Neptune Energy announced an agreement to create new “digital twins” of two offshore platforms in the Dutch North Sea, expanding its portfolio of digitized assets to 14. The twins enable engineers to carry out traditional offshore work from an onshore location, accelerating work schedules and reducing costs.

Leading UK-based 3D technology specialist, Eserv, will digitize the Neptune-operated D15-A and K12-C platforms, having previously created digital versions of 12 platforms in the Dutch and UK sectors.

Instead of flying to the offshore platforms to perform routine inspection and planning activities, Neptune teams can visit the assets virtually. Thousands of hours of work have been completed from office-based locations in this way since the twins were introduced.

Neptune Energy’s Director of Operations in the Netherlands, Stephane Lacote, said: “The use of 3D technologies such as digital twins has provided significant benefits including reducing operational costs by enabling traditional offshore activities to be completed quickly and efficiently, without travelling offshore.

“Our engineering teams can now virtually visit platforms to support the safe running of operations from anywhere on the planet.”

Digitising operational assets to improve safety and productivity and to reduce environmental impacts supports Neptune Energy’s aims to enhance asset integrity and to provide employees with technologies that support collaboration with colleagues globally.