Oil and gas logistics

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK

Martin Clark reports on the logistics experts and the technology they are using to make things happen on the ground across multiple African oil and gas operations.

FINDING AND DEVELOPING an oil and gas field – especially in remote locations – is a team effort. Logistics specialists such as DHL play a vital role in helping operators bring together the thousands of different aspects on a large project − from transport and customs clearance, to storage and warehousing.

The process has been aided by technology, of course, with oil companies and logistics providers now able to work seamlessly together on shared platforms, often in real-time.

For a global industry, this has been a welcome advance. To illustrate the complexity, Bolloré Logistics was tasked with shifting 240-tons of upstream equipment from China to Egypt late last year − just a small fraction of Africa’s overall oil and gas infrastructure.

But supply chain digitalisation is happening so fast and on many fronts, it’s difficult to keep pace, notes DHL in an industry white paper. Disruptive technologies –robotics and autonomous vehicles, from drones to driverless forklifts – integrate with big data analytics, sensors, blockchain and other virtual applications. This is disrupting the traditional, linear supply chain model, “transforming [supply chains] into connected, intelligent, scalable, customisable, and nimble digital supply networks,” says consultancy firm Deloitte.

The road ahead for oil and gas transport and logistics is expected to become increasingly digitalised.

According to McKinsey, companies that aggressively digitalise supply chains can expect to boost annual revenue growth by 2.3 per cent − that’s a lot of cash when world-scale oil and gas projects can cost in excess of US$20bn. It means we can expect a shift to automation technology as operators align themselves closely with transport and logistics processes.

One leading player, DB Schenker, is scaling up its Africa activities after identifying it as high-potential future market. It expects to see big development especially in eastern and western Africa, which will call for advanced logistics solutions. The company has introduced

Aggressive digitalisation of oil and gas supply chains could lead to annual revenue growth of 2.3 per cent, according to research by McKinsey.”

autonomous robots with AI-powered vision to some international facilities, a trend that could become the norm in Africa’s near future. Its robots are equipped with a visual perception-based system which combines deep learning with stereoscopic cameras to create the next generation of robot vision, designed to navigate around employees and equipment. Yet behind this, people still make the decisions. Navigating this complex digital environment means oil companies and logistics providers will work more closely to get things done. 