How Cognite Data Fusion™ enabled quick maintenance overviews of critical equipment

IN SHORT

Aker BP used DataOps provided by Cognite, including Cognite Data Fusion (CDF), to connect data from sensors and other sources to equipment tags, and the equipment tags to 3D models of three different installations. The 3D models are viewable on any computer and handheld device, enabling field workers to quickly locate equipment, reducing the time needed to perform scheduled maintenance on multiple valves.

• Reduced time spent on routine inspections by 75%

• 3D models viewable on any computer or handheld device

• Equipment located quickly and accurately 

CHALLENGE

Oil and gas installations are immensely complicated structures of interconnected components.

Seasoned field workers may know the installation like the back of their hand, but knowing the exact location of every single piece of equipment on an installation is impossible. With that, too much time are spent searching for equipment in hazardous conditions. 

When field workers conduct scheduled maintenance, they normally print out a list containing only equipment tags and the general area of the installation in which the equipment is located. The lack of detailed information about each component’s specific location means that workers spend more of their time searching for the equipment than they do inspecting it. As a result, maintenance sessions stretch for much longer than they need to, increasing the time workers spend in potentially hazardous conditions.

SOLUTION

The solution provided for significant reductions in worker time spent searching for equipment. 

Aker BP fed information about its installations Ivar Aasen, Skarv, and Valhall into Cognite Data Fusion (CDF). CDF contextualized the information, connecting data from sensors and other sources to equipment tags, and the equipment tags to 3D models of the installations.

The 3D models are viewable in Asset Data Insight and InField, applications for computers and smart devices that sit on top of CDF. In InField, field workers can look up an equipment tag and press “See 3D Model” to see an 8-by-8 meter visualization of the area surrounding the equipment. This enables field workers to quickly situate the equipment in its surroundings, reducing the time it takes to locate it in the real world.

Asset Data Insight and InField use Cognite’s REVEAL 3D viewer to display 3D models. REVEAL leverages Cognite's own optimized 3D model format and is capable of displaying complex CAD models with high performance.

IMPACT

By making 3D models of installations available to field workers, industrial companies can significantly reduce the time needed to conduct maintenance.

In one example, an electrician on the Skarv installation spent less than two hours to complete a maintenance session that was estimated to take eight hours.

Applications such as Asset Data Insight and InField also increase access to 3D models generally. Since the applications are available on smart devices, operators can more easily incorporate 3D models into their routines.

Finally, companies can use Cognite’s REVEAL 3D viewer in their own applications, meaning they can save money that would otherwise be spent on licensing software from other developers.

Original story