ABS helps pave the way for digitalization, transforming offshore energy

The offshore energy sector is experiencing a new investment cycle driven by significant events in South America, renewed demand for energy security, and an increasing reliance on digital technologies to enhance asset efficiency.

According to Matt Tremblay, Senior Vice President of Global Offshore at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the opportunities are substantial, but so are the challenges.

Digitalization as the key to success

In an interview with Offshore Engineer in Houston, Tremblay described the industry as "very busy, very successful," with a broad portfolio of projects, particularly in Brazil and Guyana, which together account for about half of the current activity in new offshore projects. However, growth is being hampered by supply chain constraints.

"We are starting to approach a point where supply chain issues are really beginning to limit project execution capabilities," Tremblay noted, adding that lead times for major rotating equipment can reach 40-60 months, complicating the planning of multi-billion dollar developments.

Advantages of digital technologies

While new floating production systems and offshore infrastructure continue to attract attention, Tremblay believes that one of the biggest opportunities in the industry is digitalization.

"One of the big areas where ABS as a classification society is involved is in the digitalization of asset integrity management. Having data in digital format allows me to access and utilize it much more efficiently and quickly," he explained.

For an industry that once relied on blueprints and three-ring binders, the shift to digital records and online databases is transforming the way operators monitor offshore structures and critical equipment. ABS is working on integrating inspection records with operational data generated by onboard equipment, enabling more informed maintenance decisions and laying the groundwork for predictive maintenance.

The future of digitalization

ABS is also investing in natural language processing tools capable of processing handwritten service logs accumulated over decades and converting them into searchable digital datasets.

"This is one of the areas where ABS has spent a lot of time trying to extract predictive maintenance and asset condition management information from the old data we have," Tremblay added.

When asked about the maturity of digitalization in offshore energy, Tremblay offered an analogy: "I wouldn't say we are in infancy. I would say we are in our teenage years. We at least know that we don't know."