Proven Commercial Implementation of Second-Generation Integrated Remote Drilling Operations Center

Abstract

One recent management trend is the establishment of onshore operations centers by oilfield operators that are currently developing offshore assets. Unfortunately, the formation of such a center has typically been a niche activity within many companies and, as a result, some may fail to consider the lessons learned from earlier operation center failures. It is also vital that those attempting to develop such a center make sure the center's purpose functions within the industry's overall framework. While these centers have often delivered, with varying degrees of success, on their anticipated benefits such as faster decision-cycle time, better, more informed decisions and reduced POB, robust business and organizational models are necessary to ensure these efforts' long-term viability. As part of a long-established business partnership, Norsk Hydro and Baker Hughes INTEQ have recently implemented changes to the industry's longest continuously running remote drilling operations center. Supporting some of the Norwegian Continental Shelf's most technologically challenging drilling operations, the center is contributing to improved financial performance, reduced POB, enhanced service quality and supporting work process changes within both organisations. The revised model has been implemented as the 'normal' service delivery channel for five drilling operations supported by the BEACON center on a 24/7 basis and routinely operate advanced technologies such as formation pressure testing while drilling, deep reading resisitivity and azimuthal imaging services. This paper will outline the technical and commercial models that have been developed, provide insight to the challenges encountered and achieved successes. Introduction Transferring real-time rig-site data to office-based experts is not a new concept within the E+P industry. In 1985, Mobil established a satellite communications network to feed real-time drilling and MWD data to the Mobil Drilling Data Center1 and, a short while later, Amoco opened a similar drilling center2. These early command centers delivered rig-site data to a central group of experts (additional to the core operations/asset teams) tasked with supporting critical operations. Little attention was placed on process management or human processes and, coupled with an inability to demonstrate the value of maintaining dedicated experts and infrastructure in a changing business environment the Amoco center eventually disbanded in 19893. The late 1990's Norwegian oil industry was characterized byRapid technology development of advanced down-hole drilling technologies such as Rotary Closed Loop Drilling SystemsIncrease in production by innovative application of new drilling, completion and production technologies. The exploitation of the thin oil leg of the Troll field by Norsk Hydro exemplifies thisInvestment by oil companies in fiber optic telecommunications infrastructureRapid advances in computing technology and large scale uptake of web based software applications Norsk Hydro and Baker Hughes began work in 1997 on defining work practices and organizational models that would address the challenges listed above by relocating some personnel from offshore to an onshore operations service center manned 24/7. The concept was named BEACON (Baker Expert Advisory Center/Operations Network) and, after pilot testing with Hydro and BP in 2000/1, commercial operations commenced at the end of 2001[3].

Real-Time Drilling Operations Centers: A History of Functionality and Organizational Purpose—The Second Generation

“…Wired drillpipe telemetry services are now commercially available with rates of 58 kbps one way or 29 kbps both ways. Interestingly StatoilHydro have pilot tested a system on the Troll field (Nygaard et al, 2008), building on seven years experience gained from use of their 24/7 operations center. The higher data rates can support more sophisticated services such as detailed borehole imaging, high frequency drillstring dynamics and proactive control of drilling using Rotary Closed Loop Systems (RCLS).…”

Real-Time Drilling Operations Centers: A History of Functionality and Organizational Purpose—The Second Generation

“…Nathan et al (2006) document the early history of Norsk Hydro's strategy for real-time drilling data. Work started with Baker Hughes in 1997 to redefi ne roles within work processes that spanned onshore and offshore locations.…”

Improving the Value of Real-Time Drilling Data To Aid Collaboration, Drilling Optimization, and Decision Making

“…With the advent and evolution of the digital oilfield, an increased flow in real-time data is readily available to any operating company for drilling operations at any rigsite (Zachariah et al, 2002;Kartviet et al, 2003;McCann et al, 2004;Nathan et al, 2006;Milter et al, 2006;Edwards et al, 2006;Lauche et al, 2006;Gyllensten et al, 2006;Tollefsen et al, 2006). In turn, this flow of data provides drilling engineers with an improved understanding of events occurring at the rigsite in near real time and increases the data, originally only available from the daily paper report, to continuous, real-time data.…”