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Maersk Drilling and GE Expand Digitalization Efforts

drilling
Image courtesy Maersk / GE

Published Jul 17, 2017 2:14 PM by The Maritime Executive

Maersk Drilling and GE announced Monday that they will expand the scope of their 2016 digitalization pilot project—one vessel, one asset, one year—to nine more rigs, targeting 110 key equipment assets, such as the top drive, draw works, thrusters and main engines, over a multiyear contract.

By using performance analytics, Maersk Drilling expects to reduce deviations and increase productivity enterprise-wide in drilling operations such as drilling, tripping In, tripping out, running riser and pulling riser. Enhancing drilling productivity will reduce total well cost. Implementation will commence later this year and will target 20 percent maintenance cost reductions and improvements in drilling efficiency.

“Through our partnership with GE, we are not only creating value for our two companies, but the industry as a whole. We believe that the systematic adoption of reliability-centered maintenance analysis and digitization will be a step change in our industry, and Maersk Drilling plans to lead the way,” said Jesper Hansen, CIO of Maersk Drilling in a statement. “By offering new efficiency services to our customers, Maersk Drilling has taken the next step in digitalizing the offshore drilling industry.”

“Digital solutions will bring a multibillion-dollar impact to the industry,” said Tim Schweikert, president & CEO, GE’s Marine Solutions. “The extended partnership with Maersk Drilling speaks volumes of our partnership, our solution and the digital capability for the industry.”

The partnership will also enable predictive maintenance. Maersk Drilling and GE have developed digital twins — virtual representations of key equipment on the rig tuned through sensor and other equipment data – for the major drilling and marine systems equipment. By using the digital twins in combination with GE’s zonal analytics, the digital solution can reduce unnecessary maintenance and its associated cost. In addition, the solution is able to detect equipment anomalies that could result in an equipment breakdown, providing foresight weeks in advance of pending issues. GE’s SeaStream Insight APM also provides real-time efficiency reports and performance indicators based on data gathered during daily operations.