Intelligent Digital Oil and Gas Fields

Concepts, Collaboration, and Right-Time Decisions

Gustavo Carvajal, Marko Maucec, Stan Cullick

• Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780128046425
• eBook ISBN: 9780128047477
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Intelligent Digital Oil and Gas Fields: Concepts, Collaboration, and Right-time Decisions delivers to the reader a roadmap through the fast-paced changes in the digital oil field landscape of technology in the form of new sensors, well mechanics such as downhole valves, data analytics and models for dealing with a barrage of data, and changes in the way professionals collaborate on decisions. The book introduces the new age of digital oil and gas technology and process components and provides a backdrop to the value and experience industry has achieved from these in the last few years.The book then takes the reader on a journey first at a well level through instrumentation and measurement for real-time data acquisition, and then provides practical information on analytics on the real-time data. Artificial intelligence techniques provide insights from the data. The road then travels to the "integrated asset" by detailing how companies utilize Integrated Asset Models to manage assets (reservoirs) within DOF context. From model to practice, new ways to operate smart wells enable optimizing the asset.Intelligent Digital Oil and Gas Fields is packed with examples and lessons learned from various case studies and provides extensive references for further reading and a final chapter on the "next generation digital oil field, " e.g., cloud computing, big data analytics and advances in nanotechnology. This book is a reference that can help managers, engineers, operations, and IT experts understand specifics on how to filter data to create useful information, address analytics, and link workflows across the production value chain enabling teams to make better decisions with a higher degree of certainty and reduced risk.- Covers multiple examples and lessons learned from a variety of reservoirs from around the world and production situations- Includes techniques on change management and collaboration- Delivers real and readily applicable knowledge on technical equipment, workflows and data challenges such as acquisition and quality control that make up the digital oil and gas field solutions of today- Describes collaborative systems and ways of working and how companies are transitioning work force to use the technology and making more optimal decisions

Chapter One

Introduction to Digital Oil and Gas Field Systems

Abstract

World energy demand will grow from about 550 QBTU in 2012 to 850 QBTU in 2040 according to 2016 projections from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Although renewable energy sources will grow by a large percentage, petroleum-based liquids (oil) and natural gas will continue to be the largest contributors to energy utilization by the world's population, representing about 55% of the total in 2040. As any current oil and gas production naturally declines, the continued growth of petroleum fuels will be made possible only by forward leaps in technology in finding, drilling, and producing those resources more efficiently and economically. One of the great stories in oil and gas production is the industry's implementation of new digital technologies that increase production for less unit cost. This “revolution” of the “digital oil field” is the subject of this book.

Keywords

Digital oil field; Data streaming; Collaboration; Workflows; Visualization

Contents

1.1 What is a Digital Oil and Gas Field?

1.2 DOF Key Technologies

1.3 The Evolution of DOF

1.4 DOF Operational Levels and Layers

1.5 Main Components of the DOF

1.5.1 Instrumentation, Remote Sensing, and Telemetry of Real-Time Processes

1.5.2 Data Management and Data Transmission

1.5.3 Workflow Automation

1.5.4 User Interfaces and Visualization

1.5.5 Collaboration and People Organization

1.6 The Value of a DOF Implementation

1.6.1 Industry Challenges

1.6.2 How DOF Systems Address Challenges and Add Value

1.6.3 DOF Benchmarks Across the World

1.7 Financial Potential of a DOF Implementation

1.7.1 Field Description Example

1.7.2 Cost Estimates

1.7.3 Economic Parameters

1.8 Tables Summarizing Major DOF Projects

References

Further Reading

World energy demand is expected grow from about 550 quadrillion (Q) BTU in 2012 to 850 QBTU in 2040 according to 2016 projections from the International Energy Agency (IEA). As can be seen from Fig. 1.1, although renewables will grow by a large percentage, petroleum-based liquids (oil) and natural gas will continue to be the largest contributors to energy utilization by the world's population, representing about 55% of the total. Since any current oil and gas production naturally declines, the continued growth of petroleum fuels will be made possible only by leaps forward in technology in finding, drilling, and producing those resources more efficiently and economically. One of the great stories in oil and gas production is the industry's implementation of new digital technologies that increase production for less unit cost. This “revolution” of the “digital oil field” (DOF) is the subject of this book.

Fig. 1.1 World energy consumption by energy type [International Energy Outlook 2016, Report Number: DOE/EIA-0484(2016). Projection of 46% increase over base 2012].

An oil or gas production field is a value chain of a well drilled into a subterranean rock formation from which oil or gas flows to perforations in the well, and then up the well through various chokes and valves to surface pipelines and treatment facilities and ultimately to a sales terminal or tank. Fig. 1.2A is an offshore complex of wellheads and production facilities, and Fig. 1.2B illustrates a complex of pipes from an offshore complex to wellheads on a sea floor, which connect to wells drilled miles under the seafloor to an oil reservoir. Fig. 1.2C illustrates wellheads on an onshore complex which uses pumps to lift the oil. For each of these situations, there are numerous measurements that enable the operations and production personnel to monitor and improve the production (Fig. 1.2D). These measurements include pressures, temperatures, flow rates, power, vibration, and many more to be discussed in this book. DOF is the application of state-of-the-art technology for sensors, data communication, data analytics, collaboration, and decision making, throughout the value chain of completions, wells, pumps, pipes, chokes, compressors, treatment facilities, etc. to increase production at lower cost.

Fig. 1.2 (A) Offshore oil production platform, (B) subsea well production template, (C) onshore production from artificial lifted wells, and (D) operations center.

This book leads through the journey of how DOF came to be, the state of DOF today, best practices that can be employed in your own professional work—whether management, operations, or production—and a view of what will be possible in the near future. This chapter provides an introduction to DOF and the subsequent topics to be covered.

1.1 What is a Digital Oil and Gas Field?

When many people first hear the term digital oil field they visualize things such as computer displays where you can drag-and-drop digital objects and push buttons to monitor and automate the equipment used in oil and gas field operations. This common vision most definitely describes the interface for a DOF system. But behind the crystal screens are many sensors, cables, circuits, electronic switches, logic algorithms, and computers, which are integrated with the specialized instrumentation and equipment—below ground and on the surface—required to run oil and gas fields. This sophisticated col...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter One: Introduction to Digital Oil and Gas Field Systems
• Chapter Two: Instrumentation and Measurement
• Chapter Three: Data Filtering and Conditioning
• Chapter Four: Components of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics
• Chapter Five: Workflow Automation and Intelligent Control
• Chapter Six: Integrated Asset Management and Optimization Workflows
• Chapter Seven: Smart Wells and Techniques for Reservoir Monitoring
• Chapter Eight: Transitioning to Effective DOF Enabled by Collaboration and Management of Change
• Chapter Nine: The Future Digital Oil Field
• Index