FourPhase has carried out the oil and gas industry’s first fully remote solids management operation offshore, working with Aker BP on a two-month program in the North Sea.
FourPhase integrated operations center
The project involved a coiled tubing cleanout of two wells with chalk bridges, with all solids returns handled topside using FourPhase’s DualFlow desander system and monitoring equipment. The operation was managed through Aker BP’s newly opened Gnist center, built to support remote and digital operations.
By reducing offshore headcount to four operators, the pilot demonstrated both improved efficiency and enhanced safety. The companies expect future campaigns to require as few as one operator per shift, enabling multiple interventions to be managed simultaneously.
“This project proves that the future of offshore solids management can be both safer and more efficient,” said Øyvind Heradstveit, CEO of FourPhase. “It sets a new benchmark for how the industry approaches solids management in offshore environments.”
Aker BP executives highlighted the collaboration as a milestone for intervention operations in the North Sea. The approach is expected to lower logistics costs, reduce environmental footprint, and lessen offshore personnel exposure without compromising performance.
FourPhase has been developing remote operations technology since 2018, with the Aker BP project marking a key step toward its long-term goal of fully autonomous solids management.
