ABB UK has signed a service contract with leading oil and gas operator CNOOC Nexen to deliver non-disruptive lifecycle performance of the integrated control and safety system (ICSS) onboard the Buzzard platform in the North Sea. Buzzard is the largest UK North Sea discovery in the last two decades and the performance of the ICSS is critical to safely maintaining the highest production levels.

The service contract will provide healthcare maintenance of Buzzard’s ICSS. The contract offers a number of new advanced services such as ServicePort (system and process optimization) and ServicePro (asset management) and includes a maintenance management package with an associated KPI reporting tool.

All support requirements will be managed by a contract specific service desk which provides 24/7 support and a single entry point for all technical enquiries. In addition, the contract scope covers the provision of spare parts management and training support for third-party systems. The contract supports the four key focus areas for ABB’s customers – maximize production, lifecycle management, operational efficiency, and performance improvement.

The contract also provides for ABB to host a full-scale replica of Nexen’s offshore control network in the staging area of its Aberdeen office. This will allow ABB to perform configuration management and comprehensive testing of all software changes prior to installation on site. This facility will also enhance the preparation for planned offshore visits and will improve the level of operational support provided from base to facilitate technical troubleshooting and maintenance.