An impressive line-up of industry leaders will address key issues at the 15th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit in Texas this November.
The oil and gas industry has consistently focused on improving its operations, particularly as production costs rise, refinement margins come under pressure, labor shortages persist, and there is increasing pressure to reduce risks and enhance sustainability. These challenges collectively amplify the need and value for Operational Excellence (OpEx), enabling industry leaders to confidently demonstrate that they are operating their assets safely, reliably, sustainably, and cost-effectively.
Over the past 15 years there have been significant events and developments that have served as catalysts for advancing operational excellence. In recent discussions with leaders from Dow (Julie Thyne, Global Improvement Director), TotalEnergies (Nicolas Felix, Operations Director, Asset Management and O&M) and EDP Renewables (Stephan Blasilli, Head of Business Process Excellence), they expressed the biggest changes being the advancement of digital technology, new intelligent business process management systems, and finally, learning from failures which made operators aware of the gaps in their operations.
Within this fast-paced industrial landscape, operators have faced several significant challenges in the past 15 years, but what was the biggest challenge? These industry experts stated finding a balance between the cost of implementing excellence and the potential gains, because while there’s always room for improvement, ‘’we must determine the optimum investment”. They also stated the pace of change, with operators having ‘change fatigue’ and the multitude of technologies, reports, and analytics, which can feel overwhelming at times.
© Shutterstock / James Jones JrThe rise of AI and advanced automation is profoundly reshaping the goals and potential impact of operational excellence programs. Julie, Nicolas, and Stephan shared their perspectives on how these technologies are influencing their operations and what the future might hold.
They shared that although the renewables energy industry is in a relatively immature phase compared to oil and gas, they have already made progress in analytics, predicting losses and automating processes, particularly in AI-powered imaging to enhance inspections. They also highlighted that they’re still learning all the ways that AI can contribute to operational excellence, but state it is an exciting time to be in an OpEx role and be on the leading edge of trying new technologies.
As for the future, some of the senior leaders believe it is hard to predict precisely, but AI’s immense power suggests it will likely bring significant disruptions. Others believe the real promise lies in intelligent automation, that although we have not fully achieved mimicking advanced human tasks, we’re making remarkable progress.
In the pursuit of accelerating operational excellence, they were asked what key areas companies should focus their investments and priorities on, what cultural changes are necessary to drive greater operational excellence, and how they see the roles and expectations of operational excellence leaders transforming in the next 15 years. To read more, download your copy of the full interview.
Learn more from Nicolas Felix, Operations Director, Asset Management and O&M at TotalEnergies, Julie Thyne, Global Improvement Director at Dow Chemicals, and Stephan Blasilli, Head of Business Process Excellence at EDP Renewables at the 15th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit, as they take to the stage to provide further insights and expert knowledge, including a step-by-step approach to implementing and using Lean and Six Sigma to achieve operational excellence, how to meet the growing energy demand while rapidly decarbonizing, and how digital technologies can aid in managing risk.
The 15th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit is bringing together 70-plus oil and gas industry speakers from Shell, Chevron, Oxy, Phillips66, BP, and many more, to share how they are reducing risk, cost, and complexity in their operations.
‘’I thought this event was very successful in that it provided me with various tools and applications that I can leverage at BASF to make progress in our OpEx Program & Digital Transformation.‘’ – Continuous Improvement Manager, BASF
Download your copy of the official event guide to discover how your organisation will succeed where others fall short, setting success for the next 15 years and beyond.
In collaboration with Energy Voice, you have access to 20% off your pass!* Simply enter code ‘EV20’ when registering here. Make sure to be quick and take advantage of our early bird to save an additional $1,000!* You can also catch up on events at LinkedIn.
*Reduced rate for Oil and Gas operators only. Early bird expires midnight September 13, 2024.
