Over the past decade, breakthroughs in digital technology have rewarded a variety of industries with a step change in productivity and efficiency. Despite this, the drilling industry has yet to benefit on a large scale from these advances and a significant amount of value remains untapped. This paper details the effort of a service company to leverage modern technology by introducing a drilling automation system in pursuit of achieving a higher degree of consistency and efficiency. The drilling automation system described in this case study was deployed in the Middle East on two onshore gas drilling rigs in 2019. The deployment was an opportunity to validate the potential of modern drilling automation technology and prove its ability to consistently deliver value. Since the company had extensive experience in the region, the Middle East was selected as the preferred location for field trials. This ensured that the value of automation could be precisely quantified as performance benchmarks were well documented and available for comparison. The automation strategy relied on an intelligent decision management system capable of dealing with constantly changing drilling conditions in order to implement efficient, consistent, and standardized well construction operations, while enhancing safety and reducing NPT. When given authority, the system would take control of the rig surface equipment to enable full automation of most drilling actions and engage optimization engines to monitor and adjust parameters to maximize performance. The system was leveraged to eliminate the variability innate to humans and deliver consistent results, while consolidating the improvements, performance gains, and lessons learned that otherwise would tend to disappear or erode over time or through personnel replacement. Throughout this document, insight is provided into the technology itself, the deployment process, implementation challenges, the agile development model, and the results achieved. In addition, as the introduction of automation is a major departure from the traditional human operated drilling process, an emphasis will be placed on the results of the change management strategies utilized.

Stuck pipe is one of the main challenges in any drilling operation especially drilling horizontal or deviated wells through deep reservoirs. Stuck pipe occurs while drilling, logging, running casing and running lower completion especially the Multi-Stage Fracturing (MSF) completion string. This causes long non-productive time, limits the drilling performance and increases the well cost. An integrated approach is necessary to eliminate and reduce the stuck pipe occurrence and improve operation efficiency. This integrated approach starts with the planning phase by evaluating the formations characteristics, pressure and stresses across the planned well, and creating the predrill Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) using offset wells information to calibrate it. This allows to anticipate the drilling conditions and the severity of the risk in each well. The drilling fluid and bridging materials are designed based on the formations characteristics, lithology, pore pressure and anticipated pore throat sizes using specific software packages to identify the optimum bridging plan. The drilling, logging, and the completion strings are designed based on the risk type and severity. The operational practices and operating envelope are set based on the downhole anticipated conditions, risk severity and type, hydraulics and hole cleaning simulations. Actual downhole conditions and a reviewed risk level are continuously monitored and fed back in the process: the operational practices, the drilling fluid properties, the bridging materials design and operating envelope are revised and optimized based on the actual wellbore conditions during execution to improve operational efficiency and reduce the stuck pipe risk. The post job evaluation is a crucial part of the process to analyze the efficiency of the implemented actions, to capture lessons learned, and revise and update the integrated approach for continuous improvement. This paper describes the whole integrated approach process together with the results of the implementation carried out in several wells with different profiles and subsurface conditions. It also highlights the successes achieved in stuck pipe prevention and improved operational efficiency.

The oil and gas industry has constantly evolved riven by data management and technology application. Although the first well was drilled over 150 years ago, the last decade has shown a huge step change leaning towards digital technologies and automation dependency. The main purpose is to leverage from field experience in multiple disciplines, enable quick data transmission for accurate decision making and automate repetitive processes, aiming to reduce lost time, increase performance and ensure consistency. A multi-rig integrated project of gas wells construction in a field in the Middle East has successfully introduced selected Real-Time digital technologies connected with rig automation features and, along with standard practices developed through years of experience, has proven consistency assurance delivered by the implemented solution. Fully automated technologies combined with high-frequency Real-Time data generators and the latest generation of algorithms that model downhole conditions precisely, further enhance drilling performance, and allow faster and more reliable detection of non-desirable downhole events. This paper describes the strategy to combine fit-for-purpose technologies which deliver digital inputs working in communication with advanced digital technologies to deliver a solution for multiple stages of well construction operations to increase performance, reduce major risks, ensure procedural adherence and well delivery consistency.

As margins tighten, players in the modern O&G landscape are being forced to reimagine their business models and re-evaluate their strategic direction to maintain a competitive edge. This often means doing more with less and spreading ever slimmer margins across increasingly complex well operations. Fortunately, with the wave of digital innovations that are sweeping the industry, most E&P organizations have a wealth of opportunities to streamline activity and increase efficiency while reducing the resources required. However, with the increasing array of digital opportunities, the gauntlet is set: those who adopt quickly and reap early benefits will undoubtedly be tomorrow's leaders. Laggards slow to adapt will fall progressively further behind as leaders successfully navigate through the learning phase and accelerate into new standards of efficiency. This combination of urgency and opportunity will undoubtedly be the force that propels the industry into the fourth great revolution; digital transformation. As observed in a variety of industries, automation has proven to be one of these instrumental digital levers to unlocking the next level of efficiency. Across the O&G industry, we are beginning to see a number of applications in which tasks are not only becoming less labor-intensive but also faster, safer and with increased levels of precision. This ensures that repetitive tasks which often drain and distract workers are re-allocated to automated processes while ensuring that employees remain concentrated on prioritizing safety and operations integrity. The value proposition for automation in drilling is especially compelling as human operators can easily become overwhelmed with the volume of competing priorities and the pressure to make immediate decisions. By carefully delegating some of the decision-making to an intelligent drilling system, the cognitive burden on human operators is reduced resulting in a safer working environment conducive to increased performance and engagement. In this paper, a detailed case study is presented to document the effort of a major service company to deploy a full drilling automation system in the Middle East implemented to autonomously operate rig surface equipment. A detailed description of the system's intelligent management system will be provided to communicate its capacity to interpret and autonomously respond to changing well conditions. A case study approach will be used in attempt to specifically identify the areas where automation delivers a step change in results compared to manual operations. Additionally, given the complexity inherent to executing a digitalization project in drilling, insight will be shared on the strategies leveraged to navigate the intricacies of deployment and adoption. Throughout this paper, it will become evident that automation is quickly becoming a reliable solution for the consistent delivery of top quartile performance by unlocking new levels of consistency and procedural adherence.

In the Oil and Gas industry, there is a constant look for time and cost savings through performance enhancement and risk reduction. Not less important, wellbore quality becomes a crucial factor across target production intervals which enable safe and optimum completion operations in the well. While the techniques to drill wells constantly evolve, technology is advancing at faster pace every year. The application of new tools and digital technologies is the step change from progessive growth to exponential increase in performance. This paper contains a detailed description of a successful implementation of a combined integrated strategy, including the procedures established to maximize both; performance and wellbore quality in highly deviated and lateral horizontal sections in deep gas wells in a giant gas field in the Middle East. It describes the application of specific technologies that helped to improve wellbore quality and allowed corrections in Real Time.