Digital transformation in Total Energy Company

Total Energy is one of the seven largest energy companies in the world, which was founded on March 28, 1924. The company has discovered major oil fields around the world and has developed an ever-increasing number of advanced products and services. Total Energy produces and markets energy such as oil and sustainable biofuels, natural gas, renewable energy and electricity. Its priorities are mainly centered around managing and controlling energy consumption, expanding access to renewable energy, and providing environmentally friendly solutions.
Total Energy is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of producing, processing and supplying affordable, clean and reliable energy to its customers. The company is active in more than 130 countries and prioritizes sustainable development in all its projects and operations.

Challenges of Total Energy Company in the digital age

Total Energy operates in a constantly changing environment with new products, new players, new business models and new technologies.
In such a situation where companies are facing increasing costs in the changing market, the energy sector is under a lot of pressure to innovate and adapt to modern demands. The inappropriate pace of technology development in an unpredicted or uncontrolled market will negatively affect Total Energy’s market share, profitability, reputation and ability to attract human resources.

Global cyber attacks are constantly increasing and becoming more sophisticated day by day. Ransomware has become the biggest threat to connected industries. Several factors related to digital transformation such as: adoption of new technologies, migration of data to the cloud, changes in the architecture of information systems and remote work intensify the vulnerability of Total Energy’s information systems. Total Energy’s information systems are at risk of malicious actions, caused by internal or external sources, carried out by individuals or more or less organized groups.
Digital technologies can drive progress in a wide range of areas such as: improved industrial operations, innovative development of energy sources and new services for customers. Therefore, Total Energy seeks to integrate digital technologies in its operations to improve their efficiency and increase the management of activities and investments with an agile methodology.

Digital factory

Total Energy opened the Digital Factory in Paris in early 2020. Working with developers, data scientists and other digital professionals, Digital Factory strives to accelerate digital transformation across all dimensions of business and leverage digital capabilities to create value across all businesses. In particular, the Total Energy Digital Factory aims to develop digital solutions to provide digital services to customers and reduce operating costs. The company plans to create 1.5 billion dollars of digital value annually by 2025.

Global cyber attacks are constantly increasing and becoming more sophisticated day by day. Ransomware has become the biggest threat to the connected industries. Several factors related to digital transformation such as: adoption of new technologies, migration of data to the cloud, changes in the architecture of information systems and remote work intensify the vulnerability of Total Energy’s information systems. Total Energy’s information systems are at risk of malicious actions, caused by internal or external sources, carried out by individuals or more or less organized groups.
Digital technologies can drive progress in a wide range of areas such as: improved industrial operations, innovative development of energy sources and new services for customers. Therefore, Total Energy seeks to integrate digital technologies in its operations to improve their efficiency and increase the management of activities and investments with an agile methodology.

Digital factory

Total Energy opened the Digital Factory in Paris in early 2020. Working with developers, data scientists and other digital professionals, Digital Factory strives to accelerate digital transformation across all dimensions of business and leverage digital capabilities to create value across all businesses. In particular, the Total Energy Digital Factory aims to develop digital solutions to provide digital services to customers and reduce operating costs. The company plans to create 1.5 billion dollars of digital value annually by 2025.

Gimenez, the chief digital manager of Total Energy, describes the company’s digital factory in three words: “acceleration, transformation and commitment”

Gimenez added that several departments will operate in the digital factory:

• Data Studio: This group consists of data scientists. The chief data manager of Total Energy will be responsible for this team and their main mission is data management and implementing a data-oriented culture in the organization.
• A pool of agile developers and coaches
• Design Studio: In this group, UX and UI experts help Total Energy customers by providing creative ideas in the stages of their digital journey.
• Technical team: responsible for the security and architecture of the data ecosystem in a digital environment.
• Platform team: responsible for various data storage, data lake management and cloud environment.
• Product and value office: responsible for managing the digital factory portfolio and evaluating the value of Total Energy’s digital projects.
• Digital human resources

The first successes of Total Energy Digital Factory include the following:

• Provide tools to help customers find the best payment plan using algorithms and data
• Optimizing logistics and using Internet of Things trucks in the marketing and service sector
• Coping with several million cyber attacks in 2021 by IT defense systems
• “E²” digital solution that estimates real-time energy consumption by different equipment in a drilling rig. Its implementation in 2020 led to approximately seven percent savings in fuel consumption and a reduction of 1000 tons of carbon emissions in one year. E² was deployed on two more rigs in 2022.
• Creating a digital innovation center to discover digital solutions. The primary focus of the innovation center is to improve the performance of refineries using various transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analysis, and the Internet of Things.
• Launching Plant 4.0 with the aim of identifying startups that are compatible with Industry 4.0 and allowing them to test their technology, services and products in company operations.

Total Energy Digital Ecosystem

In line with the development of digital services, Total Energy cooperates with Microsoft.
Both companies will leverage each other’s technologies and expertise to accelerate digital transformation and decarbonization.
For example, Microsoft will benefit from Total Energy’s global presence and know-how in renewable energy and reduce the carbon footprint in data centers. On the other hand, Microsoft has put the experimental use of Total Energy’s uninterruptible power supply, which plays an important role in Microsoft’s data center infrastructure, on its agenda.
To accelerate IT transformation, Total Energy will use Microsoft cloud platforms including Azure for its digital transformation and digital factory projects. Total Energy also uses the Power platform to automate business processes, reduce costs and enable easier access to data.
Total Energy has used the new Pangea III supercomputer developed by IBM. This computer increases energy efficiency and reduces electricity consumption by 11 times. It has raised the computing power approximately equivalent to 170,000 laptops and tripled the storage capacity to 76 petabytes. The computing power of this supercomputer increases Total Energy’s operational excellence, reduces geological risks in exploration and development, accelerates digital maturity, and increases the company’s profitability through optimization of field operations. Pangea III can process huge amounts of data with greater accuracy and higher resolution, helping to more reliably locate hydrocarbons underground.

Total Energy has invested significantly in research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. In fact, artificial intelligence is a very powerful lever to change the way this company works. For example: predicting equipment failure in exploration and production platforms, controlling electricity and gas consumption in refineries, optimizing battery production flow in rigid factories, identifying high-risk situations in construction sites or developing pricing solutions. Fuel placement is all possible with artificial intelligence solutions. In this regard, Total Energy is collaborating with Mesh-AI to develop its data culture and turn data into a strategic asset. The data network approach provides Total Energy with an automated tool to discover, manage and improve access to data. This approach provides the infrastructure to deliver significant business value and operational efficiency through the design, construction and implementation of AI-powered applications.

Transformation opportunities through data and artificial intelligence for Total Energy can include the following:

• Increase production and improve asset maintenance
• Better understanding of consumer patterns
• Discovery optimization
• Transition to a smart grid