Asset Integrity in the Energy Sector: Unprecedented Challenges and Solutions

In the energy industry, asset integrity is what keeps everything running safely and reliably. Whether it’s a pipeline in the refinery, a pressure vessel on an FPSO, or a subsea structure on the ocean floor, maintaining the health of these assets isn’t optional—it’s critical.

Yet, despite the billions spent annually on maintenance and inspections, unexpected failures still happen. Downtime still costs millions. And integrity teams are still fighting to get ahead of problems before they escalate.

“Corrosion impacts the industry with 3 trillion US dollars annually. We need subject matter experts who understand AI and help create more opportunities in the corrosion industry. There is a use case in which we need experts to create value by reducing corrosion using process data in terms of identifying where the corrosion is and how you can reduce it.“

Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco

So, why is asset integrity so challenging, and what needs to change?

The Problem: A Perfect Storm of Pressure

Across oil and gas, power generation, and industrial facilities, companies are grappling with a mix of old infrastructure, harsh environments, tight budgets, safety risks and growing regulatory scrutiny. Add to that a shrinking workforce and a mountain of disconnected data, and you’ve got a perfect storm.

“We’re working with equipment that’s decades old in some cases,” said a senior reliability engineer at a global energy company. “And we’re trying to make decisions with incomplete data, under constant pressure to reduce costs. That’s a tough place to be.”

Here’s a closer look at what teams are up against:

• Disjointed inspection data spread across spreadsheets, PDFs, and legacy systems, making it hard to get a clear picture of asset health.
• Aging assets that are being pushed beyond their design life, often without clear visibility into their current condition.
• Corrosion and material degradation that can’t always be seen—or predicted—until it’s too late.
• Talent gaps as experienced personnel retire, leaving behind tribal knowledge that isn’t always captured or passed on.
• Budget and access constraints that limit how much of the asset base can be inspected—and add complexity with scaffolding, permits, and coordination that slow down even routine tasks.
• Increased safety risks and costs tied to sending personnel onsite or offshore for manual inspections—especially in hazardous environments where even routine checks can carry high exposure for Person-on-Board (PoB).

It’s not just a technical problem. It’s an operational and HSE one too. And it’s putting integrity teams in a reactive position, when they’d rather be ahead of the curve.

The Insight: Integrity is a Data Problem

One of the biggest shifts in thinking is recognizing that asset integrity is as much a data challenge as it is an engineering one.

There’s no shortage of inspection data—ultrasonic scans, drone footage, sensor readings, maintenance logs. But the problem is fragmentation. The insights live in different systems, departments, and formats. The teams that need the full picture often don’t have access to it.

Interviews with offshore operators in the Arabian Gulf often reveal that the challenge isn’t a lack of data, but rather the need to make better use of the data already available. Many highlight the importance of connecting existing information into a single, accessible view—emphasizing that this would significantly improve the speed and quality of their decision-making.

Innovation: Connecting the Dots

With modern digital asset management platforms, organizations can bring together accurate inspection results—significantly reducing subjectivity in assessments of defects/anomalies, historical databases for temporal analysis, and even 3D visualizations into one centralized view. This isn’t about replacing engineers—it’s about giving them the tools to see the full picture and act confidently.

Features like:

• Interactive digital twins that overlay inspection data on actual asset geometry.
• Dashboards that highlight trends and anomalies.
• Automated workflows that ensure critical findings are tracked, followed up on, and closed out.
• Role-based access so inspectors, engineers, and leadership can all see what matters to them.
• Integration of existing data i.e. Asset Performance Management (APM) database to the updated tool or vice versa.

These innovations shift integrity teams from reactive fire-fighting to proactive planning—enabling them to prioritize high-risk areas, strategically plan inspection and fabric maintenance campaigns, optimize resource utilization, and prevent failures before they occur.

Abyss Point of View: Simple, Powerful, Scalable

At Abyss, we’ve seen this transformation firsthand.

Our work with clients in the energy sector has made one thing clear: when you make asset integrity data visual, connected, and structured—you unlock a whole new level of control. Abyss is actively engaged in R&D collaborations with several energy supermajors to drive the level of precision and reliability the industry demands.

We believe that the future of integrity isn’t about more tools. It’s about simplifying how teams interact with the tools they already use, and making their insights easier to access, trust, and act on.

From offshore platforms to onshore terminals, we’ve worked across a wide range of critical assets—both above and below the waterline—to help operators digitize their integrity workflows without overcomplicating them. That experience has shown us that the right solution isn’t just about software—it’s about meeting the realities of field inspections, complex logistics, and high-stakes operational timelines by understanding the operator’s workflows.

Digital transformation in asset integrity is gaining momentum, but it’s not without challenges. Much of the analysis still depends heavily on the quality of data collected—and how effectively it’s interpreted by users. While this evolving space is helping surface common patterns from global inspections, it’s clear that further R&D is needed to make these solutions more practical, scalable, and adaptable to real-world field conditions. 

“Technology keeps evolving but these new tools and systems should always remain backward compatible so any existing workflow is not disrupted”, said an integrity lead at Gulf of America operator.

Conclusion: Integrity You Can See, Share, and Trust

Asset integrity isn’t getting easier, but it doesn’t have to stay this hard.

By recognizing the challenges as rooted in data fragmentation, and by adopting smarter ways to unify and visualize that data, energy operators can reduce risk, increase uptime, and give their teams the clarity they need to act with confidence.

In an industry where safety, performance, and reputation are on the line, that clarity makes all the difference.

Want to learn how leading operators are transforming their asset integrity workflows? Let’s talk!