From data to drill bits: Redefining maintenance at sea

In the oil and gas sector, where the stakes are high and every decision can impact safety and profitability, companies are reinventing their maintenance strategies to harness the power of data. In his presentation “From Monitoring to Action: Realizing Value with Condition-based Maintenance (CBM)” at The Honeywell Users Group 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, Håkon Halvorsen Skibeli, predictive maintenance engineer at Aker BP, shared how Honeywell’s Forge Asset Performance Management (APM) software is helping them to realize the benefits of CBM.

From reactive to proactive

CBM is a proactive methodology that prioritizes monitoring the real-time condition of equipment rather than following a fixed maintenance schedule. This means that maintenance is performed only when the condition of the equipment indicates that action is needed, preventing unnecessary downtime and optimizing resource allocation.

Digitalization is part of Aker BP’s successful shift toward CBM. By leveraging Honeywell Forge APM, which integrates real-time data from multiple equipment types and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) into a single dashboard to facilitate proactive decision-making, the company has changed its maintenance approach from reactive to proactive. “You can just set up your own models for your own calculations,” Skibeli said.

Aker BP can continuously monitor equipment condition on six of its assets on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the North Sea, ensuring that maintenance is executed only when necessary. The cloud-enabled architecture also allows for expansion across Aker BP’s evolving asset base. Skibeli described how advanced monitoring systems can improve the effectiveness of CBM. “We depend on them to tell me,” he said, indicating how technology alleviates the need for engineers to continuously check equipment manually.

Although initially Aker BP faced a few challenges adopting the new strategy, Skibeli said they adapted by hiring a specialized condition-based maintenance engineer, “Me,” he joked, to be responsible for addressing maintenance alerts. “Every condition alert that we get shall be addressed,” he said.

Ongoing improvement and adaptation are key. It is necessary to minimize false alerts that could overwhelm the system. Continuous improvement to the monitoring process allows engineers to tune the system more effectively and concentrate on critical issues, Skibeli said.

Smart maintenance, safer workers

Equipment that is essential for safety, such as safety valves, pressure sensors and critical control systems, receives focused attention based on its operational status. Skibeli pointed out that effective maintenance is not just about responding to issues but understanding the equipment’s ongoing needs, indicating that they do whatever they can, wherever useful, to monitor the condition of equipment and act on it.

Further, by reducing the frequency of scheduled maintenance that might not be necessary, CBM minimizes the disruption to ongoing operations, thereby decreasing the chances of accidents that can occur during maintenance activities. Employees are less likely to be exposed to hazardous conditions when maintenance is performed only as needed and based on verified conditions.

Ultimately, Skibeli noted, the objective is to implement systems that improve operational safety while ensuring reliable and efficient production.