Sustainable Valve Management for Brownfield Asset on Norwegian Continental Shelf Extending Operations for Decades to Come

Introduction

Operating subsea assets over decades requires strong control, traceability, and consistent processes. In the producing field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, the Operator identified limitations in its spreadsheet-based approach to subsea valve management, particularly around version control, data integrity, and compliance with Technical Controlling Document (TCD) requirements. 

To support field operations for decades to come, the teams implemented ValveTrack™ as a dedicated system for planning, executing, and documenting subsea valve operations, replacing fragmented Excel workflows with a unified platform that improves traceability and operational control. 

Challenges 

The spreadsheet-based process created recurring uncertainty around which file represented the latest revision. When confidence in valve status was reduced, teams often had to re-check valves offshore to verify conditions. Depending on the operation, such rework could result in up to 12 hours of additional vessel time. 

In addition, maintaining one Excel file per operation required approximately 2–4 hours of engineering time from onshore representatives. Multiple stakeholders, including offshore supervisors, contractor personnel, and operator engineers were involved in updating and distributing files. Limited traceability made it difficult to track who made changes and when, reducing overall trust in the data and falling short of TCD expectations for documented integrity control. 

Solution 

ValveTrack™ was implemented as a dedicated valve management application used jointly by the field Operator and Vessel Contractor. It replaced fragmented Excel workflows with one unified and robust application for planning, executing, tracking, and documenting subsea valve operations. 

All three internal departments: Subsea, Wells, and Project teams are using different vessels operating in parallel work within a unified and standardized system, ensuring consistent data handling.  Access to the last updated valve status, historical information in previous logs, and dynamic P&IDs improved transparency and ensured that valve control aligned with the Operator’s TCD requirements. 

Objectives 

The primary objective was to replace spreadsheet-based valve monitoring with a sustainable digital solution supporting long-term field operations toward 2050 in the producing field. 

Additional objectives included: 

• Achieving documented control and integrity of subsea valves in accordance with the Operator’s Technical Controlling Document (TCD) requirements 

• Reducing vessel time caused by uncertainty of valve status 

• Minimising engineering hours spent maintaining spreadsheets 

• Establishing a common platform for operator and contractor 

• Standardising valve management across teams and vessels 

Results 

Implementation of ValveTrack™ created a sustainable digital foundation supporting long-term operations toward 2050 and delivered concrete operational improvements: 

• Up to 12 hours of vessel time avoided per campaign by eliminating uncertainty related to Excel revisions 

• 2–4 engineering hours saved per operation previously spent manually maintaining spreadsheets 

• Established a TCD-aligned valve management process with documented traceability and version control 

Conclusion 

While Excel-based workflows can function for basic documentation, they do not provide the traceability, version control, or integrity assurance required for subsea operations governed by strict technical and safety standards, particularly in a long-term field context. 

By implementing ValveTrack™, the Operator strengthened its existing TCD-compliant process for documented control of subsea valve status. The solution supports more sustainable field operations. It enables structured collaboration with the Vessel Contractor, reducing unnecessary vessel time and engineering workload. It also establishes a consistent digital process for valve status management across fields and campaigns — supporting decades of continued operation.