Digital Twin under the sea!

By Jane Wade

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the concept of the Digital Twin has emerged as a transformative force, particularly in industries that demand precision and innovation. At the Realize LIVE 2025 event, John Pastor, Vice President of Enterprise Architecture at Optime Subsea, will shed light on the profound impact of digital twin technology on their operations and the broader industry. Ahead of the event John agreed to catch up and share the journey so far.

Listen to the subsea journey here.

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The journey of Optime Subsea

Optime Subsea has been at the forefront of leveraging the Digital Twin to revolutionize subsea operations. The company’s journey began with a vision to disrupt the industry by integrating advanced digital solutions into their core operations. John Pastor shared that their approach was not just about digitizing existing processes but reimagining them to create new value streams.

One of the key insights from the podcast was the emphasis on servitization of data. Pastor explained that in the traditional product world, once a product was delivered, the interaction with it ended. However, with Digital Twin technology, Optime Subsea can continually interact with their products throughout their lifecycle, delivering ongoing value and generating continuous revenue streams.

Digital Twin and innovation

Using a Digital Twin, Optime Subsea can monitor the equipment’s health, predict failures before they occur, and optimize maintenance schedules to minimize downtime. This capability has been particularly crucial in our subsea operations, where conditions are harsh and the stakes are high.
John Pastor, Optime Subsea

The Digital Twin has enabled Optime Subsea to create virtual replicas of their physical assets, allowing them to simulate, predict, and optimize performance in real-time. This capability has been particularly crucial in their subsea operations, where conditions are harsh, and the stakes are high. By using a Digital Twin, Optime Subsea can monitor their equipment’s health, predict failures before they occur, and optimize maintenance schedules to minimize downtime.

Pastor highlighted a significant milestone in their journey when they successfully implemented an umbilical-less solution for plugging and abandoning wells. This innovative approach allowed them to visualize and communicate the technology’s potential to their clients, ultimately winning their trust and business.

Digital Twin and data monetization

A recurring theme in the podcast is the monetization of data. Pastor emphasized that data is the new product, and Digital Twin technology is the key to unlocking its value. By collecting, analyzing, and leveraging data from their operations, Optime Subsea can offer new services and solutions that were previously unimaginable. This shift from a product-centric to a data-centric business model has positioned them as leaders in the industry.

The ability to create a Digital Twin of their business processes has also allowed Optime Subsea to streamline their operations and improve efficiency. Pastor shared that by integrating various software platforms and leveraging low-code solutions, they have been able to provide their teams with direct access to master data, enabling faster decision-making and more effective collaboration.

Challenges and future directions

While the benefits of the Digital Twin technology are clear, Pastor acknowledged that the journey has not been without challenges. One of the primary hurdles has been ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the data used to create a Digital Twin. This requires a robust data management strategy and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Looking ahead, Optime Subsea is focused on further enhancing their capabilities by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI). Pastor mentioned that AI has the potential to unlock even greater insights from their data, enabling them to optimize their operations further and stay ahead of the competition. However, he also noted that the oil and gas industry is traditionally conservative, and widespread adoption of AI will require careful consideration and strategic implementation.

By integrating various software platforms and leveraging low-code solutions, we have been able to provide our teams with direct access to master data, enabling faster decision-making and more effective collaboration.

Conclusion

The Realize LIVE 2025 podcast with Optime Subsea provided a fascinating glimpse into the transformative power of Digital Twin technology. By leveraging it, Optime Subsea has been able to innovate, optimize, and monetize their operations in ways that were previously unimaginable. As they continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, their journey serves as an inspiring example for other companies looking to harness the power of Digital Twin technology.

You can hear from John Pastor and learn more about Digital Twin implementation at Realize LIVE. John will host a session on the Transformation stage, Innovator’s Xcelerator insights: more with less–better, faster, greener.