The Center for Integrated Operations in the Petroleum Industry (IO Center) has been a Center for Research-based Innovation (CRI) in the period 2007-2015. Research partners are NTNU (host), SINTEF and IFE, 8 major oil and gas companies and 5 service companies are the industry partners, while seven international leading universities are academic collaborators. The Research Council of Norway together with the partners in the center have totally contributed with 340 million NOK in funding over the 8 year period that has led to the development of a world-leading research environment on integrated operations.
Research areas the IO Center has focused on are: IO teamwork and capability development, Integrated planning and logistics, Proactive management of safety and environment, Production optimization and subsurface IO, System integrity and dynamic risk assessment, and Telemedicine.
In this period the IO Center has developed a large number of methodologies, software and solutions. Some of these achievements are:
- novel and step-changing capabilities within daily production optimization (CENSO, SmartOpt)
- novel methodology in well testing (SmartX)
- novel capabilities in reservoir optimization (REMSO)
- new methodologies for optimization of well placement
- a real-time risk barometer for online monitoring of the risk picture
- novel visualization tools for collaboration sessions (e.g. planning of logistics, maintenance) (IO MAP)
- a method for on-the-job IO training (SOFIO)
- a structured method for analyzing and allocating tasks between physical locations, organizational units or between human and machine agents (IO MTO)
- a toolbox and framework for integrated planning and logistics (IPL Framework)
- a modular framework for condition monitoring and diagnostics (Mìmir)
- a virtual examination room on-the-go for telemedicine
During these 8 years the IO Center has:
- hosted 20 pilot projects in the industry partner companies
- established three spin-off companies: eDrilling Solutions AS, Solution Seeker AS and VISAVI Technology AS
- published 3 books, 75 articles in peer reviewed journals and held close to 250 oral presentations at international conferences
- funded 25 PhD candidates (10 graduating in the end of 2015 and 2016), hosted 12 postdoctoral fellows, 3 visiting professors and educated more than 100 MSc students
- organized the international conference for integrated operations in the petroleum industry 8 times, with a total attendance of close to 2000 participants
For more information, visit: www.iocenter.no and www.ioconf.no
e-field and Integrated Operations is the next generation of efficiency development for the entire oil and gas industry. The result of the full implementation of IO is a business transformation that will influence the oil and gas companies at all levels: a dvanced technology applications, organizational structures and work processes, and the interaction between all parties involved both inside and outside the oil companies.
The objectives of the Center is to explore and develop integrated solutions for ICT systems, and new work processes to promote a leap in next generation IO solutions. The foundation for the research programs is that integration in itself will be a driver for new solutions that will outperform current technology and practice in terms of safety, environmental standards and overall economy.
The challenges for the research program is to develop technological and organizational knowledge and solutions for
* Advanced monitoring and real time decision processes during drilling
* Real time upd ating of reservoir models
* Condition based maintenance facilitating an operational regime without turnarounds
* Integration processes across drilling, reservoir and operation/maintenance
The IO Center shall contribute to innovation and value creation in oil and gas companies, and engineering and vendor companies through
* Commercialization of results from research to new products and services, including establishment of spin-off enterprises
* Innovation through pilot projects and implementation of ne w systems and work processes in the oil companies
* Dissemination of results through in-hose workshops, strategic think tank seminars at management level in the oil companies
* Continuing education
* Education of a new generation petroleum engineers wit h awareness of IO