Custom software for oil and gas organisations, from offshore field-services apps and Permit-to-Work flows to HSE incident management, asset integrity tracking and compliance reporting under NORSOK, API and IEC 61511. We do not replace your SAP, AVEVA, Maximo or OSIsoft PI; we build targeted applications around them.
An operator, service company or engineering firm in oil and gas runs on a dense stack of enterprise systems: SAP S/4HANA for finance and supply, AVEVA or Maximo for asset performance management, OSIsoft PI or AVEVA PI for process data, Petrel or IHS for subsurface, IFS for asset-heavy operations, and Honeywell PHD for process safety. For onshore, offshore, midstream and downstream environments, that layer works well.
We do not replace those platforms. We are asked to build the layer around or on top of them: a Permit-to-Work system that fits your own safety procedures, an offshore field-services app that works offline on a platform, an HSE incident flow that feeds directly into Health, Safety and Environment reporting, or a compliance module that produces the correct NORSOK, API or DNV reports at the click of a button. For a broader picture of what we do in enterprise software development, see our main page.
The client base is broad: upstream operators such as Wintershall Noordzee and international majors, service companies in well services, subsea and heavy lift, midstream parties around pipelines and LNG terminals, downstream refineries and petrochemicals, plus engineering firms and decommissioning specialists. Each of these roles has its own system landscape, but the pattern is the same: a dense enterprise layer with work processes around it that are hard to squeeze into standard packages. That is where we fit in.
At the same time, the whole sector is shifting towards the energy transition: CCUS projects, hydrogen pilots, biofuel blends and hybrid installations on existing sites. Packages such as SAP, AVEVA, Maximo and OSIsoft PI do not yet structurally cover these new data fields and KPIs, while operators still need to measure, report and show them to the auditor. A light custom layer on top of your existing system is often more practical than waiting for your enterprise vendor to release a module for it.
Custom software for oil and gas covers a wide range. We are usually asked for three types of project, and most engagements combine two of them.
An integrated layer for Health, Safety & Environment incidents, Permit to Work (PTW), Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) and structured shift handover. Incident reports from the shop floor or the platform via mobile, automatic routing to the HSE coordinator, root cause analysis, CAPA registration and integration with your existing safety procedure library. PTW flow with isolation checks, risk assessment per zone and electronic sign-off by the issuing and performing authority.
The shift handover module connects to this: at the end of a shift, operators record in a structured way what is running, which deviations are ongoing, which permits are open and which points of attention pass to the next shift, directly linked to PTW, incidents and open work orders. This shortens the handover and supports the OpEx requirements that both onshore refineries and offshore platforms work to under ISO 45001 and their own Safety Management System.
For rotating equipment, such as turbines, compressors and pumps, and static assets such as vessels, pipelines and pressure systems. Asset hierarchy follows ISO 55000, inspection workflows are based on API 510/570/653, condition monitoring runs through OSIsoft PI or AVEVA PI, and predictive models pick up signals before limits are exceeded. For the wider maintenance side, we often work alongside or on top of an existing CMMS maintenance management system.
The inspection flow itself is a separate sub-module: risk-based inspection planning per asset class, inspection forms with thickness readings, corrosion mapping, NDT results and weld defects, plus automatic report generation for the verifier or regulator. SIL- and ATEX-zoned equipment gets its own flow with the corresponding risk assessment and calibration history. The integration with process data via PI or AVEVA runs one way where your security architecture requires it.
A field app for inspectors and engineers on offshore platforms, pipelines or decommissioning sites, fully working offline, with satellite sync once the connection returns. Compliance reporting under NORSOK, DNV, ATEX and IEC 61511 in one consolidated flow, plus tracking modules for CCUS, hydrogen and biofuel projects, where the energy transition calls for new data fields that the existing oil and gas packages do not yet include.
For decommissioning projects, such as North Sea installations being returned to the seabed, we often build a dedicated project module that centres on phasing, plug-and-abandonment, material tracking, recovery and environmental reporting. For energy transition portfolios, we deliver a dashboard that measures CO₂ emissions, captured volumes and hydrogen purity per stream alongside existing oil and gas data, fed from the same PI or AVEVA layer that already receives process data, so that one source of truth applies.
Working oil and gas software in production, plus everything around it so you can manage, audit and develop it yourself within the applicable standards.
Four patterns in which an off-the-shelf package falls short and targeted software adds real value, based on projects we encounter in operator, service and engineering contexts.
NORSOK, API 510/570/653, IEC 61511 for functional safety, ATEX and SIL for explosion safety, ISO 55000 for asset management, ISO 45001 for HSE and ISO 14001 for environment: in oil and gas, these standards often apply together to a single project. Standard modules in SAP or Maximo cover parts of this, but the specific combination for your site and region calls for a tailored reporting and audit flow.
Offshore platforms in the North Sea, pipelines across vast areas and offshore decommissioning sites have only limited connectivity, often via satellite alone. A field app has to keep working fully offline there, build up data locally and sync consistently on first connection. Standard SaaS packages assume always-on connectivity and fall short there.
Where inspection or work processes take place in SIL-certified and ATEX-classified areas, zone 0, 1 or 2, strict requirements apply to both the hardware (intrinsically safe) and the software flow. PTW procedures must reflect zonal risk assessments, and signal paths from the process safety system (Honeywell PHD, AVEVA) must be handled cleanly. This often involves unidirectional flow architectures to respect security zones.
Operators and service companies are in the midst of the transition to CCUS, hydrogen, biofuel and hybrid installations. Existing oil and gas packages do not yet track these data fields, KPIs and reporting requirements. Custom modules that connect to your existing PI, AVEVA or Maximo layer can measure and report on the transition portfolio without you having to wait for a replacement platform.
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →The building blocks we draw on. The combination and depth differ by organisation and asset portfolio, but we see these elements again and again.
A mobile HSE flow for reporting near misses, incidents and environmental events, with direct routing to coordinators and management. Includes root cause analysis, CAPA registration and a reporting layer aligned with ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and your own Safety Management System, for both onshore refineries and offshore platforms.
End-to-end PTW system with requests, risk assessment per zone (incl. SIL/ATEX), isolation checks, Lock-Out/Tag-Out registration and sign-off between the issuing and performing authority. Linked to the asset hierarchy and to the current process safety status from Honeywell PHD or AVEVA System Platform.
Risk-based inspection planning per asset class, recording forms for thickness readings, corrosion mapping and NDT results on tablet or handheld. Automatic report generation to API 510 (vessels), API 570 (piping) and API 653 (storage tanks), with an audit trail for verifiers, DNV or regulators.
A field app for inspectors, operators and maintenance engineers on platforms, pipelines and decommissioning sites. Fully offline, with a local data model, conflict resolution and version management when syncing via satellite, 4G/5G or on return to shore.
Time series read from PI or AVEVA PI via the PI Web API or a gateway to TimescaleDB or InfluxDB, for analysis, dashboards and predictive maintenance models on a derived stream. The integration respects the zoning between process IT, business IT and office IT.
Where your security architecture requires one-way traffic between high-security process zones and lower-tier business or office zones, we design the software flow around that — typically via a unidirectional gateway or data diode on the network side, with only pull-light integrations on the software side and strict audit trails over what passes through.
A single consolidated reporting layer that serves NORSOK, DNV, API 510/570/653, IEC 61511, ATEX zoning, ISO 55000 and ISO 45001 from the same dataset. Includes electronic signatures where the standard requires them, and a validation file you can hand to your own auditor or regulator.
Tracking and reporting modules for CO₂ emissions, captured volumes, hydrogen purity and biofuel blends, fed from the same PI or AVEVA layer where oil and gas process data already arrives. A single source of truth for both the traditional portfolio and the transition pilots.
A conversation in which we understand which bottleneck is affecting the facility or operations, which enterprise systems are in place — SAP, AVEVA, Maximo, OSIsoft PI, Petrel — and which standards and compliance stack apply to your site.
We model your operational flow across HSE, inspection and field services. Interviews with operators, inspection leads and HSE coordinators, plus a systematic review of your integration landscape and the applicable standards. Outcome: a scope document, plan and initial screen flow.
Fortnightly working builds, tested at a pilot site. For offshore apps we test offline mode and satellite sync early, and for PTW and HSE flows we join you in the field. Direct feedback from your operations, adjusted straight away.
Phased rollout by site or asset group, a validation package for your auditor, training sessions both onshore and offshore, plus ongoing management for security patches, further development and expansion towards energy transition modules.
What clients in operator, service and engineering contexts usually want to know before we start.
A no-obligation introductory call of half an hour. We listen to your operations flow, ask follow-up questions on compliance and integrations, and give you direction you can actually use, even if custom software turns out not to be the answer. For the broader context of where this type of project fits, see our page on manufacturing software, our work on an MES system or our API integration practice.
A complementary perspective on this topic is available at applatenmaken.com: Building back-office software for oil and gas.
For tanker drivers, with the trip per compartment and a digital delivery note, there is our app for tanker route planning in fuel delivery.
Appfront uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the website working properly, for analytics and for marketing. You choose what you allow. Read more in our privacy policy.
