after year – and we are really motivated by that too.

For the eighth time in a row, we have been handed the Fyrtårn award (meaning “lighthouse”) by the Trondheim municipality as a beacon, or shining light, for cycling-friendly workplaces throughout the city. Each year just ten businesses, across all sectors, are selected – and we have been on this list since 2014.

Part of the reason is that, within our office building, we provide essential facilities such as indoor bicycle racks and a dedicated area for repairing, maintaining and washing bikes (much needed in winter to clean off the salt spread on to paths and tracks to improve the frequently icy and snowy conditions). Then, for convenience and personal comfort, there are showers and lockers.

We have Proserv branded cycling gear and, at times, as an extra incentive, we offer prizes to those in the team who frequently cycle, or even just walk, to work, therefore avoiding the need to drive and use a vehicle.

Greener Trondheim

Miljøpakken (or “Greener Trondheim”) is an initiative that is giving impetus to major changes in daily habits and lifestyles. By 2029 large sums should have been invested in multiple schemes to reduce individual car use, via expanded public transport, and, crucially, more facilities for pedestrians, as well as safe cycling routes, including fast-tracks into the city centre. The aim is to reduce traffic noise, congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Many of our colleagues have embraced healthier, greener ways of getting to the office and at least 60% of our team regularly either cycles or walks to work. Even in our challenging winter, we have several hardcore cyclists switching to their winter tyres.

School support

We have also visited a local school and assisted the children with fixing and preparing their bikes at the start of spring. We helped with checking brakes, tyre pressures and generally making sure everything was good and ready to go. Such schemes not only promote bicycle use in the young but also teach children about the importance of safety and maintenance.

Cycling is increasingly part of our culture and it is growing in popularity around the world. Norway is a country of smaller towns and rural places, and so using a bike is difficult across longer distances, but in our cities, with encouragement from companies like Proserv and with the right infrastructure, it is easily possible to get around without needing to use a car.

As more individuals cycle to work, air pollution in Trondheim has reduced, and it is inspiring to see so many people using their bikes and adopting environmentally friendly lifestyles. Cycling is not just valuable for reducing emissions – it promotes personal wellbeing too. For busy people, with little free time, cycling is simply a great way to stay fit and help the planet.

To see a version of Maren’s article as it was published in Subsea UK’s latest quarterly magazine, please click on the link below.

This article was published in Subsea UK News, May 2021 and kindly replicated here with their permission.

Richard Barr, Business Development Manager – Production Chemistry, explains that probing the exact reasons behind production issues is the obvious way to unlock the most effective solutions.

As we celebrate 50 years of the success of the Forties field in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS), now is the time for a bit of reflection. It’s complex: we champion the “ups” or successes in the industry, but perhaps we should also be marking the “downs”, or setbacks, as they too have played a part with respect to progression.

Reflection is never easy as a process and it can throw up unexpected results, but often it can help one gain a wider picture of a situation – and thus a better outcome.

So, with the breadth of issues faced in the cyclical oil and gas industry, have we sometimes followed the same path for too long, or failed to adapt, missing a chance to improve, and has such an ethos proved costly?

Changing established approaches and attitudes can be challenging but it is obviously better to be part of a solution rather than part of the problem.

Take production operations. I have seen, and still hear about, how production is lost due to well shut-ins, inevitably resulting in targets being missed, and future operational expenditure budgets being cut: some of the numbers are truly concerning.

Production losses in the UKCS in 2019 amounted to 146m barrels of oil equivalent, of which 36m were due to the hydrocarbon processing system, 11m owing to the reservoir and 4m attributable to issues with the gathering system, however what we don’t know is the true cause of these production losses.

More answers, better solutions

It’s fine to suggest there was a gathering system issue – but why had the gathering system become an issue? Did it not meet its design purposes, its requirements – or was it something else? So, dissecting and leveraging such a setback or problem could ultimately lead to a defining answer.

Having worked for operators for several years, and now supporting them across the globe, I believe that if more operators shared further details of their challenges, then ultimately the service and support industry could offer better solutions.

As an example, allocating production losses to specific activities, rather than general areas, might take a bit more time in reporting and collating, but better data would be produced, providing greater information, which would, in turn, improve the industry’s knowledge and understanding.

How many operators, if they looked at the detail, would be able to pinpoint these losses to production chemistry issues? Unrepresentative topside sampling, pipeline flushing and/or a lack of accurate meter calibration, all impact the chemistry of what is produced. Understanding more of the problem would help the industry develop, innovate and offer technologies that can truly benefit sustained production and reduced uplifting costs.

But perhaps some of these solutions already exist, and a number of operators just aren’t aware of what is out there.

Trust in the chemistry of sampling

For example, the benefits from subsea sampling clearly far outweigh the risks associated with not knowing for certain what lies behind a problem. A subsea sample, obtained from the right place with the right equipment, will crucially not be downstream of deposits, does not require other wells to be shut in and does not rely on days of flushing in the hope that it is free from pipeline or other well contaminates.

What that sample will tell us is the actual chemistry: the physical and chemical properties of the produced fluids, confirming the mass balance in the pipeline taken upstream of deposits. A subsea sample is a sample taken at source, capturing the core elements of the problem afflicting the flowline, and therefore enabling the correct remedies and actions to be implemented.

It is important to remember the effective management of any process depends on understanding how that process is performing. At the end of the day, sampling is the key to unlocking all that data.

The moment you change your perception on subsea sampling, is also the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your process, allowing you to manage much more efficiently what you monitor.