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Automation process and technology all working in MSC, and to the executive suite. Users has been around since 1995,” DeVries sync ends up being the Holy Grail in the now want to bring everything under one says. While some of the technology has automation environment offshore. With roof. evolved, the idea and the method have fewer workers, that means technology Centralization of data and the ability to remained constant. But, DeVries adds, needs to improve so workers can make relate different sources into a single place only a few users are communicating informed decisions. is a driving force offshore, Gilmore says. enterprise wide. That could mean users

One example is a heat exchanger. “Historically, we have had a marine have the potential to reap bene? ts once “When a heat exchanger starts out clean control system, which runs the bottom they start employing a complete automa- as you possibly can get it, you don’t and reports relatively little information to tion program.

expect to take it out of service for up the topside crew. Now we are seeing the DeVries explains: “42% of errors that saying we have to ship data to ? ve years,” DeVries says. “Today’s trend that says I want all the data in one lead to unplanned shutdowns are caused more frequently and even in technology keeps calculating ef? ciency; place. I want to manage my entire vessel by people, and that is from experienced real-time.” you can do that every hour or every day. from one window,” Gilmore says. “Yes, workers. What would the number be with

While that data would You can connect that information with the topside may have different control less experienced worker?”

Whether it is about a shortage of workers not have saved Deepwater some relatively simple calculations and and different operators assigned but I or embracing new technologies, to grow

Horizon, getting that informa- say that well will only last so long and want the data together so inferences can and hike productivity to become more tion over to the experts would the heat exchanger will last only so long be made and responses made. We are pro? table, users now have to manage infor- have told them much quicker to a threshold. It is not an alarm, but it seeing integration of the hull systems, mation to understand performance data about what happened. is a trigger for decisions. So the decision ballast management, mooring manage- and to jump on opportunities faster and “The bulk of the data may be we can live to ? ght another day. ment, they want propulsion DP, all of more intelligently – before real-time. went down with the vessel,” We are making a production target and those integrated into that system as well.

Gilmore said. “There are a lot we will take the hit and we will move They also want to integrate the hotel, of people saying they want on when the well completes. We can everything about the people, HVAC, even Gregory Hale is the real-time data now.” work together and make the decision on food management. The driver is not only Editor and Founder scheduling on what we can do to operate to reduce the amount of equipment by of Industrial Safety

Reducing sta