Canadian Natural Resources has chosen the Pisys training simulator to support the development and familiarisation of process operators at the Baobab FPSO, which operates in deepwater conditions offshore Ivory Coast.
Headquartered in Scotland, Pisys delivers software solutions focused on health, safety, environment and quality management across multiple industries, including energy and healthcare. Its emergency and incident response simulator is regarded as the most extensively used control room training platform worldwide.
CNR’s adoption of the simulator reflects its ongoing commitment to maintaining high safety standards while overseeing the technically complex Baobab subsea development. The field spans depths of between 900 and 1,700 metres and is supported by an extensive subsea network that feeds production fluids to the FPSO for separation and storage.
Paul Hunter, Systems and Controls Technical Authority at CNR, remarked, “The Pisys simulator allows the operational team to have exposure to an accurate representation of our operational system; without the need for expensive hardware and travel. The support from Pisys is very good and the system itself can be modified as the actual subsea system develops and changes. The Fidelity of the system will also get better with use and as we build new operational scenarios into it, such as ‘Black start models’ – it’s been game-changing for our team.”
The simulator is expected to lower training costs and improve operational readiness by allowing personnel to train remotely. This approach aligns with CNR’s objectives around developing local capability, giving local teams access to high-quality training through a cloud-based platform rather than requiring travel to offshore facilities.
As part of the implementation, Pisys worked in close partnership with CNR’s engineering teams to replicate the live system’s Graphic User Interfaces. A background process flow model was also created, enabling users to see data evolve exactly as it would during real operations.
With the simulator now in place, new and existing team members can build operational confidence from any location, taking part in shared, real-time training scenarios that closely reflect live FPSO operations.
