Phalanx set to go global in Oil & Gas market
Article published: 18th September 2009
Phalanx™ software formally launched at SPE Offshore Europe 09 by Spartan Solutions
A new integrated system for the paperless tracking and management of equipment onshore and offshore – recently introduced in the North Sea – is being rolled out to other key provinces after delivering significant gains for major oil and gas service providers.
Specialist UK software business Spartan Solutions Ltd is today (Wednesday, 9 September 2009) formally launching its flagship product, Phalanx, to the international oil and gas market following its successful initial implementation by three major oilfield service providers.
The groundbreaking Phalanx software controls and manages the movement and servicing of equipment across company operations, including depots and offshore locations.
Phalanx harnesses Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology, barcodes and wireless mobile computers to collect and process equipment information, removing entirely the need for manual paper processing.
It is already operational in three major energy service providers, Swire Oilfield Services Ltd, Aker Well Service AS and Aggreko plc, who are using the technology to reduce costs, enhance safety and increase process efficiency in their North Sea operations.
Swire Oilfield Services is now planning to extend its deployment to include other areas of operation around the globe.
Launching Phalanx at SPE Offshore Europe 2009, Spartan Solutions Managing Director Jim Green said: “We are excited at the potential offered by Phalanx to transform onshore and offshore equipment management in the years to come.
“Phalanx delivers a series of very real gains for service companies for whom the costs and challenges associated with traditional equipment management practices – often manually based - are no longer acceptable, and for whom greater equipment visibility and utilisation is a priority.”
Swire Oilfield Services has deployed Phalanx for the mobilisation and demobilisation of equipment to operations on a number of installations in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. It uses Phalanx for equipment tracking and search exercises, and for executing service and maintenance orders on individual pieces of equipment.
“The integrated offering is a key benefit for us. We have been able to move the data capture to where the events are happening and reduce the risk for errors in input. The formal communication system now in place captures a complete picture of our equipment deployment and maintenance,” said Tor Helgeland, CEO Swire Oilfield Services.
“We are now looking to roll out Phalanx internationally to comprehensively track the flow of equipment across various locations, including the UK, USA and Australia, so we have a complete overview and can deliver ever-more efficient services to our customers.”
Phalanx is fully integrated with Swire Oilfield Services main Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and is central to its operations for everyone involved in a job. “It significantly extends the system reach so that everyone who needs to source information on a project can do so quickly and easily.”
Jim Green said: “We are driving business value for our customers by connecting the physical world of objects with the virtual world of computers, with the goal of removing paper, delay and cost. These are precisely the benefits we’ve already delivered for Swire, Aker and Aggreko. We know there are many other companies out there who are striving for the same result”