Digitalisation of subsea pipeline anomaly data

  • Client Operator
  • Year 2014
  • Business unit Digital Applications

As well as creating ‘off the shelf’ products such as PASS™ and Apollo KnowHow™, Apollo’s digital applications team deliver digital consultancy to support clients on their digital journey.

Managing corporate data using Excel spreadsheets brings many issues around accidental deletion, security of data, error potential, accountability and traceability issues. Utilising a database solution provides not only corporate compliance around data management but increased value in data manipulation, visibility and usability.

This case study described the solution we enacted for a client moving them from an uncontrolled spreadsheet environment to managed secure, controlled environment where data was more easily visualised adding significant value to their business.

The background

The client was managing their pipeline anomaly data, including anomaly risk assessment and reviews, using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. This created issues with sharing data between colleagues, concurrent user access to data and third-party vendors and did not confirm with in-house procedures on data management.

Our client approached us looking for a solution to better meet their day-to-day data usage requirements and conform with their internal IT/IS data management processes.

The process

Our Digital Applications team liaised with the client and designed a simple SQL-based database with a web-based interface. The SQL database conformed to their IT/IS requirements. The web-based interface was designed to present the data in a clear and simple dashboard format displaying KPIs from their integrity management procedures – e.g. number of anomalies awaiting review; anomalies within 30 days of planned close-out date; anomalies overdue close-out date, etc.

Being web-based, the interface was securely accessible to multiple users concurrently.

In line with the client’s request, the application and SQL database was delivered for internal hosting by the client’s IT Department.

As well as developing the application and back-end database, Apollo also migrated and cleansed all the source data from Microsoft Excel before loading it into the SQL database.

What did the client think?

The feedback from the client was immediate and very positive. Key integrity data that was previously difficult to locate was available to multiple users with no user training in the software required.

This allowed for time and cost efficiencies and payback within year 1.

So if you are just analysing your digital capabilities or looking to deploy the latest in data management tools, let us know on oilandgas@apollo.engineer