TechnipFMC, DNV GL team up to set benchmark for digital twins

Oilfield services company TechnipFMC and classification society DNV GL have entered into a partnership to develop the oil and gas industry’s first methodology for qualifying the integrity of digital twin technology.

DNV GL said that the methodology would bring a level playing field to the sector’s varying technical definitions of, and expectations towards digital twins.

It will set a benchmark for oil and gas operators, supply chain partners and regulators to establish trust in digital twin-generated data for performance and safety decision-making in projects and operations.

According to the classification society, digital twins, a digital representation of a physical asset and its behavior, have the potential to rapidly emerge as the foundation for asset design and operation across the oil and gas value chain.

Oil and gas companies are increasingly using the technology to bring asset information from multiple sources together in a single and secure place and connecting 3D models with the field data during operation phase.

Through digital twins, operators will also be able to get more insights and simulate the real-time of the asset depending on operational conditions to facilitate the decision-making.

Julie Cranga, VP of subsea digital at TechnipFMC, said: “Digital twin technology results in quicker, better asset design, improved project delivery efficiency, and operation safety and performance during the whole asset life. As more digital twins enter the oil and gas sector, it is key for operators to know that their twin works as planned, and that its output is reliable.”

Liv A. Hovem, CEO of DNV GL Oil & Gas, added: “I’m delighted that a team of domain and digital experts from DNV GL and TechnipFMC are collaborating to tackle a wide range of issues – from definitions to data quality and algorithm performance – to enable faster implementation of digital twins in our sector.”

The digital twin technology qualification methodology will be piloted on a subsea field development project delivered by TechnipFMC starting early 2020. It is expected to be published as a recommended practice during the second half of next year.

Spotted a typo? Have something more to add to the story? Maybe a nice photo? Contact our editorial team via email.

Also, if you’re interested in showcasing your company, product or technology on Offshore Energy Today please contact us via our advertising form where you can also see our media kit.