Automation contract in North Sea

Automation services and technologies will help manage offshore facilities safely and efficiently

Following hard on the heels of the announcement of the adoption of Rosemount Guided Wave Radar off the west coast of Africa, comes news that BP Exploration has selected Emerson as automation contractor of choice for offshore oil and gas operations in their North Sea Region. Emerson will be BP’s preferred supplier of integrated control and safety systems for five offshore fields in the British continental shelf, including the new Clair Ridge platforms and the Quad 204 floating production, storage and offloading vessel.

Platform support vessel

Emerson’s selection as contractor of choice builds on an earlier agreement in which the company was named a Main Automation Contractor for BP projects globally. By standardising on a single contractor for its North Sea region, BP expects to gain significant benefits including efficient project execution, training, maintenance and support.

"We are already working together on several North Sea projects," said Steve Barber, BP Exploration program lead for major automation projects. "This closer relationship will help us make the most of Emerson’s technologies and expertise across the region."

Emerson will provide a wide range of services for control and safety systems, from front-end engineering and design to installation, testing and support. The integrated systems – which will help BP run its North Sea operations safely and efficiently – include Emerson’s DeltaV™ digital automation system, DeltaV SIS™ process safety system, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software.

"Becoming contractor of choice is a major milestone in our long and productive relationship with BP," said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. "We appreciate this vote of confidence in our oil and gas automation capabilities, and we look forward to adding even more value as we help BP meet the challenges of North Sea operations." 

The North Sea Region is part of the Exploration and Production segment of BP, encompassing oil and natural gas exploration, development and production, related pipeline transportation, processing activities and decommissioning.