Digital transformation at BP

British Petroleum is a multinational oil and gas company, commonly known as BP.
With a history of more than a century of activity in the field of oil, gas and energy, BP plays a role in a wide range of activities, including exploration, extraction, drilling, exploitation and refining of crude oil and marketing of oil and gas products. . In addition to participating in upstream oil and gas operations, this company also participates in downstream activities including investing in refineries, producing final products (such as glue and resin, insulation, synthetic fibers, plastic equipment, rubber and chemical fertilizers) and providing services. Petrochemical is also excellent.
The path of digital transformation in British Petroleum Company
The origin of the formation of the digital transformation approach in the British Petroleum Company dates back to the early 1990s.

In 1990, an oil production platform located in the North Sea caught fire due to a gas leak from a pump. In this incident, the Piper Alpha platform was almost completely burned and only the remains of the infrastructure remained. The research conducted to determine the causes and factors of the accident indicated several safety and operational deficiencies, including inappropriate safety systems, lack of proper maintenance and repair of equipment, insufficient training and poor communication between contractors. This incident led to the drafting of strict safety rules and standards by BP and emphasized the importance of risk assessment, safety procedures and emergency response planning.

In 2005, an explosion occurred in the isomerization unit of the Texas City Refinery, which led to a fire and the release of dangerous chemicals. The incident prompted BP to re-evaluate its operational plans and prioritize technological safety. While this incident led BP to focus more on improving its safety and operational conditions, the spark of the company’s digital transformation with the vision of the transformation of the oil, gas and new energy industry and the use of digital technologies to optimize the company’s operations And their implementation was done.
Again in 2010, BP faced a major incident known as the Deepwater Horizon. This incident, which was caused by the explosion and sinking of a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, showed how a large company can face serious problems due to the lack of proper crisis management, and the use of digital technology requires planning, management and implementation in All dimensions of the organization.

These catastrophic crises were the beginning to change the approach of BP company in the use of technology. The move towards digitalization has empowered BP to meet industry challenges. This company invested a significant amount to create the necessary infrastructure to set up the data collection system, use sensors and connect the obtained data to the data analysis network. The effective use of a large amount of data provides the possibility of operational monitoring so that potential risks can be identified and a quick and appropriate response can be given to any anomalies or safety and operational issues.

In addition, BP company, by partnering and cooperating with technology companies and start-ups, tried to use the power of digital innovation in its processes by taking advantage of their expertise. They partnered with companies specializing in data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation to drive their digital transformation initiatives forward. Also, BP created a digital innovation center to foster a culture of digital transformation in the organization. BP’s Digital Innovation Center works to test new technologies, cultivate digital mindsets and how to implement them throughout the company.
In general, the various digital areas that BP has implemented in its organization include the following:

• Internet of Things: BP uses Internet of Things devices and sensors to monitor equipment, pipelines, and refineries using real-time information. This reduces troubleshooting time and speeds up maintenance to increase operational reliability.

• Robotics and automation: the use of robots and automation of processes, especially in high-risk operations such as working in the depths of the sea, repetitive or time-consuming operations such as data entry, data analysis and automatic report generation, will increase the operational efficiency of BP. have given. Automation and robotics are used to simplify operations and increase efficiency and reduce the occurrence of errors. The deployment of self-driving drones for inspection, the robotic system for the repair and maintenance of submarine pipelines, which BP has used in its operations, is included.

• Digital platforms: The digital platforms and programs developed by BP are able to connect different parts of the organization and lead to the creation of integrated organizational collaboration. These platforms facilitate data sharing, communication, and effective decision-making at various levels.

• Creation of new and sustainable energy sector: As part of its digital transformation, BP started investing in renewable energy sources, production and regeneration technologies of batteries, benefiting from modern technologies in carbon dioxide storage. Carbon Capture Storage) Digital tools play an important role in optimizing renewable energy assets, managing energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions containing carbon dioxide.

• Digital twins: The digital simulator of the Amber Valley oil field is an example of the use of digital twins technology by BP. This digital twin shows the current state of the oil field by using the data obtained from the sensors all over the field. By using this technology, BP is able to monitor and analyze the performance of the field. Also, with the help of digital twin technology, BP was able to predict when maintenance is needed. By continuously monitoring the data of embedded sensors and comparing it with the digital twin virtual display, anomalies or deviations from normal operations are determined. This proactive approach enables BP to plan maintenance activities before equipment failure occurs and avoid costly shutdowns. In this way, the oil field will be able to continuously produce oil without maintenance interruptions.