Perth’s Resources Technology Showcase 2019: Marine data, view from space helps Shell’s giant Prelude make waves, says Zoe Yujnovich

Shell Australia chief Zoe Yujnovich has told the inaugural Resources Technology Showcase how the energy giant is harnessing data science to improve offshore safety by better understanding the seas around the $US15 billion Prelude floating LNG project off northern WA.

Ms Yujnovich, who is relocating from Perth in January to take up a senior role with Shell in The Hague, told delegates that Shell was “learning a lot about operating Prelude efficiently by really getting to know the marine site it’s moored in”.

“We are harnessing data science and collaborative research to help us to optimise the way we operate Prelude,” she said.

The research includes a partnership with the University of WA in the Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities, where Shell, Woodside Petroleum, Bureau Veritas and Lloyds Register co-sponsor work by UWA staff and PhD students into metocean − meteorology and oceanography — hydrodynamics and geotechnics.

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Ms Yujnovich said the research was not only maximising the performance of the huge Prelude floating LNG production vessel, situated in remote waters nearly 500km off Broome, but improving the safety of the project.

By better understanding currents, waves and eddies, Shell can better monitor its subsea wells and flowlines and plan the best times to unload its cargoes into the LNG carriers which dock alongside.

“To get a handle on these factors, we are combining a range of technologies from our traditional metocean scientific instrumentation for monitoring the seas with the latest technology from space, ” delivering frequent satellite observations and highly accurate positioning data,” Ms Yujnovich said.

“Combining multiple data sources gives us a bigger picture of the site and helps us understand the best times and ways to organise the LNG offloading process.

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“What it means is that there is safer and much more efficient operating of Prelude and the berthing of LNG carriers for offloading cargoes of liquid gas.”

Ms Yujnovich also revealed that Shell is looking at ways to maximise the project’s efficiency by creating a digital twin of Prelude, which shipped its first LNG cargoes in June.

“A digital twin integrates how we operate, maintain and inspect an asset, even as complex as Prelude, recreated in a virtual and digitised world.

“This involves integrating data from the dynamic site environment and production systems to simulate operations virtually, to identify optimum ways of running the production and scheduling of offloading cargoes.”

With Prelude now on stream, Shell and its partners Seven Group Holdings — the major shareholder in the publisher of The West Australian — and Osaka Gas are looking at whether to develop the Crux gas field, 160km further out to sea by linking an unmanned production platform to Prelude.

“It allows us to operate efficiently in harsh environments without putting people at risk,” Ms Yujnovich said.

“But it’s going to require not only computers and algorithms to succeed, it’s going to require the expertise of scientists and engineers well into the future.”

• Back to full coverage of all our keynote speakers
• More news from the Resources Technology Showcase 2019
• Everything to see and do at the free RTS2019 exhibition