Stakeholders in oil, gas charged to embrace technologies to facilitate energy security
Major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry in the country have been charged to embrace the adoption of modern technologies as recipes for facilitating energy security as well as sustainable development in Nigeria.
This emphasis was brought during the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Annual interntional Conference and Exhibition (NAICE), bearing the theme: “The Future of Energy – A Trilogy of Determinants: Climate Change, Public Health, and the Global Oil Market.”
The General Manager,Schneider Electric Process Automation, Sub-Sahara Africa, Mr. Ajibola Akindele, stated this at the event while speaking on the “Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria.”
He stressed that energy security is about availability, accessibility and affordability, adding that it is also about meeting today’s challenges without negating the requirement for tomorrow.
In his view, energy security is central to any country’s economy.
He noted that the need for technology adoption boils down to the lack of energy efficiency in Nigeria which he said involved getting energy to the right place at the right time.
He averred that technology is an enabler and not an end itself, stressing that the use of technology helps in good decision-making, transparency, increased production and cost reduction.
He further noted that there were several technologies available today, which could help players in the oil and gas industry to make better decisions, ensure transparency, increase energy production and reduce cost.
He further reeled out predictive analytics, digital twins, IoT, 3D printing, robotics, machine learning, blockchain, big data and drones deployment as some of the technologies that will continue to matter in the future with respect to operations in the oil and gas industry.
He said, “All of those technologies are coming upstream and we are going to see more and more of those technologies. What do they do? Essentially, when you look at Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, blockchain and Big Data, they help you with better decision-making, transparency – so that ultimately you can out-produce more energy at a cheaper price. You are making it more affordable, hence it becomes more accessible and more available.”
He also highlighted some challenges that might affect the Oil and Gas companies from adopting these technologies as costs, lack of infrastructure backbone and exposure to cyber-attacks. However, he stated that all of these challenges can be successfully mitigated and overcome.
He, however suggested that these technology services can be provided on a subscription model thereby reducing upfront costs. He also stated that cyber-attacks while becoming increasingly common, can be mitigated by applying the appropriate technology solutions and constantly educating employees on the threat of cyber-attacks and ensuring vigilance within the organisation.
Akindele concluded by stating that “the use of technology has a big role to play in ensuring energy security and sustainable development in Nigeria”.He urged organisations to embrace the use of digital technologies where possible for operational efficiency improvements.
