Technology

The K-BOS system will increase the capability of drilling units. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Drilling contractor Northern Ocean Ltd has entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with well control technology company, Kinetic Pressure Control for the outfitting of NOL’s sixth generation semi-submersibles, the Deepsea Mira and the Deepsea Bollsta with the Kinetic Blowout Stopper (K-BOS)

The K-BOS system will ensure the elimination of unshearable and unsealable situations, and secure the well in less than a second. 

Arne Jacobsen, CEO of NOL, said, “This is a strategic step for NOL to further enhance the capability of our fleet. The option to offer the K-BOS system to our clients will increase the capability and attractiveness of our drilling units to our discerning clients operating in ultra-deepwater and harsh environments. We look forward to working with Kinetic’s excellent team to integrate the K-BOS equipment with the existing well control equipment on both our units.”

Steven Angstmann, CEO of Kinetic, said, “Northern Ocean’s commitment to develop K-BOS solutions for the Deepsea Mira and Deepsea Bollsta highlights the value that this technology brings to our clients. We believe the operators of these units will benefit from K-BOS’s ability to secure the well in all circumstances. K-BOS allows these class leading rigs to set a new standard for lowering the risk of a major spill to as low as reasonably practicable. We look forward to working with the great team at NOL on these projects.”

The collaboration will become a game changer for both partners. (Image source: Rockwell)

Rockwell Automation has signed an agreement with Taurob (Dietsmann Group) to provide a holistic robotic solution that would enable industrial organisations to move towards autonomous operations in their facilities

Taurob designs and manufactures ground robots for inspection, maintenance and data collection to optimise and enhance efficiency on a variety of industrial sites.

Kalypso, Rockwell’s digital services business, and Taurob will work together to provide clients with an end-to-end robotic automation solution that will herald the next phase in industrial automation and transformation. This partnership will amplify Rockwell's position as a leader in robot automation and digital twin solutions and Taurob’s position as a leader in ground robots for industrial inspection.

“In working towards the goal of autonomous operations, many industrial companies have considered the design of facilities, connectivity, digital solutions, and artificial intelligence, but manual inspection of facilities is still commonplace,” said Matt Graves, Kalypso digital principal, process industries. “As a next phase in industrial automation, companies are now looking at how to automate fleets of inspection robots using digital twin and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. This partnership will be a huge step in helping our clients meet their efficiency, net zero, and safety goals."

Taurob's robots can perform missions under harsh environmental conditions to gather video, audio and sensor data, detect gas leaks and manipulate valves while adhering to the strictest industry safety standards and supporting customers’ net-zero initiatives.
Autonomous operations have long been an aspiration across industrial process sectors such as oil and gas, mining, and chemicals due to the hazardous working environments. In fact, Taurob’s robots are ATEX certified, a strict and compulsory certification that allows them to work especially in the oil and gas industry. They also offer high resistance to hot environments and up to four hours of mission runtime, among other advantages.

Kalypso and Taurob will provide a holistic solution from the physical robot and sensors, through to the robot supervision software, for mission data analysis using AI/ML and systems integration. This will allow organizations to move towards autonomous operations with the business value of a solution for inspection and maintenance that increases personnel safety, reduces OPEX and improves production throughput.

“Our partnership with Rockwell will become a game changer with respect to scaling our unique ATEX-certified robots around the world,” said Taurob’s co-founder and managing director, Matthias Biegl. “Our respective expertise complements one another to offer an integrated solution, in addition to which we will be able to streamline sales and marketing efforts to optimize and enhance efficiency for our clients on a variety of industrial sites.”

The oil and gas industry has emerged as a significant adopter of the technology. (Image source: GlobalData)

Data and analytics company GlobalData has released a thematic report, Robotics in Oil and Gas, which highlights the role of major oil and gas companies, such as ADNOC, BP, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Rosneft, Shell, and TotalEnergies in the development and adoption of robotics to enhance safety and productivity on the field

With the applications of robotics continuously evolving, the oil and gas industry has emerged as a significant adopter of the technology to improve safety and efficiency of operations. According to the GlobalData report, robots equipped with advanced technologies are yielding increasingly positive results, bringing a continued transformation in the operations of oil and gas companies.

Ravindra Puranik, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData, said, “Robots are proving invaluable to execute complex tasks at production facilities, thereby protecting workers from hazardous environments and reducing the likelihood of costly shutdowns. As a result, companies such as Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell are deploying them to work alongside humans on offshore sites. For instance, robotic automation can manage remote operations, such as those conducted on Equinor's Oseberg H platform in the North Sea. Their ability to perform repetitive and mundane tasks with minimal errors is saving time and internal resources for companies. Furthermore, it allows them to deploy field technicians on more critical issues.”

Oil and gas operations are labor-intensive and involve numerous repetitive tasks, many of which occur in hazardous environments and face various obstacles. Robotics presents an excellent solution to many challenges within the industry, as they can handle more strenuous tasks and complex procedures more effectively than humans.

Puranik said, “Robots provide greater reliability and efficiency in completing assigned tasks while also enhancing operational safety. The integration of terrestrial, aerial, and underwater robots is already playing a crucial role in several high-stakes oil and gas projects throughout the value chain. French oil major TotalEnergies, in collaboration with Oceaneering, recently conducted a pilot inspection of subsea pipelines in the North Sea using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).”
Robots can access hard-to-reach areas, carry out tasks beyond human capabilities, and operate continuously without needing breaks. Hence, they are being utilized as effective solutions for conducting inspections in difficult or hazardous environments, thereby avoiding preventing human exposure to such sites. Recently, cleaning of storage tanks is emerging as another prominent use case for robotics with companies, such as Saudi Aramco, Woodside, SK Innovation, and Indian Oil Corp, exploring the potential of robotic crawlers in this application.“Advancements in technology have equipped robots to effectively replace field personnel on oil rigs. Additionally, there is an increase in collaboration between oil and gas companies and technology vendors, enabling the diversification of robotic use cases with the integration of AI, IoT, cloud, and edge computing. These developments are anticipated to drive future growth in robotics within the oil and gas sector, reducing risks to human workers who operate alongside heavy machinery in often remote and challenging environments,” said Puranik.

Global hydrogen demand reached 97Mt in 2023, an increase of 2.5% compared to 2022. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), while investment and projects in low-emissions hydrogen are increasing, policies to stimulate demand in key sectors are required to accelerate deployment

These are the findings published in the organisation’s Global Hydrogen Review 2024, an annual publication that tracks production and demand worldwide in a bid to inform energy stakeholders on the status and future prospects of low-emissions hydrogen.

The research shows that a wave of new projects indicates the growing momentum around low-emissions hydrogen despite challenges such as regulatory uncertainties, persistent cost pressures, and a lack of incentives to accelerate demand from potential consumers. In the last 12 months, the number of projects that have reached final investment decision has doubled – this would increase today’s global production of low-emissions hydrogen fivefold by 2030. The total electrolyser capacity has reached final investment decision now stands at 20GW globally.

However, the IEA reports hesitancy from developers due to a lack of clarity on government support before making investments. As a result, most potential projects are still in planning or early-stage development, and some larger projects face delays or cancellations.

“The growth in new projects suggests strong investor interest in developing low-emissions hydrogen production, which could play a critical role in reducing emissions from industrial sectors such as steel, refining and chemicals,” remarked IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “But for these projects to be a success, low-emissions hydrogen producers need buyers. Policymakers and developers must look carefully at the tools for supporting demand creation while also reducing costs and ensuring clear regulations are in place that will support further investment in the sector.”

Hydrogen demand against production

Further key findings from the report include a notable gap between government goals for production and demand. According to the research, production targets set by governments add up to as much as 43mn tonnes per year by 2030, but demand targets only total 11mn tonnes by 2030. While some government policies are already in place to stimulate demand, the progress made in the hydrogen sector so far is not sufficient to meet climate goals.

Moreover, as a nascent sector, low-emissions hydrogen still faces technology and production cost pressures, with electrolysers in particular slipping back on some of their past progress due to higher prices and tight supply chains. A continuation of cost reductions relies on technology development, but also optimising deployment processes and moving to mass manufacturing to achieve economies of scale.
Cost reductions will benefit all projects, but the impact on the competitiveness of individual projects will vary. Industrial hubs – where low-emissions hydrogen could replace the existing large demand for hydrogen that is currently met by production from unabated fossil fuels – remain an important untapped opportunity by governments to stimulate demand, according to the IEA.

Hydrogen potential in emerging markets

Regarding emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), the report notes that such regions (particularly Africa and Latin America) hold significant potential for low-cost, low-emissions hydrogen production.

To unlock this potential, the IEA advises, governments of advanced economies and multilateral development banks should look to provide targeted support such as grants and concessional financing in order to address key challenges that are inhibiting project developers in these countries – most notably, around financing. Developing these projects, the research reports, can help cover domestic needs, reduce import dependencies and potentially enable the export of hydrogen or hydrogen-based products.