Many engineering and design challenges confront the global Oil and Gas industry. These include increased environmental and safety regulations (both underground and offshore), increasing industry infrastructure resiliency against accidental spills or blowouts, and solving the complex supply chain components – from upstream exploration and production, to midstream crude oil and natural gas processing and transportation, and the final downstream end-use refinery processing and pipeline distribution networks.
An executive brief published by IBM Business Consulting Services, titled Meeting the Challenges of Today’s Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Industry, discusses how implementing innovative technology can improved oil and gas production and lower operational costs; especially in the face of perilous geographic challenges, a highly volatile crude oil and natural gas market, and the global competition for diminishing natural resources. The brief summarizes these challenges as follows:
This convergence of forces, threats and technology is creating a perfect environment for the emergence of the intelligent oil field. New, innovative technologies can help companies remotely and automatically monitor wells and fields, and consequently take preventative measures to help avoid production downtime. The anticipated result is value creation in the billions of dollars each year through better finding and recovery rates, reduced lifting, production and overhead costs, and increased production.
When considering innovative engineering and design support partners for the three major oil and gas industry sectors, the following four drivers rank highest as reasons why there is a continued movement towards outsourced engineering services to support large-scale and complex engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects for the oil and gas industry sectors:
- a reduction in corporate operational costs, engineering staff, and IT overhead
- efficiency in outsourcing non-core drafting and design activities which entail high labor rates and manpower hours
- the availability of extensive industry knowledge, specialized technical training, and multi-discipline production staff
- decreased volume of work for in-house engineering staff, enabling firms to continually acquire new projects
Intelligence-Based Computer-Aided Engineering and Design Technology Services
Here at INDBIM, we take pride in providing the highest level of CAE and CAD software and hardware technologies to bear on supporting EPCs, rig operators, OEMs, and process package manufacturers. Utilizing a host of intelligence-based solutions implemented with the leading software engineering and design packages, we have successfully completed over 500 projects spanning 5 countries. Our success is a result of our premiere level design engineers, an emphasis on team-based client collaborations and emerging technologies such as point cloud scanning to BIM.
Intelligence-based design and engineering successfully emulate physical real-world objects, engineering parameters and varying conditions resulting in various 2D or 3D visual representations. The underlying engineering and design digital file can hold and manipulate an extreme amount of raw data such as engineering materials properties, machine and manufacturing processes, physics-based models and calculations, material or product safety data (MSDS, PSDS), vendor or raw material purchase data, and much more.
The end product or digital representations are likewise many and varied, including 3D BIM models, model-linked orthographic and isometric views, CAE analysis node schematics, Excel data sheets, animated mechanical assembly illustrations, data-based P&ID schematics, automated control panel build and wiring lists, intelligent plant layouts and much more. From upstream offshore or underground exploration and drilling to downstream pipeline distribution systems and chemical vessel storage solutions, our multi-disciplinary teams can help bring your next project to life with real-world, data-based intelligent engineering and design solutions:
CAE based validation for offshore drilling and hydraulics optimization including mud tanks and mud pumps; structural steel framing evaluations for derricks and offshore platforms; underground exploration support using finite element analysis for fluid flow analysis, thermal dynamics and heat transfer, and static and dynamic vibration analysis.
- Tekla TEDDS offers an extensive base of structural and civil calculations to compare different design options and produce consistent and accurate engineering calculations and code adherence restraints.
Pipe Stress and Flexibility Analysis to minimize marine construction vessel stresses at nozzles, to maintain code allowable pipe stresses, calculate design loads on structures and supports, and solve dynamic problems from mechanical vibrations and pulsing, transient flow, fluid hammer, and valve discharges.
- Intergraph CAESAR II analyzes piping systems and enables quick analysis of a wide array of static and dynamic piping loads such as weight, seismic, thermal, and pressure with a bi-directional link between design and analysis.
3D structural modeling information modeling which supports end-to-end design from structural engineering analysis, 3D modeling, 2D detailing, estimation, fabrication, and erection with one data-based model which can be shared across multiple collaboration teams and third-party suppliers.
- Tekla X-Steel offers building information modeling of steel and concrete structures guiding and intelligently linking the entire project from design to fabrication and erection.
Mechanical Equipment and Accessory Design both static and rotating, including valves, boilers, heat exchangers, rig generators, drill pipes, mud pumps and motor supports, turbines, pumps, rotary tables, compressors, wellheads, manifolds, slips and separators based on empirical data from years of experience and industry best practices knowledge. Our huge standard parts library will not only accelerate the mechanical design process but 3D mechanical models can also analyze mechanism motions and generate reports and calculations.
- SolidWorks intelligence features for mechanical design include a set of embedded tools that not only finds design mistakes but also explains why the problem exists. The easy to understand feedback reduces errors and drastically assists the designer faced with complex component geometries.
3D Plant Design and Equipment Layouts integrates the design efforts of multiple disciplines for effective team collaboration and increasing the efficiency of MEP trade engineering design review. 2D files are automatically extracted from the 3D model, which drastically reduces design layout errors and increases drafting staff production.
- Bently Systems AutoPlant supports 3D process plant design and modeling with automatic clash detection to eliminate field rework and efficiently links all system components and project deliverables, including process instrumentation.
Distribution Piping Layouts, Detailed Piping Drawings, and Isometrics that serve to support the entire plant life-cycle operation such as maintenance, inspections, safety, and HAZOPs analysis, helping to eliminate spontaneous plant shutdowns and lost production.
- AutoCAD piping layouts can support user-defined or industry specified pipe, valve, and fittings with intelligent data linked to bill of materials, schedules, and spreadsheets. Automatic pipe routing, intelligent flow diagrams and pipe spool generation, along with parametric dimension constraints to ensure accurate piping layouts.
Pipe Supports and Piping Specifications drafted to meet international standards and adhere to industry codes; from complex spring and hanger assemblies to simple welded pads, shoes and stops, an extensive library of intelligent pipe support symbols and assemblies can facilitate fabrication drawings for third party vendors and generate reports for use in advanced bill-of-materials applications. Pipe support failures and incorrect pipe specifications have proven to be a common problem contributing to the corrosion of piping systems. Maintaining a high level of quality assurance in these drawings is critical to offsetting this nagging issue for oil and gas pipeline design.
- SolidWorks allows mechanical and sheet metal design of components and assemblies which support engineering simulations and analysis such as bolt and weld fatigue checks, nonlinear vibration analysis, and composites analysis.
Plot plan Development and General Arrangement Drawings to document utility runs, pressure vessels, piping distribution and equipment layouts in relation to physical boundaries or geographical features are key to illustrating the overall features of complex projects and critical trade inter-connections. With the addition of underlying data,
- AutoCAD Revit allows intelligent details to be nested within broader files such as plot plans and GA drawings allowing an efficient drill down through equipment layouts to detailed design drawings and even component level bill-of-material information.