Smart oil and the development of the networked organisation

Abstract

The world is becoming flatter through global integration and smaller through interconnected communications and commerce, however something more profound is also happening, the world is becoming smarter. For oil and gas organisations this means finding a way to lead in a new environment shaped by three factors 1. Energy availability to meet the world's growing needs 2. Energy affordability 3. Environmental input To date oil and gas organisations have implemented a number of intelligent energy solutions spanning: • Individual technology applications and subsystem optimisation These technology implementations required limited changes to people, process and organisation • Collaborative and remote operations Production operations centres, operations and maintenance centres and real-time drilling centres, required significant changes to ways of working, shifting the focus from technology implementation to people, process and organisational change • Cross asset optimisation Cross asset support centres and optimisation centres added a further dimension to the people, process and organisational change required Global integration and smart oil will require both technology, and further significant people, process and organisational change to make it successful. This paper examines where smart oil might take oil and gas organisations in the future, the associated challenges, the networked organisation required and the latest thinking on: • How do operational processes need to change in a global model? • How do you leverage expertise, by locating and consulting with experts within the global workforce, wherever they may be? • How do you develop community based working, where people connect and interact with others effectively in realtime? • How do you capture and share knowledge and learning to retain and effectively reuse knowledge?.