In 2009, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) launched the Kuwait Integrated Digital Field Jurassic (KwIDF-Jurassic) Project as a cross-domain solution consisting of a fully integrated infrastructure supporting field instrumentation, automated workflows, and ergonomic collaboration. The Jurassic gas field is a challenging environment consisting of heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs with natural fractures that can contribute significantly to productivity. Parts of the Jurassic reservoir consist of a tight matrix with a high density of connected fractures, but in other areas fractures are sparse and have limited connectivity. The high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) environment, the near-critical nature of the reservoir fluids, and the presence of H2S and CO2 are additional challenges for the development of the Jurassic complex. This project is the first in Kuwait to instrument gas wells with pressure and temperature gauges; H2S, gas, and corrosion sensors, and safety and control devices as a first step toward delivering on KOC's vision for integrated operations. The application of intelligent automation at the wellhead and advanced instrumentation minimizes the health, safety, and environmental (HSE) exposure of field personnel. Interventions at the wellsite can be supported by handheld portable devices embedded with work orders. New digital field work processes, supported by collaboration rooms, enable proactive, real-time decisions in accordance to the exploitation strategy defined for the field. One outcome is to use technology to leverage the competence of disciplines, such as the subsurface team, to contribute in real time to production operations as opposed to the traditional nonoperational role of studies and reviews. This paper presents a case study demonstrating the methodology and tools KOC has used to achieve timely and reliable data delivery for the Jurassic asset as part of the KwIDF-Jurassic Project.

Guest editorial In recent years, many companies in the oil and gas industry have been making steady progress employing digital oilfield (DOF) solutions to improve operations through better data capture, visualization, analysis, and automation. As more implementations provide value to particular fields or assets, a question remains of how they can be leveraged as a whole to provide aggregate value at the business portfolio or corporate strategy levels. The large volume and detail of information that DOFs generate, not only in terms of data, but also decision outcomes, interpretations, and knowledge, both tacit and implicit, contribute significantly to a company’s intellectual capital. Looking at the business case, asset-level business drivers are normally defined by considering short-term benefits in light of immediate challenges. Because of the varied production environments and diverse approaches associated with DOF implementations, determining return on investment and value for an organization’s overall production business is difficult at best; it is analogous to an “apples vs. oranges” comparison of assets. For companies actively pursuing multiple DOF programs, managing commercial uncertainties is, therefore, a key challenge for allocating resources, defining a coherent vision, and ultimately determining the appropriate level of commitment, financial or otherwise. Applying this perspective, there is a clear opportunity, and corresponding challenge, to scale the DOF value proposition by smoothly integrating independent digital assets into a cohesive system by delivering a smarter, more comprehensive view of a company’s business portfolio. Toward this end, several key concepts and issues should be considered carefully in order to understand the implications of each implementation as the first step toward corporate value realization. Strategic Business Intelligence DOF solutions leverage real-time asset awareness, in combination with intelligent analytical tools and collaborative business processes, to continuously optimize production. Data is gathered and manipulated to create information, which in turn develops into knowledge for decision support. Knowledge is the critical piece and having the ability to exploit it to the benefit of the organization should be fundamental. This is the essence of business intelligence and is at the core of the DOF value proposition.

As oilfields mature and new fields come into operation, real time asset management of reserves is providing ongoing challenges to Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). Fewer engineers are managing more wells under increasingly tougher environmental conditions and compliance regulations. The combination of these factors has driven the need for KOC to make a step change in its approach to operations by incorporating digital field concepts to transform the way engineers are working. The result is the Kuwait Intelligent Digital Field initiative. To enable KwIDF, new technologies were deployed in both mature and immature assets, creating issues in terms of interoperability and integration thereby increasing the strain on the legacy IT infrastructure. In addition, there was the requirement to isolate the SCADA industrial networks from the corporate business networks while automating traffic control with the various enterprise data systems. This ‘managed’ separation complicated the delivery of productivity tools to employees and posed the greatest challenge to creating a transparent, seamless KwIDF infrastructure. The KwIDF Jurassic project was particularly challenging since it had the most limited existing infrastructure, requiring the design and deployment of an entirely new architecture scattered over significant distances and business areas. This in turn created significant hurdles in terms of integration and compatibility with the remainder of KOC’s proprietary systems and technologies. Specific efforts were required to allow KOC’s network infrastructure to be capable of embracing such solutions and technologies with proper security measures in place. Developing a network infrastructure to enable real time solutions for KwIDF Jurassic involved analyzing the specific business drivers of the asset to ensure that the capital investment not only delivered results, but did so within a secure environment. This paper presents the methodology employed by KOC’s Corporate IT Group (CITG) to deliver the right network infrastructure, along with lessons learned, for enabling the Kuwait Intelligent Digital Field Jurassic project.

Oil & gas investments in education are growing rapidly and becoming increasingly strategic. The capability to cultivate and expand the human capital and, at the same time, develop and respond to technological advances, has become a major factor that distinguishes operators who attract, nurture, motivate and retain their working forces from those who do not. Most oil & gas companies (especially major resource holders) are striving to keep up with the technical discipline knowledge required and to stay abreast with the advances in techniques and methods in order to perform efficiently. But is this enough? Moreover, software solutions for petrotechnical information management and digital infrastructure; exploration; reservoir characterization; production; reservoir simulation; and petroleum economics, risk, and reserves are recognized as an increasingly integral part of business operations for oil & gas companies. As a result, operators have been very receptive to educational initiatives that go beyond the basic, traditional, domain discipline classroom training sessions. We are witnessing an industry trend of developing the "new multi-skilled breed of oil & gas professionals" performing in the digital age through a complete training methods covering domain science, software applications, workflows delivered using experiential, action and immersive learning methods. Developing the new multi-skilled breed of professionals in their disciplines requires good understanding of their current competencies in the discipline, in the targeted job function and the proficiency of the various software or technical tools that will be used to perform. Competency management therefore becomes crucial and tit the base of every learning and development program. Current E&P Competency Management should cover comprehensive and formal needs analysis, assessment, development, and tracking system of multiple skills specifically designed for each job function whether they are geoscientists, reservoir engineers, drilling, petroleum or production It should identify individual development requirements, create personalized educational plans, and provide a learning sequence that starts teaching domain concepts and theories, including technology workshops and hands-on experience, in addition to mentoring, evaluation, and certification to ensure that learning goals translate into results on the job. The competency-based learning and development plan should help transfer knowledge from the classrooms and workshops onto working results. The program should also address the need to plan, certify, and track skill developments of technical staff. This paper therefore intends to 1. Highlight the importance of the methodology used when carrying out competency management to develop professionals in their disciplines as well as the related technologies, and 2. Go over a few practical case studies, analyzing how E&P organizations have adopted such competency management and developed adequate Learning and development plans for their employees. 4

PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd has embarked on a journey to incorporate Integrated Operations (IO) concepts as a standard way of working across their production business. Early on it was identified that the implementation of IO as a core enabling element within the production business would create a fundamental change in operations -transforming decision-making from a mechanical process to an organic capability by embedding a culture of collaboration as the basis of an asset's Operations Philosophy (i.e. an asset mindset operating within a functional organization). This fundamental change would require visible leadership in addition to the management of incremental implementation steps: a combined top-down, bottom-up approach.Further, there would be long term structural transformation due to: scale (the change affects multiple assets not only individually but also collectively with significant implications to the rest of the organization), magnitude (it will involve significant alterations to information availability, capability, and decision-making processes), duration (implementation will span a number of years), and strategic importance to PETRONAS' future business.Consequently, a comprehensive IO business transformation strategy was required, based on an in-depth understanding of what the implications of the various asset-level digital field solutions are for the organization as a whole, as well as individual stakeholders, driving a plan customized to optimally lead the adoption effort through tailored interventions by business unit, location, role, function, and decisionmaking patterns. This paper will review the specific implications of IO within the organization and present how a business transformation strategy was developed to optimally manage the consequences, while mitigating the risks to success. Executive SummaryThe following statements form the basis of the IO transformation strategy and implementation plan:1. Implementation of IO will create a fundamental change in operations by: a. Transforming decision-making from a mechanical process to an organic capability