據油氣新聞5月18日消息稱，傳統上，油氣行業在互聯技術的應用上一直比較落后，但如今，該行業越來越多地采用數字孿生技術來改善決策。GlobalData表示，由于COVID-19造成的行業普遍低迷，因此越來越需要降低成本，并借助技術使運營更具可持續性。

　　全球范圍的封鎖嚴重影響了全球能源需求，同時也因供應鏈中斷導致項目延誤。經濟低迷加劇了改善整體資產可見度的需要，以確定降低成本的領域。數字孿生是實現這一目標并確保長期可持續運營的關鍵。

　　根據GlobalData的最新報告“石油和天然氣中的數字孿生”， 這項技術的基礎工作可能已經有一段時間了，但只有當盈利能力面臨風險時，才會真正投入使用。順便提一下，2014年油價崩盤后，油氣行業一些重要的數字孿生項目才開始實施。2017年前后，BP開始大規模部署其APEX模擬和監測系統。

　　GlobalData的石油和天然氣分析師Ravindra Puranik評論道:“公司已經開始建立模型，為‘如果發生什么’或‘將會發生什么’的問題提供答案。通過在虛擬世界中復制資產或資產的一部分，企業可以對現實世界中的問題進行模擬測試，并將結果以3D形式顯示出來。這有助于項目工程師提高他們對資產的理解，從而使他們能夠根據市場需求優化其性能。因此，數字孿生正逐漸成為油氣業務不可或缺的一部分。”

　　與物聯網(IoT)技術一樣，缺乏標準化也在某種程度上阻礙了“數字孿生”的采用。為了克服這一限制，DNV GL與TechnipFMC合作，于2020年11月起草了一份創建和認證數字孿生的最佳實踐指南。它為開發人員和用戶提供了一個框架來理解數字雙胞胎，并最大限度地利用它們的功能。

　　Ravindra補充說：“諸如Equinor的Johan Sverdrup或BP的Clair Ridge等較新的石油和天然氣項目正在成為采用數字孿生的基準。殼牌、雪佛龍和巴西國家石油公司等公司正在啟動在其全球投資組合中部署數字孿生的計劃。在油田技術和服務公司的大力支持下，數字孿生很可能在未來幾年成為油氣業務的支柱。”

　　曹海斌 摘譯自 油氣新聞

　　原文如下：

　　Digital twins to become mainstay for oil and gas

　　The oil and gas industry, which is traditionally a laggard in the adoption of connected technologies, is increasingly deploying digital twins to improve decision-making. The prevailing industry downturn from COVID-19 has heightened the need to reduce costs and make operations more sustainable with technology, according to GlobalData.

　　Worldwide lockdowns have significantly impacted global energy demand, while also causing project delays due to supply chain disruptions. The downturn has aggravated the need for improving the overall asset visibility to identify areas for cost reduction. Digital twins are key to achieving this objective and ensuring sustainable operations in the long run.

　　According to GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Digital Twins in Oil & Gas’, the groundwork for this technology may have been in place for some time, but its actual deployment was seen only when profitability was at risk. Incidentally, some of the major digital twins in the oil and gas industry were implemented only after the oil price crash of 2014. BP began wide-scale deployment of its APEX simulation and surveillance system around 2017.

　　Ravindra Puranik, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Companies have started to build models that will provide answers to ‘what if’ or ‘what will’ questions. By replicating an asset or a portion of it in the virtual world, companies can run simulation tests on real-world problems and visualise the results in 3D. This is helping project engineers to improve their understanding of the asset, thereby enabling them to optimise its performance as per the market requirements. Thus, digital twins are gradually becoming integral to oil and gas operations.”

　　Like Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the lack of standardisation has somewhat hampered the adoption of digital twins as well. To overcome this limitation, DNV GL, in collaboration with TechnipFMC, drafted a best practices guide for the creation and certification of digital twins in November 2020. It provides a framework for developers and users alike to understand the digital twins and extract the most out of their capabilities.

　　Ravindra adds: “Newer oil and gas projects, such as Equinor’s Johan Sverdrup, or BP’s Clair Ridge, are emerging as benchmarks in digital twin adoption. Companies such as Shell, Chevron, and Petrobras are launching initiatives to deploy digital twins across their global portfolio. With crucial support from oilfield technology and service companies, digital twins are likely to become mainstay for oil and gas operations in the coming years.”