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Automation, reliability

Automation means effciency offshore and implement the

Gregory Hale walked the technology.’” aisles at this year’s Ofshore

With capital projects drying up,

Technology Conference to

Luis Gamboa, global fnd out what moves the business develop- industry is making toward ment manager for oil and gas at Rockwell automation.

Automation, said pro- ducers are not actually utomation and reliabil- thinking long term, ity: those two words went but rather need quick

A hand-in-hand during May’s answers to get through

Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) this quarter. in Houston. In this down market, with “If you leave them • capital projects drying up, reliability and Reduced downtime and increased on their own, they will cut costs,” effciency – hallmarks of automation – proftability Gamboa said. “They will go to the service • are becoming focal points for producers. Spending less money for maintenance companies and they will say ‘I need a • “I am seeing interest, across the board, Increased safety — incidents go down 20% cut in service costs.’ Oil companies in automation,” said Mario when reliability goes up are focusing on immediate results. Now

Azar, president of Siemens “People are starting to that the frst level of cuts has taken place,

Oil and Gas and Marine global use reliability as a business they are looking at protecting assets. business unit at OTC. “The strategy,” DiStefano said. “If They are spending for effciencies. They focus is really shifting. The a CEO is not asking direct are looking at asset integrity. You can’t industry has to think differ- reports about downtime and afford unplanned downtime.” ently. Everyone has to ask ‘can what money they are spend- Chet Mroz, former president and chief technology help us? How do ing on maintenance, then executive at Yokogawa Corp. of America, we become more effcient?’ they are derelict of duty. You and now executive advisor for strategy

You have to do things smarter. have to change the practices.” and innovation, said that, in a down mar-

It takes time, we are not there As a part of that change ket, it is possible to look at other areas,

Mario Azar yet. The more you automate, process, users need to fnd a such as midstream, for growth options.

you are making costs lower and it is way to ward off the food of data so they However, having a plan of attack for a trusting technology more. Trusting tech- can capitalize on the right information generation getting ready to hand in their nology is important with something so at the right time and make immediate papers, Mroz truly feels automation will precious. There is a lot at stake.” decisions, which can be the difference in help the cause.

Indeed, a massive amount is at stake proft levels. “With baby boomers leaving and fewer with oil prices kissing US$60/bbl. That “We are starting to see companies younger engineers coming in, it sure means any kind of projects that will surviving in a downturn and fourish helps to have more automation to replace squeeze more costs out of production are because they are investing now to grow empty seats, but it also helps to standard- paramount. in the future,” said Jerry Hines, North ize and make sure everyone is trained “Reliability is more important than American oil and gas manager in the and understands the standard operating anything else,” said Robert DiStefano, energy segment at National Instruments. procedures,” he said. vice president and general manager for Part of the growth strategy is maintain- reliability consulting at Emerson Process ing equipment better, doing more with Gregory Hale is the

Management. “As much as 5% of produc- less people, and making sure equipment editor and founder of tion capacity worldwide suffers from stays up and running, he said. Industrial Safety and reliability issues and 43% of that 5% “Users are seeing the advantage of Security Source includes unplanned downtime because going digital,” Hines said. “Ten years (ISSSource.com) and of equipment problems.” ago it was a different story. Now they is the contributing

Companies that have solid reliability are seeing the advantages and they say automation editor at programs reap benefts, including: ‘let’s work in a collaborative partnership Offshore Engineer.

June 2015 | OE oedigital.com 56 056_OE0615_Automation.indd 56 5/31/15 9:31 PM