Refining Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Data with 3D Scanning and Modeling
The boom and bust of oil prices demand diligent oversight in the planning and implementation of energy capital improvements. Now more than ever, upstream, midstream, and downstream brown field oil and gas capital investments must be managed wisely to more precisely forecast budgets, control costs, maintain schedules, and improve returns. The foundation for success in oil and gas construction is to integrate up-to-date, fact-based imaging and mapping data with 3d laser scanning technologies to create real-time as-built building information models (bim) for revamping refineries, building pipelines, and retrofitting rigs.
Located in texas, houston-based reality imt provides 3d laser scanning, mapping, and modeling contract services to epc (engineering, procurement, and construction) companies, as well as to owner-operators, in the oil, gas, petrochemical, refining, and pipeline industries. from hydrocarbon transportation projects to complex rigs and refinery revamps, reality imt offers a variety of high definition survey (hds) packages.
Case Studies
- Digital Twins-In many instances, project managers and operators do not have access to previous drawings or have drawings that are out of date. LIDAR scanning offers a way to match old data with new scans to create “digital twins” or real-time replicas, for creating new plans and for reverse engineering the original design.
- Smart Plant–3D Laser scanning can also provide a digital twin of a refining or gathering facility. For example, a tank 3D model can be used to simulate volumetric changes in real-time based on data received from the field.
- Material Takeoff-As-built 3D models can streamline the bid tabulation and procurement process by providing contractors a digital twin image of the facility leading to more accurate pricing and delivery schedules.
- Visual Asset Management – High Definition Survey (HDS) laser scanning can capture entire facilities digitally in 3D making it easier to conduct site inspections and monitor progress from the office or from the field. Scans can then be shared among teams on your company’s intranet using visual asset management software where maintenance documents can be aggregated and linked to the digital 3D models.
The advantages of Reality IMT’s 3D laser imaging, mapping, and modeling technologies far outnumber the traditional surveying and measuring techniques and paper documents. The following case studies highlight the benefits of these rapidly growing geospatial technologies.