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via wireless connectivity and cloud-based architec- te automation tools typically range from 10 to 20%
tures, the result is the correlation of differentiating but can be as high as 40% [8] (figure 3).
data points at the process control level. The da-
shboards that compile the analytics gathered from
the field utilize contextual information, such as real- Digitalization application
time events, alarms, drifts, and historical data, to examples
help operators make more precise resource alloca-
tion decisions. In these early stages of IoT rollout, Affirmation that the promise of IIoT is getting deli-
applications which benefit the most from these vered is becoming more evident as digitized appli-
advanced analytics include installation optimiza- cations proliferate across the oil & gas value chain.
tion, asset management and protection, condition Currently, some of the most advanced initiatives in-
based monitoring, and augmented reality applica- volve virtualization and simulation of physical asset
tions. operation and can scale as high as simulation of
the operation of an entire plant. Below are some
Influencer #8: Changing employee dynamics / examples of such implementations.
mobile workforce
For years now, the oil & gas industry has struggled Digital twin
with the challenge of retirement-age workers who Advancement in software programming is helping
are leaving and not being replaced. As they depart, oil & gas industry solve many complex scientific
they take their industry knowledge with them and and mathematical paradigms. One area which has
their organizations are left behind scrambling to fill been profoundly benefitted from such development
the gap. are virtual process models. The growing availabi-
At the same time, millennials have graduated from lity of connection points now allows the creation
schools all over the world. Brought up in a cultu- of a digital representation of a physical asset that
re of mobile devices and accustomed to intuitive mimics the structure and behavior of that asset in
graphically-oriented user interfaces, many look real life.
for opportunities The model analyzes the gathered data and then
that are both re- uses it to run simulations and benchmark perfor-
warding and that mance, allowing plant operators to pinpoint whe-
“serve a greater re efficiency gains can be made. By pairing both
purpose”. This virtual and physical worlds (the twins), analysis of
can pose a chal- data and monitoring of systems can actively avert
lenge for oil & problems before they occur, preventing downtime
gas companies and developing new efficiency opportunities.
looking for an A digital model of a physical asset, the digital twin
influx of younger, includes design specifications and engineering mo-
smart, and talen- dels that detail its materials, components and be-
ted skilled wor- havior. The digital twin also includes the integrated
kers. The image data and operational data unique to the specific
of the industry asset. This yields a more effective assessment of a
will need to un- system’s current and future capabilities during its li-
Fig. 3 - Interactive process dergo a repositioning so that the global mission of fecycle from design to operations and optimization.
simulation tools speed up energy services can be presented in a modern light The power of a digital twin is that it allows someone
training and enhance opera- that includes computer simulation for both training to observe the behavior of the physical asset and
tional efficiency and for task execution. learn from the past and present operations to make
predictions about future operations. This knowled-
Business benefit derived ge is incredibly powerful because it allows the iden-
By automating lines of business with technologies tification of problems before they happen, resulting
and tools like 3D simulation that support cloud in safe, more efficient and profitable operations.
computing and mobile apps, training becomes ea- One large hydrocarbon engineering firm involved
sier and more engaging for millennials seeking new, in the implementation of some of these virtual twin
exciting career opportunities. Operator Training Si- early-adopter projects made the following observa-
mulators (OTS) are utilized as advanced training tions: “By having a consistent digital representation
tools that provide young operators the skills they of the process asset during conceptual engineering
need to run a process or plant. Operators learn and the detailed engineering phase of the value
how to manage a refinery in a safe virtual control chain, we are estimating a potential cost savings
room that simulates plant responses to different of up $4 million for a real live engineering problem,
scenarios. This greatly improves operator produc- where an exact replica of the plant design required
tivity. Trainees, for example, learn how to react ap- minor changes in conceptual engineering which
propriately when a similar situation occurs in the had a ripple effect later in the life cycle. There is the
actual plant. Labor-cost savings from such worksi- possibility of even larger benefits if the same digital

Impiantistica Italiana - Marzo - Aprile 2018 27