Episode 1: Teamwork makes the data work

Featuring (in order of appearance): Mats Andersen, Erik Vandvik, Ove Sorheim, Jan Erik Spyker, Morten Orevik, Alf Fredvik, Eamon Conden, Arfinn Grotte

Episode 1 hosted by: Shelby Dumaine

Special Thanks to: Alf Gunnar, Anders Hodne, Vladimir Stankovic, the entire Downhole, Tuboscope, Intelliserv, NOVOS, and Rig teams for their hard work on this project, Paul Dufilho, Weihan Lin, and Kailey Shelton on Production and support, and the Aker BP Team for their collaboration and cooperation in telling this story.

For decades, NOV has been on a mission to make affordable energy accessible to people globally. This isn’t just a goal—it’s a commitment that requires innovation, collaboration, and a determination to see it through. Every day, NOV employees worldwide rise to the challenge, ensuring the company stays on the right track toward its mission.

But let’s be real: with a company as big as NOV, it’s easy to feel a little lost in the mix. With thousands of employees, hundreds of facilities and brands, and numerous business units, sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves: Who are we? What makes NOV, NOV?

The DNA of NOV project is a testament to these efforts, highlighting the teams that embody our core mission and fuel excitement for the future momentum of the company. Through stories and profiles from the halls of our facilities, this initiative brings to life the dedication and ingenuity of the people who work each day to drive NOV forward.

Our first story brings us to one of NOV’s engineering teams in Norway. Earlier this year, we signed an agreement with Aker BP, a powerful operator in the North Sea, for Downhole Broadband Solutions (DBS), which includes the use of wired drill pipe (WDP) to transmit real-time data from downhole tools.

Since 2019, our DBS team in Norway has been a key player in Aker BP’s offshore drilling operations on one semisubmersible rig. Now, Aker BP has committed to expanding this partnership by deploying NOV technology and services on an additional rig starting next year. They also plan to use similar services, including WDP and other related products for autonomous drilling, across their entire fleet of rigs.

“We were looking for a relationship to co-develop solutions and improvements of products that would benefit us as an operator and our partners and would benefit you as a service provider,” said Eamon Condon, VP of Drilling and Wells Alliance Support Team at Aker BP.

This collaboration required NOV teams to gather data and act on it, with all necessary products and teams working in harmony. As NOV’s VP of Strategic Accounts, Rium Johnson, says, “The data that you collect ultimately informs the actions you take.” So, who are our data collectors and who are our data actioners?

Historically, such a project would involve several account managers from various NOV business units, leading to potential confusion and a lack of personal touch. This time, the team decided to do things differently.

So—no matter what Aker BP needs from NOV—it all goes through one simple, easy to find, happy to help, account manager.

This collaboration, both internally and externally, not only highlights how effective NOV’s DBS technology has been over the past few years but also showcases how NOV’s diverse product and service portfolio can come together to serve customers across the entire lifecycle of a project. From initial planning and drilling to real-time data transmission and optimization, NOV provides a full-service, one-stop-shop experience. Not only do NOV products speak for themselves, but they also speak to each other, creating a seamless integration that enhances overall performance.

To me, this comprehensive approach really answers the question “Who are we?”—we’re not just about one-off services; we’re about providing integrated solutions that ensure safer and more efficient operations.

Tune in to this week’s episode of DNA of NOV to learn more about how the teams from DBS, WDP, NOVOS, and other products came together to form the “Dream Team” and bring Aker BP’s project vision to life.