Sensia's Avalon platform simplifies digital transformation in the oil and gas industry

New cloud platform for automation and digitalisation helps companies optimise their operational activities

Oil and gas companies can more easily digitise their operational activities on their own using Avalon, Sensia's new platform for automation and digitalisation. The cloud-native platform offers companies a complete, scalable solution for implementing their digital strategy. Because they do not have to build a digital platform by bundling, integrating or customising technology from different vendors, they can save a lot of time and costs.

Sensia is a joint venture of Rockwell Automation en Schlumberger, a specialist in the automation of oil and gas production, transportation and processing. The Avalon platform is an updated version of Sensia's ConnectedProduction platform now released under a new brand name. It continues to perform the same function by offering oil and gas companies a solution for the necessary digitisation and automation of their operations and business processes. But the platform has now also been enhanced with new functionality, which allows companies to address the obstacles, they face in digitisation.

These new and improved features offer upstream or downstream companies:

• Scalability as needed. The Avalon platform uses modules that allow users to start their own digitisation efforts on a large or small scale. Choices can be made with regard to both the available budget and the number of business activities. For example, companies can start with the assets most in need of improvements and then add modules to extend digitisation to other activities.

• Simple implementation. Whereas implementing a digitisation platform made up of technologies from various vendors can take a long time, the Avalon platform can be implemented in a few hours. This is possible because several parts of the installation process are automated in the platform.
• Limited cost. A PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) model allows users to pay for the platform out of operational costs. This way, no large investments in purchasing IT systems or infrastructure are needed.

“Many oil and gas companies would like to digitise their operational activities, but they are unsure about the best approach,” said Saeed Adeli, product manager at Sensia. “The Avalon platform provides a natural starting point. Whether they start with one component or the entire enterprise; the risk and amount of work are lower because everything needed to digitise is offered in one package. Oil and gas companies are thus not faced with multiple software systems, licences, service agreements or technology roadmaps, which can be challenging both upfront and over time. They can now get straight to work with a streamlined process for realising their digital strategy.”

Avalon offers an open and vendor-neutral platform, so users can implement the platform without having to modify or open up their existing infrastructure and they can continue to benefit from the investments they have already made during the earlier stages of their digitisation journey. They can also migrate existing apps to the platform or adapt apps related to specific requirements in terms of look-and-feel, alerts and reporting to the new platform.

As the platform is cloud-neutral, users can implement it in the way that best suits their existing digital strategy. The platform can be hosted locally, in the public cloud or in the Sensia cloud. Users can also start with the cloud option and buy the system themselves later. The cybersecurity measures included in the platform's design help users secure their data and operational activities. These measures - such as data encryption and user authorisation for specific components - are part of a layered security approach.

For more information on Avalon, the automation and digitisation platform, visit www.sensiaglobal.com/Sensia-Digital-Solutions/Avalon.