Technology and Knowledge Management

PTTEP applies technologies in petroleum exploration and production to enhance petroleum production efficiency, reduce production costs and minimize environmental impact. Examples of technology that have been developed and implemented include the following:

1. Enhancing Petroleum Production Technology

Improving efficiency and resolving issues in the production process are crucial to increase production and lower unit costs. PTTEP has been developing technologies to enhance production in various fields as follows:

• Condensate treatment: Various condensate treatment technologies have been developed to increase efficiency and reduce costs such as the chemical demulsifier to help accelerate the separation of unwanted components in the form of particles, the adsorbent and filter, the improvement of unwanted component measurement, etc.
• CO₂ removal: PTTEP has developed technologies to increase the efficiency of Carbon Dioxide separation and reduce the loss of saleable gas, such as development of CO₂ removal membrane technology, development of metal-organic framework (MOF) absorbents, etc.

2. Operational Efficiency Improvement Technology

Operations in the petroleum production process in an efficient way are beneficial in terms of increasing production, reducing costs, and increasing work safety. PTTEP has developed technologies to improve operations in many areas such as the development of autonomous robots to perform field operation activities and detection of equipment abnormalities on petroleum production platforms, and a diamond-like carbon coating to prevent process equipment from corrosion and erosion, etc.

3. Petroleum Facility and Installation Decommissioning Technology

In the petroleum production process, both onshore and offshore, various types of facilities and installations are involved, such as petroleum production platforms, petroleum pipelines, and production wells. When production ends, these installations must be decommissioned from the production area. Decommissioning is a costly process with potential environmental impacts. Therefore, PTTEP has been developing technology to support the decommissioning of these installations, including:

• Offshore petroleum pipeline decommissioning technology: PTTEP has developed innovative chemicals for decontamination (MERClean) and a sampling device for collecting samples from inside pipelines (MERIns) to support environmentally friendly pipeline decommissioning. The development of these innovations began in 2015 through collaboration with educational institutions, government research institutes, private sectors, and environmental experts. This collaboration successfully led to the development of these innovations. PTTEP also plans to further enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the sampling devices.
• Petroleum well plug and abandonment technology: This technology uses high heat from the combustion of materials to melt metal, effectively sealing the production wells.
• Offshore installation post-decommissioning monitoring technology: This involves the development of devices for measuring and monitoring the condition of various installations to ensure they remain in suitable condition and do not impact the environment after decommissioning.

These technologies are new innovations that help reduce costs, increase safety in decommissioning operations, and minimize long-term environmental impacts.

The development and application of new technology is part of supporting the Company’s goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The research and development of various technologies have been carried out including technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), the development of low heating value flare tip, and the development of post-combustion carbon capture technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from machinery on petroleum production platforms. Additionally, there are technologies for generating electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines for electricity generation on wellhead platforms and the study of various renewable energy sources for electricity generation on offshore production platforms. Furthermore, there are also technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through offsetting methods.

Staff’s competency is enhanced through induction, roadshow and e-learning to ensure staff awareness of the importance and understanding in knowledge management.

PTTEP identifies critical knowledge for both current and future operations. The Company manages its knowledge systematically based on the identified critical knowledge as well as seeking for knowledge essential for day–to–day operations as well as to support business growth.

The Company identifies experts based on the identified critical knowledge and develops expert directory as a center for staff to easily access and search for expert when they seek for support and recommendation from the experts.

The Company conducts a workshop after project ends to capture lessons learned from operations. The lessons learned can be used for the next project to minimize mistake that might occur and to increase operation effectiveness. The Company also capture knowledge and experiences from expert and retiree in various forms and posted the knowledge onto KM site for staff to further apply that valuable knowledge.

The ‘Human Library Project’ is an integral part of the knowledge management activities with primary objective to support PTTEP’s vision and knowledge transfer. The Company identified 10 areas of expertise within PTTEP and selected top executives and employees in each expertise area as Human Books for sharing their unique experiences, best practices and serve as a resource for creative problem-solving, allowing employees to freely consult with our executives and expert staff to brainstorm the best solutions to their challenges. The value created by the Human Library Project significantly contributes to the essential skills and competency development of PTTEP’s employees as well as strengthening knowledge exchange within company and excel the Company to become Learning Organization.

The corporate knowledge sharing initiative aims to support PTTEP’s strategy and provide staff with the essential knowledge they need to excel in their roles.

The company continuously develops KM platform as a central hub for searching and sharing various forms of knowledge, using AI and intelligence search to enhance collaboration and improving organization efficiency.

PTTEP initiated "Recognition" program, to praise the employees or a group of employees whose actions support the Company’s 3-dimensional knowledge management cycle: Create, Share and Apply.

In 2024, the 28^th Technical Forum and 6^th Business Forum were organized, as stages for employees' academic publications. The forums attracted 259 submissions. Employees' publications were also presented at annual KM Week.

PTTEP prepares a year-long communication plan, to ensure correct understanding in the organization’s knowledge management and provide information on KM tools. Personnel can therefore appropriately utilize these tools for the betterment of their operations and their daily life.