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INTERVENTION & ASSET LIFE EXTENSION workfow integration and collaboration. Through digital en- Helix. This alliance forms an advanced subsea well construc- ablement we can develop workfows that enable the identif- tion, intervention and decommissioning portfolio, including cation of prime candidate wells and intervention programs in marine support, well services, project management, and sub- a fraction of the time, and with a higher degree of certainty sea well access and control. The alliance commands vessels and reliability. that can handle well commissioning, intervention, artifcial

All of this, of course, is driven by data. We now have the lift and abandonment services. The objective of the Subsea ability to consume historical, unstructured production data, Services Alliance is to provide integrated operational designs in addition to real-time downhole and surface data. This that enable operators to maximize project safety, while also data is used to increase the probability of intervention out- ensuring, with more streamlined interfaces, simpler and more comes. E&P data ecosystems now provide us with the abil- cost-effective solutions for subsea well intervention.

ity to integrate this information, including data from other Another example is the Well Intervention and Stimulation systems — maintenance, tools, logistics, etc., all of which Alliance, which we established with Aker BP and Stimwell becomes integral to the development of a prescriptive inter- Services in 2019. This alliance endeavors to transform con- vention program. ventional intervention operations with clear targets of boost-

Operations provides us with a unique opportunity to de- ing hydrocarbon production on new and existing assets on ploy asset and feld digital solutions. Through a combination the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Following a full year of of intelligent and connected hardware and an edge computing operation, the Alliance had executed 80 well intervention platform, complemented by a cloud-based E&P data environ- and stimulation operations, and enabled a delivery in excess ment, we can signifcantly impact operations, including via of 30,000 bbls/day incremental production by protecting, remote operations or automation. For example, we can utilize recovering or adding production through existing well stock data acquired from digitally connected sensors as part of an and new well deliveries.

evergreen intervention selection process. With edge comput- ing we deliver domain-specifc workfows to automate repeti-

Changing Landscape tive or even dangerous operations. Automation is a key pro-

As the evolution of the energy landscape hastens, and with gressive step towards autonomous operations, which is where the pervasive challenges of delivering low incremental-carbon digital enablement will eventually take our industry. We are energy while maximizing free cash fow and return on existing already seeing returns through automation, and, especially in assets, it is incumbent upon us as an industry to be more agile, the last year, with remote operations.

if not more disruptive. For the offshore market, maximizing the value of existing assets provides us with a fundamental approach to addressing our near- and mid-term challenges,

Openness

While digital enablement can have a transformative im- but to do so we must also embrace a new perspective. By ap- pact on intervention operations, it’s important to realize proaching asset life extension proactively, we can identify new that every organization’s digital transformation journey is opportunities to maximize return on OPEX. Core to this unique. Openness is thus a key enabler of success. Access mindset shift is leveraging digital innovation — for our work- to cloud environments, data sharing and collaboration, etc., fows, data and operations — and adopting a more open and all present unique challenges for energy operators. It’s for collaborative approach — across the value chain, and amongst this reason that Schlumberger has developed a number of all players. In doing so, we will successfully manage to con- strategic partnerships with key players like Microsoft, Ama- tinue delivering affordable energy to the world, all the while zon Web Services and IBM, all of which are designed to operating more safely, more consistently and in a more envi- ensure operators have borderless access to digital solutions. ronmentally sustainable way.

Recognizing again that data is the key to unlocking digital We must also maintain a close eye on the long-term future. transformation, we have also worked closely with the OSDU While still in production today, many of today’s assets will

Forum to establish OSDU as the industry data standard, have a second life that can help us to prepare for tomorrow. which we believe is an essential step towards liberating data By enhancing late-life incremental returns, we can fnance fu- at scale for AI applications and to enable multivendor in- ture plug & abandonment and decommissioning. These as- teroperable workfows. sets may also be repurposed for carbon offset solutions (such

Openness also extends to expertise and capabilities, and de- as carbon capture and sequestration or hydrogen). Essentially, veloping strategic partnerships to complement this approach. asset life extension is as much about maximizing value today,

This is why we launched the Subsea Services Alliance with as it is about preparing for tomorrow.

JULY/AUGUST 2021 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 41