Integrity management specialist Plant Integrity Management (PIM) is joining forces with EPCC, a high performance computing (HPC) research specialist based in Edinburgh, to investigate the benefits of cutting-edge data analysis and artificial intelligence to the integrity management sector of the oil and gas industry.
The project will examine opportunities for using novel automation and data analytics technologies to improve the effectiveness and productivity of asset integrity management services.
Tyler Stewart, project lead, said: “The oil and gas industry has unquantifiable amounts of historical data. Over the last eight years PIM has delivered risk based inspection services to this sector and as a by-product understands that there is a considerable amount of historical data which is under-utilised.
“We believe that this data has untapped potential and if the past experience which this data represents can be leveraged then this information could be used to optimise future inspection services.
“Working with EPCC, one of Europe’s foremost HPC centres, we plan to harness this legacy data and consider how data captured in the future can be used to best effect.
“We will explore opportunities for greater service standardisation and automation. This will be achieved through the application of techniques such as machine learning and natural language processing.”
“This project is an excellent example of how we work with companies to increase their effectiveness. We will use our expertise in machine learning and data management to explore how PIM can enhance its data infrastructure and assess the potential for using its commercially-important data in novel ways,” said Rob Baxter, EPCC group manager.
“The oil and gas industry is focused on achieving maximum economic recovery,” Tyler said. “PIM’s aim, via the implementation of these techniques, is to facilitate this through the delivery of enhanced integrity management services which drive the safe and sustainable production of oil and gas.”
The project will benefit from a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, administered through Interface – the knowledge connection for business.