ABS: Leading the Future of Sustainable Drillship Maintenance

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Offshore drilling can have environmental challenges, both on and off shore.
Smart offshore maintenance is transforming offshore sustainability, extending asset life, cutting emissions and optimising resources for a greener future

It’s a crucial time for sustainability to be present in offshore operations, particularly drillships. 

With limited new infrastructure, optimising existing assets is essential for reducing environmental impact. 

Companies and organisations are prioritising efficiency and longevity over new builds, leading to a shift in maintenance strategies that focus on both economic and ecological benefits.

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A keen organisation is the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), due to it having a dominant position in the drillship market, providing classification services to two-thirds of the global fleet.

Depleting offshore vessels

Drillships are offshore vessels that are used for oil and gas drilling.

After drilling is completed, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels are used to store the oil and process the hydrocarbons.

FPSOs are often used in frontier offshore regions because they are easy to install and don't require a local pipeline infrastructure, they can also be moved to different locations, making them a cost-effective solution for deeper waters.

A comparison of deep water semi-submersible (left) and a drillship (right).

With capacity tight, day rates are edging ever higher with high-spec deepwater drillships now commanding day rates north of US$500,000 (£623,111).

The capacity squeeze follows a 10-year drought of new construction activity. 

Even now, despite stable oil prices and climbing day rates, drillers remain reluctant to commit to newbuild activity, the typical asset age of the drillship fleet is between 13 and 15 years.

Ensuring these more mature assets are structurally sound and reliable means there’s growing impetus to rethink current maintenance regimes — seeking new ways to deliver safer and more sustainable solutions.

Matt Tremblay, ABS’ Vice President of Global Offshore Markets explains: “The biggest thing is change around sustainability and its impact on the design of FPSOs.

Matthew Tremblay, Senior Vice President of Global Offshore Markets at ABS.

"The application of technologies like carbon capture to the power generation package, and a technology called combined cycle where you're using the heat from the power generation system as a heat source that you may need within the hydrocarbon production system, so you're not having to make this energy twice is revolutionary.”

Offshore sustainability 

Aging offshore assets require innovative solutions to extend their operational life whilst minimising environmental harm. 

Advanced maintenance techniques allow for waste, emission and resource reductions – ensuring assets remain structurally sound and efficient. 

By implementing proactive data-driven maintenance strategies, it helps prevent failures, reduce downtime, and enhance overall sustainability.

Matt comments: “Market dynamics are driving innovation, and encouraging new ways of thinking, forcing a transition across the energy mix. 

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"Ultimately, the ‘health’ of our industry’s future and the clean energy it provides needs investor confidence over the security of their returns.”

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) in offshore industries is a game changer, enabling real-time monitoring of machinery and hull integrity. 

With sensors detecting anomalies like temperature fluctuations or unusual vibrations and enhanced satellite connectivity, data points can be analysed in near real-time, leading to more precise, preventative maintenance.

By leveraging predictive analytics and targeted maintenance, companies can reduce unnecessary repairs and extend the life of offshore assets, decreasing waste and emissions.

Integrating cybersecurity measures into these digital systems ensures data security while maintaining sustainability goals. 

Digitalisation also enables remote inspections using drones and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), helping to eliminate the need for costly and high-risk human interventions. 

Drones are equipped with GPS, radar control, infrared and high-resolution cameras.

These innovations not only improve efficiency and safety but also significantly reduce emissions by eliminating unnecessary vessel movements and resource consumption.

As digital tools become more prevalent, safeguarding infrastructure from cyber threats is essential for long-term environmental and economic viability.

The shift towards smart, data-driven maintenance presents a game-changing opportunity for offshore sustainability. 

By extending the operational life of assets, reducing emissions, and optimising resource use, the industry can move toward a greener future. 


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