Swiss-based digital twin technology has signed a three-year Enterprise Framework Agreement (EFA) with Shell for the use of its structural digital twin technology.
"The EFA will see Akselos become one of the global energy company’s verified suppliers for structural integrity assessments, forming part of Shell’s newly formed Digital Twin Platform that plans to integrate a number of digital twin solutions for various purposes," Akselos said.
Earlier this year, Akselos deployed structural Digital Twin for Shell’s Bonga Main FPSO, located 120km Southwest of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.
Akselos said at the time that the structural Digital Twin deployed at Shell's 225,000 oil barrel capacity FPSO, wil help Shell with the identification of critical areas for prioritized inspection, maintenance, and repair; a reduction in personnel onboard the asset; the reduced necessity for physical inspections in hard-to-reach areas such as cargo tanks; and to support scenario planning for extreme weather events and asset modification.
Now, the global agreement will support Shell’s international teams with the design, operation, and life extension of assets across oil and gas and wind portfolios.
Yuri Sebregts, Chief Technology Officer Shell said: “Shell’s technology organization has been working closely with Akselos since 2015. I’m very pleased to see our joint efforts result in the deployment of Akselos’ structural digital twin on multiple of Shell’s assets, including the Bonga FPSO in Nigeria. This newly-signed agreement is a testament of the strength of our partnership."
A structural digital twin is a physics-based model of an asset, which represents its entire physical counterpart in absolute detail and accuracy. The model is updated with loading conditions and inspection data on a regular basis, providing the ability to carry out structural assessments based on the near real-time condition, from anywhere and at any time.
Thomas Leurent, Akselos CEO said: “We are very pleased to have reached this important milestone with one of our most valued partners. We have deployed our structural digital twins on both a fixed and floating asset in Shell’s portfolio with excellent results, and this agreement will allow us to support other parts of the business celebrate the same success. Shell’s vision and commitment to innovation has always impressed us and we look forward to working with the team and other partners to fully digitize their operations.”