ABS and Swiss firm making inroads in FPSO structural digital twin tech

Switzerland-headquartered structural performance management (SPM) software solutions provider Akselos and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), a classification society, have strengthened their ties by wrapping up a technical assessment for structural digital twin technology to bolster safety and minimize downtime for floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units.

By enabling real-time, high-fidelity monitoring of offshore assets’ structural integrity to predict stress and fatigue before failures occur, the digital twin solution is said to have the potential to cut inspection and maintenance costs for FPSOs by up to 33%. The Swiss player explains that these units are some of the most complex and capital-intensive assets, often required to perform far beyond their original design life.

Matt Tremblay, Senior Vice President, Global Offshore at ABS, commented: “This collaboration reinforces the role of high-fidelity digital twin technology in the future of offshore structural integrity management. By combining real-time operational data with advanced simulation, Akselos is enabling a more predictive and performance-based approach to asset management—fully aligned with the industry’s drive toward safer, more efficient operations.”

Akselos is convinced that its deepening collaboration with ABS through joint completion of technical assessment for structural digital twin technology marks a leap toward smarter, longer-lasting offshore operations, integrating the firm’s simulation tech with ABS’s condition management tools to support full lifecycle performance and compliance. 

Given the growing pressure to improve safety, extend asset life, and reduce costs, it is believed that operators need better tools to understand and manage structural health in real time; thus, this data-driven approach is seen as a way to improve operational cashflow.

This is expected to be accomplished by reducing inspection and maintenance costs, curbing planned and unplanned downtime, and enhancing safety by limiting human exposure in hazardous operational areas. As a result, the solution is perceived to have the potential to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in value through extended FPSO life and avoided production losses.

Moreover, proactive protection of FPSOs’ structural integrity is said to be crucial for maximizing production and ensuring a strong return on investment, as these are substantial capital assets operating in harsh offshore environments and handling highly volatile substances. Akselos underlines that its SPM software provides a near-real-time digital twin of the entire FPSO.

Therefore, the fusion of inspection records, metocean conditions, and cargo operations in a single dynamic model is expected to enable operators to gain a live, continuous view of structural performance, allowing for real-time monitoring, identification of stress concentrations, and on-demand fatigue analysis to support data-driven maintenance and risk-based inspections.

When ABS’ Condition Manager and Eagle Twin inspection data management and condition tracking software tools are added, the combined suite offers the possibility of monitoring real-time load and condition information within a digital twin framework that enables full life cycle support of an offshore asset.  

This technical work builds on a long-standing collaboration between Akselos and ABS, including joint digital twin deployments in Brazil’s Cessão Onerosa oil field. The Swiss player’s SPM software also integrates with ABS’s Eagle Unified suite, providing operators with a unified platform for asset performance management and class compliance.

Claus Reimers, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Akselos, noted: “This joint work confirms the robustness of our software and reinforces the growing momentum for digital transformation in offshore oil and gas. We enable operators to simulate the structural integrity of the entire FPSO in real time and at full fidelity—supporting smarter, safer decisions across the asset lifecycle.”

While ABS won work last year with BP for a batch of services related to a floating production unit (FPU) destined to work on a deepwater project in the U.S. Gulf, Akselos signed a strategic enterprise agreement with Shell to expand their existing collaboration to the energy major’s worldwide oil and gas portfolio.