By Salsabil Al-Majahed
In recent years, digital measurement systems have made a significant impact on the oil and gas industry. From improved safety protocols to enhanced efficiency, digital measurement systems have changed the way oil and gas businesses operate. Libya is no different as the Libyan government has taken steps to modernize the oil and gas industry and improve efficiency.
Protection of Personnel
A notable benefit of digital measurement systems is improved safety. Digital measurement systems monitor the pressure and rate of flow of oil or gas within the pipeline, ensuring safety protocols are adhered to and potential risks minimized. Surveillance is essential for protecting workers and ensuring minimal disruption.
Libya’s oil and gas infrastructure stretches from the offshore platforms of the Mediterranean to the remote Saharan desert. Each environment adds unique risk and necessitates adherence to safety protocols. Real-time data transmitted to control rooms reduces unnecessary exposure to risk. Using data to determine the location of a leak eliminates the time, effort and risk of injury or accident to personnel during detection and diagnosis.
Adopting digital solutions provides the added benefit of knowledge shared by global measurement systems specialists to develop Libya’s local labor force. Through training and education programs, the workforce is equipped with the skills and knowledge to work in a modernized oil and gas industry.
Enhance Efficiency of Sector
Industry experts have long predicted peak oil demand will occur in 2025, 2035, and most recently in 2040. Despite the moving predictions, a paradigm shift from fear of oil scarcity to an age of abundance is clear. Faced with the possibility that significant amounts of recoverable oil may never be extracted, low-cost producers, like Libya, have a strong incentive to use every advantage to maintain and increase production.
Turning oil in the ground into cash in the bank before the clock runs out means time is of the essence for Libya. Digital measurement systems optimize decisions and reduce the time and interactions between detection, diagnosis and resolution. Months and days become minutes and seconds. Quicker action and intelligent decisions using data frees up finances for development projects to diversify Libya’s oil dependent economy.
The key feature of digital measurement systems is improved efficiency of oil and gas operations. By providing quick, accurate information about the state of a system, producers make informed decisions on when and how to adjust operations. This saves time and money helping the sector remain competitive in an ever-changing industry. Following a decade of disrepair, Libya is in desperate need of stabilizing production and capitalizing on technology to make intelligent decisions in the future.
A Societal Solution
The environmental impact of the oil and gas industry is at the forefront of global concerns and operating in an environmentally responsible manner is essential. Meanwhile, digital measurement systems enable oil and gas operations to move toward more sustainable production practices.
Oil spills in Libya were reported on 8 separate incidents since 2021 with exact figures difficult to collect as not all spills are publicized. The consequences of oil and gas emissions are manifold and tenfold once an oil spill occurs. Leakage of crude oil harms crops by polluting the soil and the groundwater used for irrigation and works against Libya’s agenda to solve food security and combat water scarcity.
State oil and gas companies have made an effort to develop the resources to properly handle incidents. However, determining where and when an oil leak occurs is a time intensive process. To mitigate the effects of pollution on the environment and on the community, digital solutions detect drops in pressure to alert and automate connected mechanical systems to take precise action in response to fluctuations.
Case Study: Sirte’s Solution to Digitalize
The implementation of Sensia measurement technology on the oil wells of Sirte Oil Company is a major milestone for the Libyan oil sector. The innovative technology revolutionizes oil gas operations toward more efficient management and improved productivity. The collaboration between Sensia Global, a joint venture between Rockwell Automation and Schlumberger and Wazen Oil Services, a private Libyan oil and gas services company, enabled this project to be a success. The joint effort to install one of Libya’s first turnkey digital measurement solutions partnered global experts and local labor to ensure the best possible outcome.
The technology enables Sirte Oil Company to digitalize, automate and optimize their production. Through the digital transmission of measurement data from oil wells to surveillance and control rooms, Sirte gains a competitive advantage by real-time monitoring to maintain operations. Sirte benefits from faster, more reliable data byincreasing production through reduced downtime, decreasing labor expenses and reducing harm from gas leaks and oil spills. The result is a more knowledgeable workforce, a smarter, safer oil and gas sector, and a healthier environment.
Partnerships between international leaders and local service companies, like Sensia and Wazen, provide knowledge transfer and job creation platforms for the private sector to significantly contribute to the economy and play a role in developing the Libyan labor market. These collaborations and technological advancements are the investments which Libya needs to realize gains and progress into the digital age.