Digitalisation involves the introduction of digital technology such as computerised methods and tools to replace, streamline or automate manual and physical tasks. In the petroleum industry, this typically concerns the development of integrated operations, a greater degree of remote control, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and access to computing power that permits large volumes of data to be analysed.
Effects of digitalisation
This trend has the potential to help streamline work processes, replace manual work, provide better analyses and result in better decisions. There is a promise of clearly positive impacts on HSE and improved competitiveness.
At the same time, this development may present challenges, in particular concerning situational awareness, data security, mistakes and sabotage. The industry must consequently actively monitor changes in the risk picture ensuing from digitalisation.
Knowledge summary
The PSA is now publishing a report that summarises and analyses knowledge about the impacts of digitalisation on health, safety and the environment (HSE) in the petroleum industry.
This report forms part of the PSA's work on digitalisation and cybersecurity.
"The report has been prepared by the Iris research institute as an aspect of the PSA's "Digitalisation in the petroleum industry" project. The main aim of this project is to boost understanding of the development trends in digitalisation and its consequences for people, technology and organisation, and to make recommendations for strategies and measures to follow these up," says project manager Linn Iren Vestly Bergh.
The report is based on a review of relevant literature and documents, workshops and interviews with experts and informants from a variety of petroleum industry companies and organisations.
The study shows that the present focus is primarily on the further development and use of tools and processes to improve decision-making, interaction and automation. The period in which the industry finds itself, with mature technology and intense pressure on efficiency and costs, is described as a time of upheaval, with increasing focus on technological progress and the application of technology, while older systems and work processes remain nonetheless prevalent.
According to the report, the digitalisation initiatives in the industry will bring a radical change in the way companies operate, and it is emphasized that digitalisation is not only about changing work processes within their own operations and organisations, but also about the implementation of new forms of cooperation and business models.
The report also questions whether employees are sufficiently involved in the digitalisation processes.
Focus within the PSA
Progress is advancing quickly and, as a supervisory authority, the PSA needs to maintain a good overview of both digitalisation and cybersecurity. Going forward, the PSA will have a particular focus on digital technology and cybersecurity in the petroleum industry. This will include projects to develop and acquire in-depth knowledge on specific topics that are prominent in terms of HSE risk.
“During 2018, the PSA will initiate various cybersecurity projects. These are aimed at operational technology, and we are looking, for example, at infrastructure and segregation and the HSE consequences of remote working. We will also look into how companies use training and exercises in connection with cybersecurity," says Espen Seljemo, who manages several of the PSA's projects in this area.
Work in the PSA will also include supervisory activities where we collect information about the participants' own follow-up of the development and implementation of digital solutions and cybersecurity. It will also be important to form a picture of whether these trends will have an impact on the regulatory framework and the PSA's follow-up of industry participants.