As digitalization grasps hold of the oil and gas industry, digital twinning is becoming a widely discussed topic. But for a technology that is the subject of so many conversations, there is still some confusion about what it actually is. Indeed, the definition of a digital twin often depends on to whom you are talking.

As such, discussions around digital twinning tend to reflect the siloed thinking and operations that can still characterize some of the sector. Speak to a structural engineering company, and it’s a structural engineering model. Discuss digital twinning with a data management company and you’re talking about a data management system. This is ironic, given that breaking down these silos is one of the many advantages that digital twins offer.

What is a Digital Twin?

In practice, at a basic level, a digital twin is a computer simulation that represents a physical or statistical model of a given asset, system or facility. This virtual replica allows companies to manage the operation or integrity of the modeled asset from inception to decommissioning.

Digital Twins and Subsea Operations

We’ve already seen digital twinning transition from onshore to offshore, so subsea is an obvious next step for its application.

There are two main use cases for digital twins in subsea operations:

• Simulation: Digital twins can be used to plan, investigate and train individuals using ‘what if’ scenarios. For example, the integrated processes of an entire subsea, pipeline and facility can be simulated to train operators or to understand the system response to a planned change in operating conditions.
• Asset performance and integrity monitoring: Digital twins can be used in real time (or near-real time) to determine an asset’s physical response to current operating conditions and the output of decision-ready monitoring and advisory information. For example, a digital twin of a subsea spool that is subject to vibration caused by unstable flow can calculate the rate of fatigue based on real-time production data.

As these use cases indicate, subsea’s unique challenges, particularly in deepwater, lend themselves to a digital twin solution. Even the slightest improvements to inspection regimes can deliver significant safety, efficiency and cost benefits.

With an established, robust and proven digital twin of the asset in place, the traditional method of inspections can be transformed. Rather than sending an inspector offshore to operate a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), an inspector can instead pilot the ROV from the safety and security of an onshore office building, using a digital model of the field.

Not only does this reduce the cost of sending an inspector offshore, the ROV pilot can be more efficient because flight paths can be included in the twin that make it easier to inspect the asset. Early estimates show that a digital twin can be used to improve inspector efficiency by up to 30 percent.

Next Steps for Digital Twins

Looking further ahead, digital twins could enable autonomous inspection. But with a digital twin, we will soon be at the point where an autonomous vehicle that is either resident at the facility or deployed from a vessel will be able to navigate a predefined inspection path. Deep-machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence will take us to the point where the vehicle will be able to identify structural changes and detect leaks or anomalies automatically.

The time dimension in a robust digital twin, combined with the advanced analytics that are a critical component of any digital model, give operators a more accurate predictive capability. Operators can look at leading indicators and accurately predict where a riser, pipeline or jumper may become overstressed or a flow might become choked – and put remedial measures in place proactively.

Digital Twins as a Totex Solution

As these few examples indicate, the digital twin concept fits into two broad trends: technological and operational.

Looking at the operational first, firms around the world are looking at ways to overcome the historical disconnect between OPEX and CAPEX and the transition from the design and construction phase to operations. Totex, the total project expenditure, may sound like the latest buzzword of the month, but it reflects the broader reality – in which operational staff are involved much earlier in projects.

Digital twins provide technological support to this process. In the traditional IT estate, systems used to design a field or facility are typically entirely separate from those used to manage integrity, maintenance or operations. In the world of digital twins, these systems can be joined together across the whole lifecycle – with obvious financial advantages and operational benefits. They bring together all of the major IT trends of the past few years: data and advanced analytics, sensors and connectivity, the industrial internet of things, robotics, artificial intelligence, deep machine learning and cloud and utility computing.

To date, the major specialist software houses have not focused on subsea operations; there has been more to gain from general application. But as we have seen, digital twins are not an obscure branch of technology with limited business potential.

As new models become established, with a combination of replicable and bespoke components, we should see some of the most entrenched challenges in safe subsea operations being broken down.

(From Rigzone)