Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
KEYWORDS: OPAS, OPAF, SDA, Autonomous Operations, Shell, OPA, OPC UA FX, DCS, APL, Open Process Automation
Executive Summary
In a presentation at the ARC Industry Forum 2026, Jacco Opmeer, Principal Automation Engineer at Shell, discussed how owner-operators are moving from open-automation intent to implementation. He also described how Shell aligns architecture choices with engineering practice, supplier capability, and operational expectations.
Rather than treating openness as a single program decision, the narrative stresses sequencing: proving concepts, selecting near-term use cases, and scaling what is repeatable. It also underscores the practical factors that determine pace, such as interoperable component availability, clear conformance expectations, and the ability to sustain solutions across the lifecycle without reintroducing lock-in through tooling or integration shortcuts.
Opmeer stated:
“Do you think we can do autonomous operations without standardized open systems?
I don’t think so.”
Opmeer further situates open process automation within a broader modernization of the automation stack, where field connectivity, edge compute, and consistent information models are increasingly evaluated together. This points to a shift from product-centric upgrades toward assembling systems from modular capabilities that can evolve, integrate across domains, and support higher-level digital functions over time.
Overall, the takeaway for ARC clients is that progress now depends primarily on execution discipline and ecosystem follow-through. Organizations that anchor open architectures in obsolescence-driven programs, require interoperable interfaces and semantics, and reinforce governance across engineering, procurement, operations, and cybersecurity will be best positioned to move from pilots to scalable deployments.
Shell’s Perspective on OPAS Maturity and Ecosystem Development
Shell has been engaged with the Open Process Automation Foundation (OPAF) since the early stages, contributing to both the development of the Open Process Automation System (OPAS) standard and the broader ecosystem vision. According to Jacco Opmeer, Principal Automation Engineer with Shell, Shell’s involvement has included participation in governance roles, co-authoring portions of the standard, and shaping expectations for how an open, multi-vendor automation ecosystem should function in practice.
A central theme of Shell’s engagement is the belief that OPAS’ success depends less on any single technology choice and more on sustained ecosystem participation by both suppliers and end users. Opmeer emphasized that continuous feedback from real-world experience is critical to standards maturation, particularly through collaboration partner groups where operational lessons are fed back into OPAF activities. Shell characterizes OPAS as “pretty mature,” while acknowledging that maturity is not static and must evolve alongside market developments and emerging use cases.
From Testbeds to Early Projects: Practical Validation at Shell
Shell established an OPAS testbed to evaluate architectural concepts and integration feasibility but paused testing after observing that commercial and supplier developments were progressing faster than the original test scenarios. Rather than treating the testbed as a one-time validation exercise, Shell is now upgrading it to explore additional, Shell-specific use cases that require deeper understanding before being embedded into commercial requirements.
In parallel, Shell is progressing early OPAS-based projects, including applications in lubricants facilities. These projects are positioned as pragmatic responses to obsolescence challenges rather than transformational overhauls. Opmeer noted that OPAS enables modernization without significantly altering cost structures, while still providing additional functional and lifecycle benefits. This framing reinforces OPAS as an enabler of incremental yet strategic improvement, particularly where traditional control system replacements would otherwise be cost-prohibitive or disruptive.
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