In an exclusive article for Oil Review Middle East, Pim Voogd – head of business development at Fugro Middle East and India, outlines a new way to handle ground-related risks and operations
At Fugro, we support asset owners and operators to advance their businesses through the establishing of a digital foundation, leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions which unlock insights from geo-data. One area where our clients have the potential to make significant changes is in the management of ground-related processes. Issues that often challenge construction projects such as soil instability, early pile refusal, jack-up punch-through risks, and over-engineering due to ground uncertainty can be prevented with these processes.
Similar to how satellite navigation revolutionised our ability to navigate unfamiliar cities, the creation of a digital replica of the underground, or a "Ground Twin," can help save money in dealing with the lifecycle of foundations, earthworks, and other structures that are in contact with the ground.
For most owners and operators, the underground remains a complex mystery. The subsurface that supports current and future structures is usually represented by a few borehole logs or other data types, often tucked away in an archive. Questions about the ground are often challenging to answer adequately, as the data is hard to reach and frequently not designed for the task at hand. Simply put, using the analogy from before, structural engineers that are dealing with foundations are like travellers in a new city, still using paper maps because they don't have digital tools. It is high time for the digital equivalent of these maps - the "Ground Twin" - to make our work more accurate and cost-effective.
So what exactly is a Ground Twin? Picture it as a smart model that replicates the ground, similar to how a 3D model represents the structure of, for instance, a building. This Ground Twin is georeferenced, meaning every point is correlated with its actual location on Earth, and it contains critical information such as soil type, which can be used for analysis to understand its behaviour. This intelligent model allows users to create cross-sections, visualise strata (layers of soil), formulate synthetic boreholes and perform analysis to understand behaviour of the ground. Since the data resides in an intelligent model, these actions can be performed with a simple click in a matter of seconds.
The Ground Twin is constructed through sophisticated analytics, engineering knowledge, and AI. Existing data points, like borehole logs, are transformed into a 3D model that encompasses the entire surface and volume between the original data points.
Say we have an oilfield with a history of ground-related issues. If we create a Ground Twin, we can gather all the data related to the field, like what kind of soil it has, based on, for example, geophysical activity and drilling records. This Ground Twin becomes a live database that is kept up-to-date, giving us a full picture of the field.
Having all this data in one place helps us work more efficiently and avoid costly delays. It also makes it easier to plan for new data collection. If we already have the data we need, we only have to verify and confirm the existing data through the commission of lighter surveys and satisfy insurance requirements. With a detailed model of the ground from the Ground Twin, we can get new insights and see things we couldn't see before.
This helps us get ahead of ground-related risks, making our operations safer and lowering costs. The Ground Twin gives us a clear, current and correct understanding of the ground, which lets us make informed decisions.
The Ground Twin isn't just a tool for managing Geo-data –it's a new way to handle ground-related risks and operations. It helps us run our oilfields in a safer, more sustainable way, which is good for our business and our industry in the long run.
The full article, containing specific examples, is on p34 of the current issue of Oil Review Middle East, https://www.oilreviewmiddleeast.com/current-issue
