Offshore classification and technology advisory group DNV GL has set out to test and see if Digital Twin technology and data can be trusted and if they deliver value.
The Norway-based firm has thus launched an international call to oil and gas operators and the supply chain to pilot a methodology to prove the value of the technology.
Companies manufacturing hardware across the oil and gas value chain must prove the safety, quality and integrity of components, equipment and assets through recognized quality assurance principles. However, no standard process exists to provide the same mechanism of trust and value for the digital representation of a physical asset and its behavior, DNV GL said.
DNV GL is developing and testing a methodology for the qualification of digital twins which will provide that assurance, and ultimately encourage wider adoption of the technology in the oil and gas sector. An initial partnership with TechnipFMC has led to the creation of the pilot, which is now being opened to the wider industry.
Digital twins are a rapidly developing technology widely expected to become a significant contributor to the future management of major industrial sites. The digital twin market is estimated to grow from USD 3.8 billion in 2019 to USD 35.8 billion by 2025, DNV GL said.
DNV GL’s Technology Outlook 2030, a research report identifying transformative technologies in key industries, highlights a digital value chain run by machines and algorithms as a prevailing trend for the oil and gas industry in the decade ahead.
Solving the digital trust challenge
The research expects cloud computing, advanced simulation, virtual system testing, virtual/augmented reality and machine learning will progressively merge into full digital twins which combine data analytics, real-time and near-real-time data on installations, subsurface geology, and reservoirs.
"Solving the digital trust challenge will be key to the dramatic evolution that we expect to see in digital twin technology in the years to come. If more sophisticated digital twins are to be widely accepted and developed at scale by the oil and gas industry, they need to be supported by accurate, valuable and trusted technology,” said Liv A. Hovem, CEO, DNV GL - Oil & Gas.
"Technology decision-makers in our sector will increasingly offer support to the use of digital twins when they see the technology provide consistent, accurate information which brings tangible value against the investment needed. Our work with TechnipFMC and other partners through this new pilot aims to provide the industry benchmark to qualifying that a digital twin will perform as intended,” Hovem added.
DNV GL’s methodology will address the fact that many digital twins – some created at point of the construction or completion of a new asset – currently represent an asset’s initial form and struggle to reflect developments in their physical counterparts as the asset matures, DNV GL said.
According to DNV GL, digital twins must evolve, mature, and reflect the current condition of the real asset they represent. At present, the use of twins and trust in their accuracy is restricted by the fact that the data they contain does not always reflect the most up-to-date condition of the physical asset.
"Our methodology is a process of providing evidence that a digital twin will provide valid information, predict system performance within well-defined limits and to a stated level of confidence over time. Following our process, you should have a twin that creates value, and that you can trust,” said Kjell Eriksson, Vice President, Digital Partnering, DNV GL - Oil & Gas.
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