Study of Effectiveness of Operator Training Simulators in the Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

Control room operators remotely monitor the process data coming from the field, guide field operators and take corrective actions using highly automated and complex distributed control systems. Operators have to intervene during abnormal conditions in the process and bring operations to safe conditions. Human errors remains the top contributor for industrial losses and the challenge is to prevent or address them by training and competency development. Operator training simulators are widely used in the industry to provide hands-on training to operators. Carefully analyzing simulator training effectiveness by predefining standard evaluation models in advance is one method to address the success of the training. Simulator training provides an understanding of the different process logical relationships in order to be able to accurately identify and quickly respond to problems before they escalate. In the current low oil price environment, organizations are facing number of challenges in developing exceptional workforce to sustain the business. The findings of this study re-emphasizes the need to develop training evaluation models integrated with the simulator configuration to effectively analyze the desired outcomes of each training session. This might further contribute to the reduction of operational errors in the hydrocarbon industry.