Repost: Equinor’s Development of Digital Technologies

Xiao Ming said: The oil and gas industry is inherently conservative in its adoption of technology—safety and reliability are paramount. Companies strongly prefer proven, historically successful solutions; when it comes to new technologies, the prevailing mindset is: “Why should I be the first to try them?” This tendency is especially pronounced during periods of high oil prices: as long as no safety incidents occur and production proceeds on schedule, cost efficiency takes a back seat—more efficient or cheaper innovations can wait until others have tested them first. Today, however, things have changed. With crude oil prices persisting around USD 50 per barrel, major oil companies are cutting staff and consolidating operations—and simultaneously embracing technological innovation to significantly improve efficiency and reduce costs. The article below details Equinor’s (formerly Statoil) recent digital transformation strategy. Equinor plans to establish a Digital Centre and invest USD 120–240 million over the next three years in developing digital technologies. The centre is expected to be located either at its headquarters in Stavanger or in Oslo, Norway’s capital; Houston is also a potential site for a sizable office. In the short term, Equinor will open a number of positions, primarily in hot fields such as industrial robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence. In the medium to long term, if Equinor’s digital transformation progresses smoothly, other oil majors are likely to follow suit, triggering structural changes across upstream oil and gas operations. Traditional roles—such as drilling rig workers—may shrink dramatically or even disappear, while new jobs will inevitably emerge alongside new technologies. To all those still working in the oil and gas industry: Are you ready? Reprinted from the WeChat public account “Offshore Energy & Engineering Resources Platform” — OffshoreIntel: Offshore Energy & Engineering Information Platform. Contact: info@offshoreintel.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction: Equinor (formerly Statoil) is establishing a Digital Centre and has published a roadmap outlining seven concrete digital initiatives to be completed by 2020. The company expects to invest USD 120–240 million by 2020 to develop new digital technologies and advance this digital roadmap. Other R&D projects undertaken by the company will likewise incorporate digital technologies.

Sweden states that the ‘Nord Stream pipeline investigation findings are too sensitive to share’—what information is worth noting?

In fact, the possibility of explosions near the pipeline was considered during planning. The Baltic Sea still contains countless unexploded ordnances from World War II—particularly around the island of Bornholm. Therefore, experts cleared a 50-meter-wide corridor along the pipeline route; however, according to Nord Stream’s risk assessment, ocean currents could still transport munitions into proximity with the pipeline. According to the operator, the pipelines are designed to withstand an explosion from two tons of explosives at a distance of twelve meters without leaking. Assessing the extent of current pipeline damage remains extremely difficult. Computer-based analyses—such as finite element modeling—can precisely calculate the pipeline’s condition. Yet doing so requires highly accurate knowledge of the forces acting upon the material. So far, evidence—including the scale of gas leakage—suggests the large-diameter pipelines sustained severe damage, possibly even complete severance. The degree of destruction determines how the pipeline must be repaired. Most pipelines built today feature a specially developed “repair strategy” detailing procedures for various damage scenarios. According to the operator, Nord Stream’s repair strategy covers five distinct levels of severity—including total pipeline rupture. How to Repair the Pipeline If large-scale explosives indeed damaged the pipeline—as security authorities suspect based on media reports—lengthy pipeline sections may need replacement. Several technical approaches exist for such repairs. This type of repair is known as a “sleeve repair” and can be carried out in multiple ways. In some cases, new, undamaged pipe segments are inserted above water. For example, in 2008, an anchor completely severed one pipeline in the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline System and severely damaged a second. That pipeline lay at a depth of approximately 70 meters—similar to the Nord Stream section near Bornholm. Because the water depth was relatively shallow, specialized vessels lifted the damaged pipeline ends to the surface. A new segment was then installed and welded into place at both ends. Similarly, in 2019, a team aboard a specialized vessel joined individual sections of Nord Stream 2. Alternatively, pipeline ends can be connected directly underwater—a technique used for Nord Stream 1. The pipeline ends are placed inside a special high-pressure chamber and welded—a process known as “hyperbaric welding.” This technique was previously tested on Nord Stream, for instance, during the 2011 installation of Nord Stream 1, where each pipeline section was laid by a different specialized vessel. Repairs Will Take Several Months Slightly less complex alternatives involve tightly joining the separated ends without welding. Pipe ends can be connected using specialized flanges, much like conventional piping. These components are commercially available and can be installed either by divers or with the assistance of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). During the repair of the Kvitebjørn pipeline—located at a depth of 210 meters—Equinor cut out approximately 25 meters of pipe around the damaged area and secured a new segment using a specialized sleeve connector.

Equinor prepares to fix Visund gas, oil platform after fire

18 hours ago

Equinor crews are repairing the Visund gas and oil platform following a fire that halted production. The facility, accounting for 3.7% of Norway's export capacity, is scheduled to remain offline until November 16.

reuters

2026-11-06

Equinor prepares to fix Visund gas, oil platform after fire

Equinor prepares to fix Visund gas, oil platform after fire

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