KOS Large-Scale Module Fabrication
Waterflooding is a secondary recovery method that involves injecting water into the reservoir to push oil toward nearby production wells and help maintain reservoir pressure.
To support this effort, construction and fabrication are taking place at Kiewit Offshore Services (KOS) facility in Ingleside, Texas. At the same time, engineering and design work is being carried out in New Orleans and Houston.
Project Overview
To maintain oversight, improve coordination, and reduce the cost and risk of frequent site visits, the project has adapted remote digital capabilities.
To meet these needs, Shell implemented Evercam’s visual documentation platform, which provided high-resolution video, 360 walkthroughs and centralized access to media content.
The result is improved visibility for engineers and leadership in Houston and New Orleans, more efficient coordination with contractors and a streamlined approach to managing progress across locations.
Engineering and design work is being carried out in New Orleans as well as Houston. To maintain oversight, improve coordination and reduce the costs and risks of frequent visits, the project has adapted remote digital capabilities. That's where Evercam comes into play for our water injection project."
Stacy Fresquez
Vito Waterflood Project Director, Shell Oil, Project Vito WF
The Challenge: Coordinating a Large-Scale Project
Coordinating a project of this scale presented several logistical and operational hurdles. Shell’s engineering and leadership teams, primarily based in Houston and New Orleans, needed to track detailed progress at the KOS yard without making repeated in-person visits. Site access was limited and travel required significant time and resources.
Contractor coordination also depended on clear communication. Without shared visual tools, updates often relied on manual walkthroughs, email threads or delayed reports. Media from multiple sources such as drone, 360 camera and fixed view needed to be accessible in one place to support fast and confident decisions.
"The system enables faster decision making rather than introducing another level of oversight across engineering and contract groups. It streamlines our progress reporting and provides better coordination between our teams in Houston and New Orleans.”
Brent Wahl
Vito Waterflood Topsides Lead, Shell Oil, Project Vito WF
The Solution: Improved Visibility From Afar
To improve visibility, reduce site visits and streamline project coordination, Shell implemented Evercam’s construction camera platform at the KOS site. This included fixed-position cameras and 360 walkthrough tools. The platform gave Shell’s Houston and New Orleans-based team consistent access to site activity without needing to be physically present.
Serial 360 photo walks documented progress on key areas such as the Water Treatment and Pump Modules. Fixed cameras provided live view, time-lapse and playback features, helping stakeholders monitor site conditions and verify activity remotely.
As a result, Shell reduced the number of physical site visits by approximately 20%, with each avoided visit saving an estimated 15% of planned travel costs.
"We achieved approximately a 20% reduction in the number of physical site visits and about 15% savings on original planned travel costs.
This is particularly important for a project of this magnitude where we have teams across multiple locations."
Jimmy Mendoza
Vito Waterflood Construction Site Lead, Milestone, Project WF
Reduced visits were just the beginning of cost savings for Shell. Click the button below to read the whole Case Study.