Offshore NC3 Visit: Fuel Gas Leaning, June 2024

My first time at NC3 platform!

For this trip, our process team mobilized to NC3 for implementation of our Fuel Gas Leaning optimization. As part of our decarbonization efforts towards meeting our Net Zero Carbon Emissions (NZCE) by 2050, it was an idea and proposal from Enterprise Decarbonizaiton and Carbon Management Division (CMD) teams, looking into how we can perform simple tweaks in our facilities to optimize our current fuel systems to reduce carbon emissions, as well as some gains in condensate recovery; “low hanging fruits” that don’t require capital project investment or modifications. Engineering study was completed, so now, all that’s left was site implementation. 

Why not just pass it to operations and let them handle it? 

As any engineer in the industry who’s been involved in any decarbonization efforts would know, it’s never that easy. 

Firstly, proposals like these require a habit change. Optimization often requires operations to do things outside of the norms of their comfort zones (norms which, might not be the most GHG-efficient approach), and they need some degree of technical assurance. 

Secondly, sometimes, without being embedded as “hard KPI”, there might be no true urgency in implementing decarbonization tasks. If they don’t actually implement it, there are no direct, tangible consequences. Platform operations will still go on. Production targets can still be met without any visible hazards or impacts in the short-term. At times, gains from low-hanging fruit efforts are sometimes so incremental that people question & challenge if it’s even worth it. 

Recognizing these challenges, we took the advice from our Energy Loss experts from our downstream counterparts: if we want to institutionalize changes towards decarbonization, it requires the human touch. In order to insitutionalize habit changes and challenge their comfort zone, we need to Go to the ground, get the technicians’ buy in, and implement them side-by-side with them. 

We first start by engaging the technicians, operators and supervisors about the big picture of our organizational aspirations of NZCE 2050, and hence the larger picture of Moving Forward Together (MFT 50:30:0): How the little things they do, while may seem insignificant, actually has a huge impact down the line. 

Empower them, that if this proposal is successful and if we stick the landing, it will become the benchmark and open up opportunities for other platforms to follow too. Set the stage for them to become icons, trailblazers and role models for others in the organisation.

Then, open up a platform for two-way conversation to go through the procedures step by step, discuss ideas, propose alternatives, provide feedback, raise concerns. Build collective ownership, iron out the quirks and execute them together. Often the mere presence of engineers onsite can bring that assurance and togetherness of shared responsibility. 

So far, so good!