Autonomous O&G Ops Can Save 300,000 Tons Of CO2 Emissions

ABB has published another of its ‘Energy Transition Equation’ reports that shows how industrial customers can reduce carbon emissions and manage the energy transition for a more sustainable future.

Based on nine months of research and modeling, the report highlights how early adoption and integration of automation, digitalization, and electrification technologies to enable autonomous operations can deliver savings of over 300,000 tons of carbon emissions per annum for offshore sites or around 25 percent reduction.

This is the equivalent of removing 150,000 combustion cars from the road and is the same volume of CO2 responsible for five million tons of glacier mass lost each year.

  “The world needs more energy,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Even in the most advanced scenarios for renewables, we will still need to invest in oil and gas infrastructure to ensure availability and stability of supply to meet our energy needs. Now is the time to make that investment count, using the right technology to ensure energy production from hydrocarbons is the most sustainable it can be, as we continue to develop renewables.”

The report also demonstrates how companies can realize production efficiencies of up to $30 million in annual savings while delivering net revenue increases of up to $120,000, thanks to autonomous operations.

A key part of this is redeploying companies’ offshore workforces, moving them from hazardous roles into new ones onshore. In doing so, employers can offer safer working environments, and a better work-life balance and fill industry talent gaps by reskilling employees to support a data-led approach to oil and gas exploration and production.

In 2021, ABB reduced its own CO2 emissions by 39 percent as part of its Sustainability Strategy 2030 and expects to be fully carbon neutral by the decade’s end.

The strategy details how ABB will support its global customers in reducing their annual CO2 emissions by at least 100 megatons by 2030, the equivalent of removing 30 million combustion cars from the roads.

The report’s economic modeling was undertaken by independent economist Steve Lucas of Developmental Economics in conjunction with ABB Energy Industries and supported by desktop research of academic and industry sources. ABB will publish reports focused on the power and chemicals markets in 2023.

To contact the author, email bojan.lepic@rigzone.com