The collaboration features technical assessment for structural digital twin technology
Classification service provider for marine and offshore assets ABS has strengthened its collaboration with structural performance management software company Akselos S.A., with the joint completion of a technical assessment for structural digital twin technology.
This marks a landmark for digital twin technology for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, allowing for more accurate and reliable assessments of structural integrity.
FPSOs require high capital investment, and are assets required to perform far past their original design life span. The announcement came at a good time for the industry, due to the increased pressure to improve safety, extend asset life, and reduce cost.
Matt Tremblay, senior vice president at Global Offshore at ABS, said: “This collaboration reinforces the role of high-fidelity digital twin technology in the future of offshore structural integrity management. By combining real-time operational data with advanced simulation, Akselos is enabling a more predictive and performance-based approach to asset management, fully aligned with the industry’s drive toward safer, more efficient operations.”
Operational cash flow can be improved significantly using a data-driven approach, as inspection and maintenance costs can be cut by a third. This reduces both planned and unplanned downtime and reduces the amount of time humans spend exposed to hazardous operational areas.
FPSOs are investive capital assets operating in extremely harsh conditions, therefore proactive protection of these assets makes the investment a safer bet. It also maximises production and ensures the return on investment in the long term.
Claus Reimers, chief product and technology officer at Akselos, said: “This joint work confirms the robustness of our software and reinforces the growing momentum for digital transformation in offshore oil and gas. We enable operators to simulate the structural integrity of the entire FPSO in real time and at full fidelity, supporting smarter, safer decisions across the asset lifecycle.”
Traditional assessment methods often take far longer, and do not have the capabilities to predict future needs, and therefore are limited in operational efficiency, often leading to costly downtime and underperformance.
Akselos’ SPM software grants high-fidelity, close to real-time digital twin of the entire FPSO, this is achieved by combining previous inspection records, metocean conditions, and cargo operations into one model. It provides operators a live, continuous view of structural performance and status. Operators can now monitor in real-time, allowing them to identify stress concentrations on the structure.
When ABS’ Condition Manager and Eagle Twin inspection data management and condition tracking software tools are implemented, the suite can monitor real time load and condition information, allowing a digital twin framework enabling full life cycle support of an offshore asset.
