TechnipFMC and DNV GL are partnering to develop the oil and gas industry’s first methodology for qualifying the integrity of digital twin technology, DNV GL reported Thursday.

Digital representations – virtual models – of physical assets and their behavior, digital twins could quickly become the foundation for asset design and operation across the oil and gas value chain, DNV GL explained in a written statement emailed to Rigzone.

“Digital twin technology results in quicker, better asset design, improved project delivery efficiency and operation safety and performance during the whole asset life,” noted Julie Cranga, vice president of Subsea Digital with TechnipFMC. “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. Our collaboration with DNV GL aims to address this.”

Through its newly signed partnership with TechnipFMC, DNV GL noted the planned methodology seeks to “bring a level playing field” to the oil and gas industry’s varying technical definitions of digital twins and expectations of the virtual models. The quality assurance and risk management firm added the methodology 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.

DNV GL stated the basis of the new methodology will be its Recommended Practice (RP) for Technology Qualification: DNVGL-RP-A203. The RP – published more than 20 years ago – sets a common framework for oil and gas industry players to gain acceptance for implementing unproven hardware technology, the firm explained. The company added the RP has since been used to demonstrate the trustworthiness of hundreds of technologies.

“The major challenge with implementing new digital technologies in the oil and gas industry today is the same as when novel hardware technologies were introduced two decades ago,” stated Liv A. Hovem, CEO of DNV GL – Oil and Gas. “How can you trust that it works when the technology hasn’t been used before?”

Hovem added that the domain and digital pros from DNV GL and TechnipFMC will collaborate on a range of issues – such as definitions, data quality and algorithm performance – to enable faster implementation of digital twins in the oil and gas sector.

TechnipFMC will pilot the digital twin technology qualification methodology on a subsea field development project in early 2020, DNV GL stated, adding that it should be published as an RP during the second half of next year.

(From Rigzone)