Digital initiatives are steadily changing the oil and gas industry. We are already seeing examples of this in predictive maintenance and completed analysis on wells. However, these changes are more incremental than disruptive. Part of the reason is that companies aren't ready to fully implement them on a larger scale because they don't have the workforce, resources, or processes in place.
Here are some tips for avoiding common pitfalls when bringing new digital technology into your operation:
Don't get started without a strategy. If you do, you risk making a serious investment without realizing the benefits. If your offshore platforms generate more than a terabyte of data each day, but the satellite uplink is too slow to transfer all the data, your operations teams can't keep up with the data that's available. Analytics resources would be better placed on the platform.
Make sure you're not using outdated models. If you invest in new technology that doesn't work with your existing technology, you're at a loss. A visual scheduling system with sophisticated routing capabilities will not do you much good if it won't connect to line management's scheduling systems.
Prepare your workforce. Across industries, employers are having a hard time finding and retaining skilled workers. In order for your organization to get maximum benefit from your digital investment, you'll have to also invest in training your workforce. In addition, you'll find that bringing in fresh talent can boost your team's digital skill set. Many younger workers are coming into the field with advanced technical skills that are well-suited to working with new digital technologies.
The full article from Forbes contains lots of valuable insight into the digital future of the oil and gas industry.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
