BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. Autonomous and
remotely operated facilities can significantly reduce operating
costs for oil and gas companies and improve the safety of
production processes, Ghislain Fai-Yengo, SLB’s Digital Operations
Manager for Asia, said during a panel session at Baku Energy Week,
Trend reports.
According to him, the oil and gas industry has evolved from the
concept of digital fields to remote management and autonomous
operations, and today the key challenge is scaling these
solutions.
“Wherever I go — to India, Beijing, or Shenzhen — operators ask
the same questions: how to improve operational cost efficiency,
reduce the number of employees at field sites, cut down on vessel
trips, and ensure safer facility operations,” he noted.
Fai-Yengo emphasized that three key components are necessary for
the implementation of autonomous solutions: specialized equipment,
modern software platforms, and additional engineering services.
In his words, equipment must be designed from the outset for
remote control and autonomous operation, while software solutions
must support the processing of large volumes of data, the use of
digital twins, and artificial intelligence technologies.
“We need to work closely with operators and rethink our
approaches to facility design—determining what equipment is truly
necessary, how to reduce the size of installations, and how to
implement AI to improve efficiency,” the SLB representative
said.
He noted that many elements of autonomous systems are already in
use in the global oil and gas industry, including remote control of
production, injection, mechanized production systems, and chemical
processes.
Fai-Yengo paid particular attention to the concept of unmanned
offshore platforms.
“If a facility can be operated remotely, the need for a constant
on-site presence of personnel at sea is significantly reduced. This
allows for smaller platform sizes, faster construction, lower
project costs, and improved safety,” he emphasized.
According to him, operators are increasingly setting a goal of
reducing the number of site visits to once per quarter, which
minimizes risks to personnel and lowers operating costs.
Furthermore, Fai-Yengo noted the importance of intelligent
monitoring of pipelines and product transportation systems. Modern
digital tools make it possible to predict flow behavior, determine
the optimal time for pipeline cleaning, and automatically initiate
the necessary processes.
“When the system itself determines the need for intervention and
initiates the appropriate actions, operators gain capabilities that
were previously unavailable due to a lack of data and control
tools,” he said.
In conclusion, the SLB rep stressed that the further development
of autonomous facilities requires a comprehensive approach that
combines modern equipment, digital technologies, and close
collaboration between solution providers and oil and gas asset
operators.
