
In our pursuit of innovation and meeting the diverse needs of our clients, AIS is proud to introduce our latest solution, the Self-Capture Photography System (SCPS). Beyond conventional 360 imagery, the core objective driving the development of SCPS was to provide our clients with a versatile and user-friendly self-capture tool. We conducted rigorous testing with various equipment to ensure its readiness for deployment, prioritizing ease of use and minimal training requirements.
Petrofac served as our proof of concept partner, and the results were remarkable. SCPS emerges as the ideal solution for scenarios where clients seek to undertake small-scale engineering projects without the necessity or desirability of deploying an offshore survey team. Our commitment to delivering innovative, practical solutions is at the heart of our offerings, and we are excited to offer this valuable addition to our suite of services. Part of Petrofac’s strategy to drive best-in-class delivery for its clients, the digital process enables offshore crew to capture detailed visual and measurement data through a process called Self-Capture Point Cloud. Photogrammetric data is collected using intuitive camera equipment, transferred directly to the asset’s Digital Twin and converted into a point cloud, which can be used to design asset modifications to a high level of dimensional accuracy. Using this technique, Petrofac was able to undertake a spool piece replacement in the North Sea, avoiding the need to mobilise a survey team - a first for the UK energy industry.
Adam Morrice, Digital Survey Manager, Asset Information Services, commented: " The main purpose of this on our end was to offer another self capture solution beyond just 360 imagery. We carried out multiple tests with equipment before we ever offered it out to a client and once we were confident we were ready, we used Petrofac as a PoC. What we found is that this as a solution is perfect where a client is looking to do small scale engineering works, where deploying a survey team offshore isn't feasible or desirable. Providing a solution that is easy to use and requires minimal training was our primary focus and we achieved exactly that with our SCPS offering."
Steve Johnson, Vice President of Digital for Petrofac’s Engineering and Production Services business, commented:"As our industry continues to balance its focus on the maximisation of economic recovery and accelerating towards a lower-carbon future, this type of digital execution provides a means to optimise use of existing infrastructure by extending field life, whilst reducing offshore travel. Data is captured at the point of inspection and core teams are empowered to execute modifications without a time-consuming survey process, ultimately unlocking significant value for our clients through increased uptime and cost efficiencies."
Signalling the future way of working, the solution has proven to present sustainable value and cost savings, by eliminating the requirement for offshore surveys.
Johnson concluded: “With all our customers’ assets requiring planned production shutdowns incorporating pipework anomalies and new subsea tiebacks requiring piping tie-ins, this technology will accelerate what is often a critical path activity and allow production to be started earlier than ever before.”

