The Indian Institute of Technology Madras researchers have developed an indigenous life cycle management system for ONGC to enable it reduce maintenance and rehabilitation cost of offshore oil platforms.
The Department of Ocean Engineering’s offshore structures group developed the structural integrity management system (SIMS). On Thursday, IITM director V. Kamakoti handed over the SIMS system to ONGC director (offshore) Pankaj Kumar. The ONGC will implement the system and provide access to its stakeholders.
Mr. Kamakoti said: “SIMS is a very important system. Along with the oil that ONGC is drilling, it is also drilling data, which is extremely important. Real-time sensors can enable inspection every second, instead of periodical frequencies. We can develop AI and ML tools to predict when inspections would be required.”
He further said the institute’s contribution was important in keeping ONGC data from going out. “Data, if collected in a streamlined manner for some years, can help in the development of indigenous startups that can develop atma nirbhar technologies.”
S. Nallayarasu, department head, who led the research team that developed SIMS, said it provided a proactive approach to monitor, evaluate and assess structural condition besides establishing a procedure to validate the fitness-for-service of an offshore structure.
ONGC operates over 330 offshore platforms that contribute around 70% of crude oil and 78% of natural gas production of its domestic supply. At least half of the platforms have outlived their design life of 25 years. Extending their life is a cost-effective solution than decommissioning them, he said.
