Laboratory & Production Chemistry Support to Intertek - BW Opal FPSO

Client Asset: BW / Santos
Service Provider: Intertek

A clean, organized laboratory or medical workspace with various equipment, cabinets, and work surfaces. There is a blue-covered table with small parts, a cordless phone, and an electronic device in the foreground.
A modern laboratory with various scientific instruments and computers on white countertops, including analyzers, microscopes, and test tubes, in a well-lit room with white cabinets and a gray floor.

Project Overview

Omega Analytic Pty Ltd is currently supporting Intertek with specialist laboratory personnel and technical services onboard the BW Opal FPSO, a major offshore gas and condensate production facility operating offshore Darwin.

Working in collaboration with Intertek, Omega Analytic has been involved in the commissioning, laboratory setup, start-up and ongoing operation of the BW Opal laboratory, providing experienced chemists and laboratory technicians on a continuous shift basis to support day and night operations.

The scope extended beyond routine laboratory work and included technical advisory, procedural development, equipment validation, troubleshooting, and senior engineers engagement at senior operational and management levels.

1. Laboratory Scoping & Setup

  • Assessment of laboratory layout, workflow, and analytical requirements aligned with production chemistry needs.

  • Selection and verification of analytical equipment for Gas, Condensate, produced water, and process chemical monitoring.

  • Development of laboratory commissioning plans and performance verification protocols.

2. Commissioning & Validation

  • Installation oversight and commissioning of laboratory analysers and instrumentation.

  • Calibration, performance testing, and QC verification to ensure compliance with operational specifications.

  • Establishment of quality control frameworks, including control charts, reference standards, and validation documentation.

3. Procedure Development

  • Authoring of detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all laboratory tests and instrumentation.

  • Development of safety procedures aligned with offshore HSE requirements.

  • Implementation of documentation systems to ensure traceability and audit readiness.

4. Troubleshooting & Optimisation

  • Diagnosis and resolution of analyser performance issues under live production conditions.

  • Root cause analysis for inconsistent or anomalous laboratory results.

  • Optimisation of test methods to improve accuracy, efficiency, and repeatability.

5. Staff Training & Capability Development

  • Delivery of hands-on technical training for offshore laboratory technicians.

  • Mentoring in quality assurance practices and troubleshooting methodologies.

  • Development of competency frameworks to ensure sustainable laboratory performance.

6. Client Communication & Reporting

  • Direct engagement with senior client representatives and offshore leadership.

  • Clear communication of technical findings, risks, and mitigation strategies.

  • Reporting on laboratory performance, compliance status, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Challenges

Operating within the constraints of an offshore FPSO environment presented unique technical and logistical challenges:

  • Limited space and environmental constraints impacting equipment layout and stability.

  • Time-sensitive commissioning schedules aligned with production targets.

  • Requirement for zero compromise on safety and environmental compliance.

  • Live production conditions requiring rapid and accurate troubleshooting.

Scope of Work

Omega Analytic personnel form an integral part of the offshore laboratory team and support the full scope of routine and operational sampling and analysis across the facility. This includes gas, condensate, produced water, process water, utilities and steam chemistry, together with sampling from high-pressure process systems using appropriate certified sampling equipment and procedures.

Our chemists and laboratory technicians perform a broad range of critical analyses, including gas composition by gas chromatography, hydrogen sulphide testing, mercury analysis, oil-in-water testing, produced water monitoring, wet chemistry, pH, conductivity and other process and utility analyses required to support safe and reliable operations.

A key part of our commissioning and operational support has included steam chemistry monitoring for the STG and GTG power generation systems, with routine sampling and analysis across the steam and condensate circuits. This work supports correct water chemistry control, protection of boilers and associated equipment, corrosion prevention, deposit control and reliable power-generation performance during commissioning, start-up and normal operation.

Omega Analytic also provides extensive condensate quality assurance and offtake support. Our personnel conduct testing of key product-quality parameters including Reid Vapour Pressure, density, water content, mercury and other specification requirements, ensuring condensate quality is verified prior to and during cargo transfer. We work closely with the offshore operations and cargo teams to provide timely analytical results throughout condensate offtake activities, supporting product acceptance, cargo documentation and safe export operations.

Beyond routine laboratory testing, our personnel actively assist with process troubleshooting, analyser verification, laboratory QA/QC, calibration, method improvement and operational optimisation. By trending results, identifying deviations and correlating laboratory data with process conditions, Omega Analytic helps support early identification of developing issues and informed operational decision-making.

Through our ongoing collaboration with Intertek, Omega Analytic continues to provide experienced chemists and laboratory technicians on a shift basis, maintaining reliable laboratory coverage and analytical capability throughout BW Opal’s commissioning and operational phases.

This ongoing project demonstrates Omega Analytic’s capability to provide offshore laboratory personnel, steam and utility chemistry support, condensate offtake assurance, commissioning support and production chemistry services for complex, high-demand energy operations.

Value Delivered

Through this engagement, Omega Analytic has demonstrated its capability to provide experienced chemists and laboratory technicians who combine strong technical expertise, procedural discipline and effective stakeholder communication to support safe, reliable and efficient offshore laboratory operations.

We also acknowledge and appreciate Intertek for engaging Omega Analytic and providing the opportunity to contribute to the BW Opal project. The collaboration has enabled our personnel to work closely with Intertek and the wider operational team throughout commissioning and ongoing operations, supporting laboratory systems that align with production requirements, quality expectations and offshore safety standards.

This project reflects the value of strong industry collaboration and demonstrates how Omega Analytic and Intertek can work together to deliver dependable laboratory and chemistry support for complex offshore energy operations.