We are embarking on an exciting year in many ways.  The implementation of Integrated Operations, as well as internationalization and the merger with Hydro are examples of big changes for Statoil, which will have consequences both for individual employees and for Statoil as a whole. Preparing for training through good competency development initiatives will be important for realizing our ambitions and goals.  In this article I will look closer at Integrated Operations and the competency initiatives we have introduced to support the implementation.
 

Integrated Operations, e-operations, Smart Field, i-operations

On the Norwegian continental shelf, there are many different names used to describe what we at Statoil call Integrated Operations.

Integrated Operations entails a new way to plan, organize, and complete work, made possible by modern information and communications technology.

Integrated Operations is about collaboration between people, environment, and the organization; as well as the work processes and work form that bind these together.  We are looking to achieve:

• Effective operations support from land
• Operations across disciplines and licenses
• Operations independent of time and place

With Integrated Operations, installations at sea, operations centers on land, and suppliers at various geographical locations will all have access to the same information at the same time.  New work arenas make it possible for all of these participants communicate and collaborate.

It is because of developments within information and communications technology, or ICT, which make it possible to change the way we work.  The potential for change is so extensive that the oil and gas industry is said to be in the middle of a “quiet revolution”.

Integrated Operations is in focus across the entire Statoil organization, from the corporate level down to each individual installation.  This is how CEO Helge Lund characterizes Statoil’s challenges ahead:

"We are entering a time with a scarcity of specialists to manage our operations.  That's why we have to optimize the use of expert resources between sea and land and between the Norwegian continental shelf and operations abroad.  This will be an important competitive edge in our international efforts. "

Photograph: Kjetik Alsvik, Statoil

According to calculations from the Norwegian Oil Industry Association, Integrated Operations can contribute to at least 250 billion Norwegian crowns of economic growth on the Norwegian continental shelf by the year 2015.  Half of this economic growth is connected to Statoil's activities.  Our goal is to be the leader in the industry in this area.

What do we want to achieve?

With Integrated Operations, will increase profits by increasing production and extraction levels.  At the same time, this new way of working will contribute to reducing costs for drilling, operations, and maintenance.  Through increased collaboration, which in turn allows for better decisions, we will achieve increased economic growth and extend the life of the fields.

Learning as a strategic measure

Statoil as an organization stands before a great challenges in conjunction with the implementation of Integrated Operations.  We have to tear down the existing organizational barriers; between various specialties, licenses, and geographical units.  An individual's competence should be available across organizational affiliations so we can establish common best practices for various work processes and use resources optimally.

Learning will be a strategic means for organizational development.  Through competency measures we contribute to increasing employee competence which again changes their way of working.  Is it powerful measure and has a “bottom-up” approach where changes start with the individual.
 
Integrated Operations is changing the way we work and each individual’s contribution will be more important.  This can be a barrier for many.  You, your attitudes, your knowledge, and your conduct will be more visible and challenged.  To contribute to safety through good training programs will be central in this context.  It has a great deal to do with how we live out our values.

All employees received an offer for e-learning which provides a fundamental introduction to Integrated Operations and describes the changes facing Statoil.  The program is available for everyone through our learning portal.  We encourage, however, that the program be used in groups.  Through support material we provide suggestions on how a manager or facilitator can adapt the program.

With questions and extensive commentaries we hope to include the e-learning program as part of a more comprehensive learning process. We believe that this will contribute to improved results for each individual.  Integrated Operations will change the way we work and how decisions are made.  That's why it's important to discuss in groups: what does Integrated Operations mean to us and what does it mean to you?  How is it changing the way we work?

We have also developed learning programs that are intended as training in collaboration and new work processes.  These programs can be run as gatherings where we train through concrete and practical cases and where participants on land collaborate with participants offshore.  We place emphasis on training being as close to a real work situation as possible.

We also offer learning programs for:

• ICT equipment/rooms 
• Planning through Concurrent Design
• Well planning
• Modification planning
• Turnaround, etc.
• Proactive operational management

The sum of these measures will, in addition to general information, work toward improving work processes and equipment, and support the implementation of Integrated Operations in Statoil.

Foto: Dag Myrestrand, Statoil 

It's about people

Integrated Operations entails new work tasks and challenges for each individual employee:

Øyvind Andersen, production engineer, Heidrun
Working in an operations support room is sometimes stressful, but at the same time it makes the job even more exciting and challenging.

Erlend Kolstø, production engineer, Heidrun
The pilot project gave me a giant boost professionally speaking, it was almost an “a-ha” experience in relation to how we should work together.

Hilde Sandberg, control room technician, Heidrun
The implementation of Integrated Operations let to increased stress in an otherwise hectic work day for those of us in the in the control room.  At the same time it has been positive to see that we are managing to increase production.  It is positive that we can learn more of each other through this type of work process. 

Jess Milter, department manager SF RESU
For me this was new and exciting!  We were given new ways to tackle problems and I got to work more closely with people across the organizational map.

If we are to succeed with Integrated Operations people must have the necessary competence.  That's why training is one of the most important success criteria.

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Article by Mette Lene Berger, Statoil