Facility & Equipment Twins
While reservoir twins model subsurface behaviour, facility digital twins model surface infrastructure - processing plants, pipelines, compressors, separators, and individual pieces of equipment. They combine 3D engineering models, real-time sensor data, and maintenance history to provide a living view of asset health and performance.
Types of Facility Twins
Platform / Plant Twin
A 3D model of an entire offshore platform or onshore processing plant, linked to real-time data from every sensor, valve, and equipment item. Engineers can "walk through" the facility virtually from an office 1,000 km away.
Example: Aker BP's Ivar Aasen platform twin lets onshore engineers inspect equipment, check P&IDs, and view live process data in a 3D environment - reducing offshore visits by 30%.
Equipment Twin
A physics-based or data-driven model of a single piece of equipment (compressor, pump, heat exchanger) that predicts performance degradation, remaining useful life, and optimal operating parameters.
Example: A compressor twin models gas composition, inlet/outlet pressures, vibration, and bearing temperatures to predict when maintenance is needed - 14 days before a bearing failure.
Pipeline Twin
Models flow, pressure drop, corrosion, and integrity along a pipeline network. Detects leaks, predicts corrosion hotspots, and optimises pigging schedules.
Example: A pipeline twin integrating inspection data, cathodic protection readings, and flow simulations prioritises the 5% of pipeline that accounts for 80% of the corrosion risk.
Key Benefits
Remote Diagnostics
Onshore experts troubleshoot offshore equipment issues without mobilising to the platform, saving time and helicopter costs.
Maintenance Planning
Schedule maintenance based on actual equipment condition rather than fixed time intervals, reducing unnecessary shutdowns and spare parts inventory.
Safety & Training
Train new operators in a virtual replica of the actual facility before they step onto the platform. Simulate emergency scenarios safely.
Design Optimisation
Test modifications to the facility (adding a compressor, rerouting a pipeline) in the twin before implementing in the real world.