Collaborative Work Environment Implementation: A Step Change in Deepwater Operation Integration

Collaborative Working Environment (CWE) is an enhanced operation integration concept through the use of seamless connection of hardware and software tools, defined business processes, people and tele-presence facility. Additionally Collaborative Working Environment is any form (physical or virtual) in which teams can come together to discuss, in a bid to reach a common decision. It is expected, the solutions from this implementation will provide a common data-set for faster decision making through collaboration between functions or teams regardless of location.

The went operational in Shell Nigeria Offshore assets Operations Collaboration Centre took place in December 2014 and this paper aims to describe the benefits in the project implementation and process embedment. The discussion will equally highlight the change brought about in Bonga asset operation integration following the delivery of the collaborative working environment in the offshore asset with Bonga field being the first deepwater field sub-Sahara Africa. Key indicators in observed benefits include; impact on safety, team-integration, speed in quality decision making and significant reduction in cost related to field logistics. In extension, overall impact on the business objective and work culture has been reviewed. It has been established that with this project implementation exceptional benefit has been achieved in team collaboration and quality decision making.

It is acknowledged that this way of working has delivered short term benefits but the objective is to sustain and improve on the day-to-day operational benefits. The recommendations from this paper could assist in similar project implementation and embedment efforts elsewhere in the oil and gas industry.