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Energy, Utilities & Chemicals the way we see it

3D Virtual Collaborative

Environments in Oil and Gas

Point of View by John Buchanan

Virtual Collaborative

Environments (VCEs) are

realistic, immersive 3D

spaces where people

interact with the

environment and each

other in real-time,

irrespective of their

physical location.

Introduction

Imagine the ability to instantly walkthrough and interact with any of yourcompany’s assets, wherever they werein the world: on the surface, subsea orsubsurface. Imagine being able todiscuss the functioning of a piece ofequipment with Subject MatterExperts (SMEs) or trainees as if youwere all standing next to it; to simplyright-click it to pull up the data sheetsor calibration details or real-timetrends. Data is organized so peopleonly have to interact with it wherethere is an issue or interest. This is thepotential of VCEs. One could removethe cover and dive into the innards,possibly even to operate the realequipment from within the virtualenvironment. Furthermore, howmuch time and money could be savedin performing realistic businessprocess rehearsals where as manyindividuals as required couldparticipate without leaving their desks?

An obvious advantage of businessprocess rehearsal is that when aproblem occurs, participants alreadyknow the recovery exercise when theyneed to do it live – workovers, gasturbine change-out and other criticalvalue chain activities that must run assmoothly and as quickly as possible torestore production. Optimisedproduction is at the heart of VCEs.

By connecting people together, as-required, at low cost, and with thedata to make right-time decisions,VCEs represent a culture change forfrictionless communication, socialnetworking and productivity in the oilindustry. In financial terms,companies have identified a 25percent increase in staff productivityand one Capgemini client forecastssavings of at least $120m through theuse of VCEs over the lifetime of anoilfield. Effective critical process

rehearsal can shave a day off a two-week shutdown through increasedstaff familiarity with critical pathactivities and contingencies1.

This paper demonstrates that there isvalue to the oil industry in exploitingboth the technology and peoplecomfortable in these environments.Capgemini sees a natural progressionin the development and embedmentof VCEs that can help companiesachieve remote asset management.

Resources: Enabling the People

Today’s technology savvy “GenerationXbox” feels at home in online virtualenvironments to communicate andcollaborate with other people aroundthe globe in social networking,gaming, and in their chosenprofessions. Strategy Analytics cites avirtual environment population of 186million today growing to almost 640million by 20152. VCEs align neatlywith Generation Xbox because theyare technically competent and focusedon Key Performance Indicators (afterall, what constitutes a high score?).

One industry that has begun toexploit Generation Xbox skills is themilitary. For example, the thousandsof hours young people have spentonline results in a keen aptitude forpiloting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs). A pilot located at a centrallocation can ‘become’ the UAV andnavigate it through a remotebattlefield while it feeds datasuperimposed over accurategeographic and troop deploymentinformation. When a potential targetappears, this context could beinstantly shared with those authorizedto make the strike with input from, orcontrol by, the troops on the ground.

1

1 Hydrocarbon Processing 08

2 Strategy Analytics 15/06/09

3D Virtual Collaborative Environments in Oil and Gas 2


3 http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=33413

4 Journal of Petroleum Technology June 09

With the current workforce shortagein the oil industry, Generation Xbox isan attractive segment to engage. AsVCEs do not have the cost, time orrisk associated with travel, they alsoenable scarce, highly-experiencedSubject Matter Experts (SMEs) toimpart their wisdom at short notice,wherever it is required in the world,immersed in relevant context.

VCEs could be a central element ofnew attractive employment modelsthat allow long-serving staff to semi-retire, but still provide valuableparticipation and oversight in offshoreactivities, lengthening the tail ofemployment. As distance has becomeirrelevant in VCEs, it is far easier toestablish and maintain Subject MatterNetworks or Centres of Excellenceand share learnings in context. Ratherthan meeting once a year to sharelearnings in a hotel, the SMEs canmeet regularly and spontaneously atthe site of some new development ofinterest. Many more can participate,including trainees, decreasing theirtime to autonomy and widening thecompany’s knowledge-base.

In a similar manner, VCEs enablesenior management to visit andinteract with scattered personnel atthe virtual workplace far moreregularly and in a more informalmanner than traditional scriptedmeetings. Oil Companies are alsotrialling VCEs for recruitment,roadshows, training events – all withcost savings through reduced travel.

Exploiting the Technology

The project phase of any offshoredevelopment produces gigabytes ofvaluable data, such as 3D CADdrawings and associated technicalinformation. Now, with theintroduction of common standards,these can be integrated and combinedwith real-time (SCADA and DCS)process data to deliver a ‘live’ 3Ddigital model of the asset (or part ofthe asset). As long as it is kept up-to-date, this digital model is a contextualand meaningful environment foroperational decisions to be madeabout the asset and even rehearsal ofactivities. Shell, for example, streamsits model of the huge Ormen Langesubsea development for training and

Figure 1: Characteristics of a Virtual Collaborative Environment

Overlaying 3D Asset Model inputs with Virtual World enablers provides a powerful new tool for training,

collaboration and rehearsal, and eventually decision-making in operations


EnvironmentAsset Focus People Focus

3D Asset

Model

3D Virtual

World

Asset Documentation

Position Information

SCADA & DCS

Photogrammetry

Laser Scanning

3D CAD 3D Recording &Playback

EasyRemote Access

Collaboration Tools

Viewpoint Sharing

Mark-up & Update

Intuitive

3D Virtual3

World

Integrateddecision-

makingenvironment

intervention planning3 and Chevronhas replicated parts of its Salt LakeCity refinery and two of its Gulfplatforms4.

In parallel to the development of thedigital asset model, there has been anexplosion in the take up of online 3Dsocial networking in virtualenvironments. These virtualenvironments are easily accessible,intuitive, fun, and provide a numberof ways of communicating andcollaborating.

Accuracy & Accessibility: aPowerful CombinationCombining the accuracy of the 3Dasset model with the ease, accessibilityand interactivity of social virtualworlds, provides a powerful tool andenvironment for training, collaboration,rehearsal and eventually decision-making in operations. Figure 1demonstrates the characteristics ofthis powerful combination.

3

Figure 2: The VCE can draw on internal and external resources as required


Environment

Onsite

Resources

Seismic Data,Reservoir Model

Drilling Staff& Models

Production &Reservoir

Engineering, G&G

ProductionData &Models

MaintenanceStaff,

Equipment Data& Models

DrillingExperts

Trainees

ProductionOptimization

Experts

JV Partners

IndustryDatabases

NicheServiceFirms

OEMResources& Data

E&P ServiceCompanyExpertise

Remote

Internal Resources

Remote

External Resources

Asset-bound

Resources

INTEGRATED

DECISION-MAKING

ENVIRONMENT

Production Optimization

LogisticsIntervention

Drilling

Maintenance

SpecializedEngineering(e.g., subseal)

Adapted from CERA

Figure 3: Evolution of VCEs

Init

ial3D

Mo

de

lD

eve

lop

me

nt

Pro

jec

tR

eq

uir

em

en

tsP

rog

ram

Re

qu

ire

me

nts

3D VCE Evolution

There is a logical evolution of the development of opportunities

Familiarization

(HSSE) Training

Critical Set-Pieces

Remote AssetManagement

Technology Rollout/ Real-time Data Management

Actor Familiarization

Virtual Model Development

Subject Matter Expert/ Knowledge Management

Increasing Actor & Model Sophistication

The VCE enables individuals tointeract with the asset and each other– it is a mechanism for both organisedand spontaneous collaboration. Thisenables better and faster decision-making that optimises the use of datafrom the asset as well as content fromscarce human resources. By default, italso reduces travel cost. The VCErepresents an evolution of oilcompanies’ centralised OnshoreCollaboration Centres, empoweringpersonnel to ‘teleport’ to the virtualrepresentation of the asset as required(See Figure 2).

The Journey to Remote Asset

Management

Efficient and effective use of VCEs as aremote operating environment mightnot be as difficult to achieve as mostcompanies think it is. There is alogical development plan fortechnology and people that can be putin place. It begins with creating anenvironment at an appropriate level ofsophistication and coaching users tothe right level of familiarity to gainmaximum benefit (see Figure 3). Asthe individuals become moreconfident the environment canbecome more involved and moredata-feeds integrated.

Initial 3D Model DevelopmentThe 3D digital asset model needs toutilise the existing CAD drawingsgenerated by any project. Initially, themodel can be quite simple, but mustbe capable of accommodating futurerequirements such as real-time dataintegration. The engine behind themodel must consider real-life physicssuch as gravity, wave motion and thelike. It also must be capable of‘streaming’, that is being available tomultiple people in multiple locationsat an appropriate level of detailregardless of the size of the basemodel. Above all, it must be reliableand available 24/7.



3D Model and User EvolutionThe 3D model must keep in step withthe varied and increasing requirementsof its users. If the model isimplemented during the project phaseof the development, it will be usefulfor design reviews and the operationsteam can provide their input into theproject phase easily, even though theproject team is located elsewhere.However, for many users, this level ofdetail is not required. Also, as theusers’ familiarity with the VCE grows,they will find their own uses for theenvironment and this must becaptured and managed. The ultimategoal must be to have a high degree ofinteractivity with the physical asset –to control the asset from the VCE andto have full access to alldocumentation from within the VCE.

Familiarisation and Training:Using a 3D model gives personnel anopportunity to familiarise themselveswith the layout of a facility and basicoperational procedures before theygain access to the physical asset. Thisprovides a level of immersion andrealism that reviewing traditional CADdrawings does not offer. In theprocess, they also become familiarwith the basic functionality of theVCE tool. An added benefit is that thesame model can be used by theindividual for training, such aslifeboat drills, berthing or craneoperations. It can also be used as anextension of the control roomsimulator with personnel available toperform manual activities on thevirtual asset. Management can easethe workforces’ integration into theVCE by holding regular meetings inthe virtual environment.

Scenario: Mechanical Engineer reassignedto Azerbaijan from the Gulf:

As a mechanical engineer currently ona rig in the Gulf, I had been told mynext assignment was in Azerbaijan.During some dead time on the rig, I

entered the Azeri VCE. A greeter metme at Baku airport and she negotiatedme through the immigration process(it can take half an hour to get thevarious stamps). She then showed mewhere to get local currency answeredmy questions and saw me onto theheliport minibus. At the heliport, Isuited up watched the safety briefingand, after a half hour flight was at theplatform. Here, I was shown my roomand boat, given a guided tour bysomeone who was actually on theplatform and was then left to explorethe facility. When I do this for real nextweek, I will have a fair grasp of theplatform layout and how to get there.

Value: The engineer’s transition to thenew platform should be smooth. Hewill already have a basic familiaritywith the platform before he gets thereso then efficiency and time toautonomy will be improved. The VCEcan also replace the traditionalonboarding video, while being easierand cheaper to keep up to date.

(HSSE) Rehearsal:As personnel become acclimatised tothe VCE medium, with anunderstanding of the controls andhow to communicate, the VCE can beused for more complex multi-userscenarios. With little modification, the3D digital asset can be used as thestage for practising collaborativeexercises such as boat station drills,fire-fighting, man overboard, evenpirate attacks!

Hands-on practice will always beneeded, and nothing will replace thedisorientation of a real lifeboat launch,however this only can be doneinfrequently in real life. VCEs involveno risk to participants so difficult anddangerous scenarios can be rehearsedand the correct responses ingrained.

Critical Business Process Rehearsal:By definition, critical businessprocesses have a large downside risk.

For example, if a subsea piggingexercise goes wrong, not only canpeople get hurt, but the pipeline canbe blocked by the pig. A VCE canhelp to mitigate these risks by stagingrehearsals of non-routine, criticalbusiness processes. Any operation thatinterrupts production can be arehearsal candidate because the VCEenables the procedures to be performedwithout disrupting operations – eveninvolving personnel who are notphysically located at the asset.

Personnel could put themselves inharm’s way in the virtual environment,suffer the consequences and learnfrom their mistakes in a safe andresponsible manner. The exercise canbe recorded in 3D, which means thatas well as the usual fast forward andrewind options you get with 2Dvideo, the system records the viewfrom every perspective, and everyconversation too. Every importantinteraction can be analysed andoptimised. With the aid of the rightVCE, for example, a gas compressorchange-out can eventually be run withthe precision, speed and safety of aFormula One pit stop. This recordingis a valuable knowledge asset which iseasily available to other engineers as arich training tool.

Remote Asset Management:The logical end goal of the VCE isvirtually connecting all interestedparties to monitor and possiblycontrol facilities remotely via aninteractive model. This means thatSMEs can be available at short noticeto assist with decision-making,immediately surrounded by the rightcontext and data feeds – no desktopconfiguration required.

Scenario: Remote Expert Involvement

The Control Room Operator on EastCormorant oil platform had aproblem. They had commanded asubsea choke five percent open, but

5

was unsure if it had responded asproduction pressure had notincreased. The Operator had cycled ita couple of times, noted that therehad been a drop in hydraulicpressure, but still saw no change inproduction pressure.

The on-shift Subsea Engineer in theHouston Virtual Collaboration Center,was alerted, teleported to the subseatree, 200 meters below the North Sea,to meet the Operator who pausedreal-time, rewound and replayed hisactions demonstrating the symptoms.By touching the sensor, the SubseaEngineer pulled up a graph in front ofthem showing its history. She alsoconfirmed that it was in calibration,and with her admin mode, performedsome diagnostics on the sensor whichappeared healthy; she suspected waxor hydrates were blocking the sensor.

Seeing that a Production Engineer,who had had hydrate problemsbefore, was online in the Gulf, theSubsea Engineer invited him to comeand have a look. After the ProductionEngineer had materialised next to thesubsea christmas tree, they looked inmore detail at the pressure sensorhistory noting flat spots and steps inthe trend and agreed that it wasprobably a hydrate plug.

Rather than isolate and depressurisethe pressure sensor and affectproduction, it was suggested thatopening up the choke 20 percentcould break the hydrate plug. Afterthe Control Room Operator did this,all watched with satisfaction as thepressure sharply rose to the expectedvalue. Later, the Production Modelwas revised to reflect hydrateformation conditions in the colderparts of the production system.Virtual collaboration had enabledremote subject matter experts to sharecontext real-time and arrive at theoptimal solution.

Value: No interruption in production,SMEs instantly available, and no travelcost.

Capgemini’s 3D Virtual

Collaboration Portfolio

Capgemini have widely promoted anddeveloped virtual collaborationsolutions for several major companies.This is a fast-changing market with noclear leading application. Capgeminihas formed relationships with severalof the main providers, understand thecomplexities of the solutions and havegained experience in their design androll out.

Insight:Gain an understanding of the variousoptions available, their maturity andsuitability for your business. Establishwhere there may be opportunities forcost savings and productivityenhancement.

Figure 4: Capgemini’s 3D Virtual Collaboration Portfolio

Insight Strategy Feasibility Pilot Implementation Rollout

•What is Virtual

Collaboration?

• What is available

on the market?

• What is its

maturity?

• Which Virtual

Collaboration

solutions are

right for your

business?

• How to

implement

Virtual

Collaboration?

• Current and

future vision

on Virtual

Collaboration

• Process vision

• IT vision

• Transformation

design

• Overall Business

Case

• Develop chosen

solutions

• Understand

process impact

• IT impact

• Cost-benefit

analysis of

potential solutions

• Detailed Business

Case

• Proof of concept

pilot design

• Proof of

concept pilot

implementation

• Pilot processes

re-engineering

• Staff/Champion

training

• Pilot project

management

• Benefits

tracking

• Virtual Collaboration

implementation

• Operations process

re-engineering

• Staff training

• Transformation

management

• Virtual

Collaboration

rollout

• Organizational

and process

alignment

• Benefits

realisation

Strategy:VCE involves the interplay betweenpeople, processes and technology.Capgemini can help you develop avision and roadmap to optimiseexisting assets and develop thebusiness case. Capgemini’sTechnoVision Framework is closelyaligned with VCEs. More informationon TechnoVision is available onCapgemini’s website in the Point ofView (TechnoVision 2012 forUpstream Oil & Gas).

Feasibility:A VCE Feasibility Study will give youdetailed insight into the implicationsof a VCE solution. This will describethe impact on existing processes andIT infrastructure, and the solution’scosts and benefits. We can develop amore detailed business case and helpspecify and commission a proof ofconcept pilot to help you decidewhich factors are important for you.



Pilot:A pilot project will help develop anunderstanding of how best to deployVCEs, and how to manage them frombuilding the VCE through to operations.This will involve generating aspecification, putting this out totender, monitoring the build andintegrating the stakeholders. Coachingand developing champions will be acore part as will benefits tracking.

Implementation:Implementation will involveimporting the as-built drawings of theasset into the desired medium for theVCE, overlaying them with realistictextures, and connecting the VCE toSCADA and DCS data feeds anddocumentation libraries. Input indesign will be needed from the client’sglobal SMEs.

Rollout:Ensuring all stakeholders are properlyset-up and comfortable operating inthe VCE is key to the success of theexercise. The plan will includemigration of none-core activities tothe VCE, development ofsupplementary training in the VCEand integration of SMEs. Identifyingcommon themes across theorganisation that may benefit from useof the VCE.

By 2010 80 percent of all

Fortune 500 companies will

have some form of Virtual

world presence5 - what will

yours look like?

Benefits of Virtual Collaborative Environments:

� No risk to people and plant – Can simulate dangerous/complex/escalating situations

in a realistic manner

� Enhanced Training & Better knowledge retention – Can allow personnel to put

themselves in harm’s way in a realistic environment – and learn from their mistakes

� Informed decision-making – Through right-time data and shared context provided to

the best people to make the decisions

� Better utilization of the dispersed workforce – Accessible to the individual wherever

they are as long as they have a broadband connection

� Reduced Costs – less travel, better planning and execution of complex set-piece

activities

� Improved staff efficiency and effectiveness – Do more in less time by getting real-

time information from virtual environments and shorter time to autonomy for trainees

� No disruption to operations – Personnel can continue their day jobs while

participating in training or decision-making at another facility’s VCE, Simulated

equipment can be used meaning the physical hardware does not need to be taken

offline.

� Critical Set-Piece Scenarios can be rehearsed and honed like a Formula One pit

stop. Estimate the duration of a production-affecting set-piece such as changing out a

gas compressor

� Facilitates knowledge capture: – critical value chain activities are recorded in 3D

rather than 2D with all Subject Matter Experts able to contribute to enhance the

company’s intellectual capital

� Leverage 3D Assets – get more value from CAD models by overlaying additional

functionality and keeps them up to date

5 Gartner

“Too much of the debate on 3D virtual environments

has been fixated on short term consumer social

networking environments, when the real prize for

business actually lies in heavy-duty 3D applications

which are fully integrated with business processes

and skilling/reskilling. Such applications appeal not

just to technologists, but to our deep-seated human

need to be imaginative. They also improve our

abilities to act in the physical world.”

Clive Holtham is Professor of Information Management and Director of the

Learning Laboratory at Cass Business School, City University London.

www.capgemini.com/energy

Contact:

Pat Quinlan

[email protected]

Ian Moore

[email protected]

Capgemini, one of the

world’s foremost providers

of consulting, technology and outsourcing

services, enables its clients to transform

and perform through technologies.

Capgemini provides its clients with

insights and capabilities that boost their

freedom to achieve superior results

through a unique way of working, the

Collaborative Business ExperienceTM. The

Group relies on its global delivery model

called Rightshore®, which aims to get the

right balance of the best talent from

multiple locations, working as one team

to create and deliver the optimum

solution for clients. Present in more than

30 countries, Capgemini reported 2008

global revenues of EUR 8.7 billion and

employs over 90,000 people worldwide.

With 1.2 billion euros revenue in 2008

and 12,000+ dedicated consultants

engaged in Energy, Utilities and

Chemicals projects across Europe, North

America and Asia Pacific. Capgemini’s

Energy, Utilities & Chemicals Global

Sector serves the business consulting and

information technology needs of many of

the world’s largest players of this industry.

More information is available at

www.capgemini.com/energy

About Capgemini and the

Collaborative Business Experience

Copyright © 2009 Capgemini. No part of this document may be modified, deleted or

expanded by any process or means without prior written permission from Capgemini.

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