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Subsea Norway A newly established research center on Norway’s west coast hopes to improve subsea operation and maintenance by bring- ing risk management into real time. Integrated Well and Sub- sea Instrumentation (IWSI) is the latest development from in- dependent technology research institute Christian Michelsen Research AS (CMR), which aims to establish an arena for subsea and well instrumentation research and development to fi nd real time risk management solutions for reduced cost and improved safety – on the Norwegian continental shelf and internationally. Working in collaboration with the University of Bergen, University of Stavanger, Bergen University College, IRIS and SINTEF, CMR is leading a group of 25-40 masters and 11-15 doctoral students to engineer solutions for improved sensor data and validity analysis and integration under water. “The idea is to give decision makers the tools to make better decisions,” said CMR’s technology director, Sveinung Bot- nen. For this initiative, that means helping subsea workers better understand the situation as they are actually operating, whether it is for reservoirs, wells, processing or transport. Botnen said CMR’s vision is “to achieve safe subsea produc- tion at optimum regularity and cost through real time informa- tion based on asset management.” IWSI addresses both today’s aging subsea systems as well as the next generation of subsea systems, especially as work pro- cesses will be challenged by more complex projects in harsher environments, Botnen added. As improved sensors, tools and models are developed by the center, data relating to reservoir and production management, subsea control and safety systems, fl ow assurance manage- ment and integrity management will be used to provide real time performance and risk management, and then visualiza- tion and decision support, which Botnen believes offers many advantages. If workers can better gauge the conditions in which they operate, higher levels of effi ciency and safety can be achieved. The initiative is backed partly by the industry and partly by the Norwegian Research Council and has garnered support and partial funding from NCE Subsea, as well as letters on interest (LOI) from high-profi le subsea players, including Petrobras, Statoil, OneSubsea and Aker Solutions. CMR’s approved budget for 2015-2023 is $33.6m. Subsea Risk Management in Real Time By Eric Haun June 2014 12 MTR MTR #5 (1-17).indd 12 6/9/2014 4:10:00 PM
