Abstract. The last 20 years have shown a dramatic expansion in Systems Engineering theory, knowledge, knowhow and practical application. Despite this increase, there is evidence within organisations that there has been a growing gap between the SE required and the SE delivered. The authors of this paper describe the results of a study into the reasons for this gap, based on an on-line survey which received 85 valid responses.The authors conclude that:• Project professionals are using approaches that are not appropriate to the problems being tackled; • Behaviour is being driven by narrow views of what organisations believe is right, rather than the broader range of practice that they allow; • Project professionals adopt preferred approaches which they apply across more than one type of problem.The authors demonstrate that there is truth in the assertion that Systems Engineers apply the same approach, irrespective of the situation. Whilst standard Systems Engineering approaches, for example the V lifecycle, are the right approach in the complicated space, it is less appropriate in simple, complex or chaotic spaces. All too often, projects start with the assumption that we should use standard Systems Engineering approaches that we have used before, rather than ask: 'To V or not to V?'

The production of large volumes of water is common in wells producing from strong aquifer reservoirs, such as most of the fields in the Oriente basin of Ecuador and neighboring Marañón and Putumayo basins in Peru and Colombia, respectively. In most cases, as the water cut increases it restricts the production of oil and creates production problems, including scale deposition, corrosion and even sand production. This increases the need for treatments thus increasing operating costs. On the lifting and processing sides, additional volumes of water require larger artificial lift units with higher energy loads, and facilities that often need to be upgraded in order to separate and handle significantly larger-than-design fluid rates. At the end of the cycle, formation waters need to be treated, cleaned and disposed off adequately in water disposal wells.The water problem is costly. If it is not addressed in a proper and timely manner the only option left to the operator is shutting-down producers, with a heavy impact on economics, particularly given the current oil price environment. Twenty years of experience with formation water issues in the Oriente and Marañón basins indicate that only a small percentage of water shut-off treatments have been successful. Lack of success is generally related to failure in performing analysis to understand the exact source of the unwanted water. A classification of the 10 main water problem types in producer wells is included in this paper.The integrated approach to formation water management looks at the problem comprehensively, starting with an understanding of the water flow mechanisms in the reservoir and the identification of the water breakthrough mechanism at the producer well, followed by the detection of production bottlenecks in the wellbore and the surface facilities, and finishing with analysis of water disposal or reinjection to complete the cycle. Once the problems and constraints in each part of the water cycle are understood they must be considered together to determine the most critical bottlenecks in the production system. The accurate identification of the water problems is absolutely essential in the selection of effective water management solutions for the facilities, injectors and/or producers. Proper understanding of producer problems can lead to effective water shut-off, improved lift and increased production. The timely resolution of flow and energy bottlenecks at production facilities can allow higher flow rates to be managed while longer-term solutions are put in place. Accurate understanding of the water mechanisms in injectors, combined with close monitoring at the field level can help increase injectivity (and injection profile in waterflooding operations) and significantly reduce disposal costs.The integrated approach to water management was implemented in the Villano field, operated by AGIP Oil Ecuador in a rainforest environment in Block 10, Ecuador. Villano is producing 107,000 BWPD. The facilities are operating at design limits, with no extra capac...

Abstract. 'In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king'. This is particularly true in leading the introduction of Systems Engineering in a new domain. This could be in a sector new to Systems Engineering, such as transportation or biomedical. It could also be a new application in a traditional sector, such as system of systems or service engineering in defence. The challenges are many: there are few case studies; immature processes; limited tools and best practice; and data and information are missing. Yet in sectors such as transportation and infrastructure there is a strong demand to do something that will improve value for money -and a one-eyed systems engineer can make a persuasive case for investing in Systems Engineering.So is the one-eyed systems engineer a prophet -leading their organisation through the wilderness to the Promised Land? Are they a pragmatist, supporting the prophet and making sure that they deliver what the prophet has promised? Are they a perfectionist, who knows that if the Systems Engineering process is followed diligently it will deliver significant benefits? Or are they a pirate, selling shoddy Systems Engineering practice to desperate customers? This paper employs Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology to explore the different types of Systems Engineering leadership that the authors have seen across multiple sectors. It examines the associated mindset, approaches, values and personality types of the leaders. The paper illustrates the applicability of the different types of leadership to different situations using examples from the UK rail and defence industries. The analysis demonstrates the importance of deploying the right type of Systems Engineering leadership, illustrating the potential pitfalls of mismatching organisational context and Systems Engineering leadership style, and highlighting the non-Systems Engineering skills and competencies that are essential to realising real value through Systems Engineering.

This paper summarizes the achievements of an alliance between Ecopetrol, S.A. and Schlumberger to revitalize the Casabe field, a mature field located in Colombia. Challenges have been multifaceted in this mature complex field. Some relate to the heterogeneous nature of the reservoirs, limited sand continuity, unfavorable mobility for the waterflooding ongoing process, associated sand production, and wells lost due to collapses. Parallel efforts on fast-track studies and field development planning (FDP) were performed. The FDP incorporates technology application such as:3D seismicNew geological modelNew correlation in detailed scaleDrilling in fresh oil areas, infill, and new structuresSelective water injectionNew waterflood design and monitoringStrong increment of water injected by pattern. From 2004 to 2008, the integrated project has increased the oil production from 5,200 BOPD to 11,900 BOPD with a reserves replacement ratio of more than 100% per year. All these factors provided extension to the life of this complex field while bringing additional financial benefits for the partners. The article presents the FDP planning methodology, that overall proved to be useful and repeatable for other fields. Introduction The Casabe field, discovered by Shell in 1941, is located in the Mid-Magdalena Valley basin and it has 1,120 wells, which have accumulated 284 MMbbl of oil as of December 2007. The productive formations, from bottom to top, are La Paz, Mugrosa, and Colorado, with depths ranging from 2,200 to 5,500 ft. The production peaked at 46,000 BOPD in 1953 and achieved a primary recovery factor of 13% under natural mechanisms. Since 1985, the field has been under waterflooding, which raised the recovery to 19.8%. Waterflooding has been a challenge due to the very heterogeneous nature of the reservoirs, sand continuity complexity, the oil viscosity, sand production and wells lost due to collapses. The location of the field is shown in Figure 1. Since 2004 Ecopetrol, S.A., and Schlumberger have made a combined effort to revitalize this mature field to increase its value through a Field Management Alliance. The Field Revitalization effort started with fast-track integrated analytical studies to prove potential in the most prolific sectors of the field, which initially led to drill 6 new producers and repair more than 20. In 4 years, these numbers have increased to 65 new wells and 180 workovers, and 60 additional wells were planned to be drilled in 2009. As new data has been collected and incorporated, different modeling approaches helped us to understand reservoir behavior and mechanisms. The field redevelopment plan embraced 3Dseismic data acquisition, selective water injection, appraisal wells and technology application, as well as facilities upgrades to handle the incremental production and injection volumes. This paper will expand on the integrated planning and implementation of this revitalization "production project."

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