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The oil and gas industry, characterized by its complex operations and intense focus on safety, is turning to digital technologies to improve oversight of safety programs. One of the most transformative innovations in this space is the use of 2D/3D digital twin reality models. These virtual representations of physical assets allow companies to enhance their existing safety programs by facilitating more effective day-to-day safety asset management programs, turnaround safety planning, and incident response and investigation workflows. This article explores how digital twins are reshaping safety management in the energy sector.
Understanding digital twins
A 3D digital twin is a virtual reality model of a specific physical object or entire site that has been digitally recreated in 2- or 3-dimensional detail. Digital twins can be created using a variety of source visual data such as high-resolution images, LiDAR laser scans, and 360 photographs.
One method involves using high resolution photogrammetry, which is a technique that involves capturing images of a physical object or environment from multiple angles and processing those images to generate a detailed 2D/3D model. Another method is to utilize LiDAR scans to create the reality model. Digital twins capture the physical attributes and geometries of an object in two or three dimensions and provide a highly detailed visual model that reflects the actual structure, dimensions, and components of the physical asset. For instance, in an oil and gas facility, a 3D digital twin of a refinery would include intricate visual details of an operating unit’s assets including – towers, reactors, valves, pumps, pipe racks, cable trays, flaring systems, etc. enabling operators to visualize and assess the physical environment and conduct remote asset inspections, various analyses and measurements, and remote project planning.
Visualizing the placement of safety assets
Leveraging 2D/3D digital twin reality models in O&G: Enhancing safety programs
Optimized asset placement
The strategic placement of safety assets — such as fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, decontamination showers and first aid kits — is crucial for effective risk mitigation, emergency preparedness, and response planning. Digital twins provide a comprehensive view of a facility’s layout, enabling companies to optimize the location of safety assets based on real time/as built data and risk assessments.
By analyzing the digital twin and visualizing the location of safety assets, HSE Teams can identify high-risk areas and ensure that the appropriate type and quantities of assets are readily accessible in case of an emergency situation. For example, if a particular operating unit of a refinery is identified as having a higher level of risk or a history of incidents, additional safety equipment can be strategically placed nearby to mitigate those risks and/or facilitate a quicker response in an emergency situation.
Compliance and reporting
The identification and mapping of safety assets combined with a robust electronic and reporting process will allow your stakeholders to understand the precise location of critical safety assets are located within the facility and the operational status of the asset.
2D/3D Digital twin reality models can also assist in compliance with safety regulations and reporting requirements. By maintaining a comprehensive record of safety asset placements, inspections, and maintenance activities, companies can streamline their reporting processes and increase the integrity, accountability and transparency of their safety asset inspection programs.
Turnaround safety planning
Enhanced planning and scheduling
Turnarounds — periodic shutdowns for maintenance, upgrades, or repairs — are critical to maintaining the optimal performance and reliability of facility operations. However, they also pose significant safety risks due to the heightened activity and headcounts of personnel involved. Digital twin reality models play a vital role in enhancing turnaround safety planning by providing a detailed, as built view of the entire facility as well as the operating units where the work will take place.
Using 2D/3D reality models, planners can remotely visualize and study the exact locations where future work will take place during the turnaround and identify potential risks, manpower and equipment bottlenecks, as well as safety hazards before they occur.
For example, planners can use the digital twin to assess the placement of equipment, materials, and personnel, ensuring that workflows are optimized, safety protocols are adhered to, and sufficient quantities of safety related assets are strategically placed during the project.
Training and drills
Digital twin reality models also enhance safety training for personnel involved in turnarounds. By using “as built” reality models of the facility, HSE Teams can conduct immersive pre-jobsite orientation and training sessions for contractors regarding the exact location of where they will be working during the project.
Leveraging 2D/3D digital twin reality models in O&G: Enhancing safety programs
The 2D/3D reality models can be used to visualize the work location’s corresponding Complex Evacuation Routes, Rally Points, Gates, Medical Services, PPE and Safety Asset Locations, Permit Box Locations, Break/Lunch Areas and more.
By providing an enhanced site orientation experience to project personnel, digital twins deliver to trainees a deeper understanding of their work locations and surroundings through an immersive digital environment and support the ultimate objective of increasing information absorption and retention rates to mitigate risk during their time onsite. This level of detailed safety asset visualization, identification, and management emphasizes to all personnel that their company is firmly committed to their health, safety, and wellbeing while working onsite.
Incident investigation and response
Contextual data analysis
One of the primary benefits of digital twin for enhancing safety programs is their ability to support incident investigation and response through contextual data analysis. When an incident occurs, companies can utilize the digital twin to analyze where the situation occurred and the physical environment viewed from multiple angles. The 3D model can be used to annotate where issues are occurring to monitor trends, as well as enhance post-incidence presentations and remediation plans.
Leveraging 2D/3D digital twin reality models in O&G: Enhancing safety programs
For instance, if a slip and fall occurs at a site, the digital twin can be used to analyze the surrounding physical area, allowing teams to assess the severity of contributing factors and identify the best response strategies quickly. This real-time visualization helps safety personnel make informed decisions, reducing response times and potentially mitigating the likelihood of future incidents.
Root cause analysis
After an incident, companies conduct thorough investigations to determine the root causes and gain learnings which may prevent future occurrences. Digital twins facilitate this process by allowing teams to view the location of the incident in a virtual environment. Analysts can interact with and manipulate the 3D model to explore different viewpoints, scenarios, and situational contexts and then factor in related variables, such as equipment failure, operator error, environment or external factors. This capability enables more effective root cause analysis, leading to actionable insights that can improve future safety protocols.
Moreover, by maintaining a historical archive of incidents, investigations and responses within the digital twin, companies can identify patterns and trends over time to improve their understanding of underlying and related environmental and procedural factors. This knowledge not only enhances incident investigation but also informs proactive measures to prevent future occurrences.
Case studies
Case study 1: Major oil refinery
A major oil refinery implemented 2D/3D digital twin reality models to enhance its incident response capabilities. Following a series of minor leaks, the company sought to improve its investigation processes. By creating a digital twin of the facility, safety teams were able to geolocate and model past incidents and analyze contributing factors. The insights gained from these simulations led to improved protocols for leak detection and response, resulting in a significant reduction in incident frequency over the following year.
Case study 2: Alkylation unit turnaround operations
A chemical company utilized 2D/3D digital twins reality models to optimize its turnaround safety planning. By utilizing 2D and 3D models of the project’s location, the planners were able to virtually walk through the phases of the entire turnaround program remotely. This allowed the company to identify potential work site risks and to ensure that the proper types and quantities of safety PPE and other emergency response assets were strategically located to support safe operations.
Additionally, the digital twin reality model was used for pre-job contractor onboarding purposes, allowing workers to review key safety plans, evacuation routes, onsite medical facilities, PPE stores, permitting locations and more with the aid of a virtual environment. The result was a more effective and engaging pre-turnaround site orientation and safety training that provided temporary workers with a deeper understanding of their work locations and surroundings. This immersive training experience assisted in mitigating significant risk during their time on site
Challenges and considerations
Visual data management
Leveraging 2D/3D digital twin reality models in O&G: Enhancing safety programs
While the benefits of digital twin reality models are clear, integrating data from various sources remains a challenge. Companies must ensure that their data collection methods are robust and that the digital twin accurately reflects the physical asset's current “as-built” state. This requires investment in visual data management systems that support creation and viewing of the 2D/3D digital twins on an ongoing basis.
Training and adoption
The successful implementation of 2D/3D reality models into various existing workflows also hinges on proper training and adoption among personnel. Employees must be equipped with the skills and knowledge to use these advanced tools effectively. Companies should invest in training programs that focus on the adoption of digital twins in safety management by incorporating them into their project planning, incident management/investigations, and asset inspection programs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Looking ahead
The oil and gas industry is at the forefront of digital innovation, and the integration of 2D/3D digital twin reality models represents a significant advancement in project safety planning and asset management. By enhancing incident response and investigation, optimizing turnaround safety planning, and monitoring the placement of safety assets, digital twins are transforming how companies approach and manage their safety programs. As technology continues to evolve, the potential for digital twin reality models to further improve safety programs in the energy sector is immense. With the right investments in technology and training, oil and gas companies can enhance their safety programs and ensure a safer working environment for all stakeholders.
To download the use case which explains the applications and benefits of the Optelos Safety Asset Planning Module, click this link optelos.com.
