A major North Sea operator planned a complex completion and perforation campaign involving a jack-up drilling unit positioned over an existing fixed wellhead platform. Two distinct operational phases — each with its own equipment configuration, routing, and rig-up sequence across both structures — needed to be verified and agreed before the campaign could proceed.
The complexity of the combined environment — equipment moving between two structures, systems routed across multiple deck levels, sequences that had to work in a specific order — meant that drawings and static layouts alone were insufficient to establish that the operation would work as planned. A verified, visual representation of the full sequence was required before mobilisation was committed.
Phase visited equipment vendors and carried out laser scanning surveys of the key equipment to be used in the campaign — building precise 3D models from the point clouds. The jack-up rig model was converted from the operator’s existing file and combined with the fixed platform environment to create a single, accurate representation of the operational setting.
Before animation work proceeded, Phase produced storyboard layouts of the proposed rig-up sequences for operator approval — using these to establish that the sequencing was correct and agreed before committing to full animation production. Once approved, Phase produced MP4 animations of both operational phases in full — built in 3D Studio Max and Unreal Engine, showing every stage of the sequence across both structures
A completion and perforation campaign involving a jack-up and a fixed platform carries significant consequence if sequencing conflicts or spatial constraints are discovered offshore. Time, mobilisation cost, and the complexity of the combined environment mean that assumptions which might be recoverable onshore become programme-defining problems once the campaign has begun.
Phase established a verified visual record of how the operation would proceed — reviewed, challenged, and approved before a single piece of equipment went offshore
Phase visited equipment vendors to carry out laser scanning surveys of the campaign equipment. Precise 3D models were built from the point clouds — capturing the real geometry of the equipment rather than approximations from drawings. The jack-up rig model was converted from the operator’s existing file and integrated into the combined environment alongside the fixed platform
Before any animation work proceeded, Phase produced storyboard layouts of the proposed rig-up sequences using Navisworks and AutoCAD. These were submitted to the operator for review and approval — establishing that the sequencing was correct and agreed before the full animation production began. This stage is critical: the animation is only as reliable as the sequence it is built from.
With sequences approved, Phase produced MP4 animations of both operational phases — completion running and perforation — in full. Built in 3D Studio Max and Unreal Engine, the animations showed every stage of the operation across both structures: equipment positioning, routing, rig-up sequences, and deck configurations.
Phase also proposed an interactive open world environment — a gaming-style deliverable navigable by keyboard or joypad, with portal hotspots allowing instant movement between the jack-up and the fixed platform to watch sequences as they happen. Virtual reality delivery inside a Meta Quest headset was also available — allowing crew and engineers to physically walk through the operation before going offshore. Both options were available on this project and remain available on future engagements.
A jack-up positioned over a fixed platform, two distinct operational phases, equipment routed across multiple deck levels between two structures — this is not an operation that can be adequately planned from drawings alone.
Phase produced a verified visual record of how the operation would proceed, built from real equipment geometry and a real platform environment, reviewed and approved before commitment was made
The storyboard approval stage is not a formality. It is the verification step that makes the animation defensible. Phase establishes that the sequence is correct and agreed before committing to full animation production — ensuring the finished animation reflects a verified, approved operational plan rather than an assumed one.
The animation is only as reliable as the sequence it is built from
This engagement is one of a programme of campaign sequencing animations Phase has delivered for major operators, drilling contractors, and subsea service companies across the North Sea since 2020 — including subsea equipment sequencing, rig-up simulation, and deployment visualisation across multiple campaigns and vessel types.
Each engagement follows the same approach: real equipment geometry, verified platform environment, sequences reviewed and agreed before mobilisation is committed.
Two operational phases. Two structures. One verified visual record of how the campaign would proceed — reviewed, approved, and relied upon before mobilisation was committed. The operation established on screen before it happened offshore
