Petroleum Experts
The Digital Oil Field
R E A L
T I M E
F I E L D
M A N A G E M E N T
The Digital Oil Field
When we talk of the digital oil field (DOF)
what do we mean?
Core elements of the Petroleum Experts’
Digital Oil Field:
Digital Oil Field production software applications capture
the behaviour of the oil field on the PC. The applications
are used as an on-line management system of the oil and
gas company’s assets throughout the assets’ entire lifecycles.
Visualisation - Provides a coherent view of an oil field. Data
sets are integrated, including the engineering models and
production and economics information with visualisation
capability in an organised way. The power of a single asset
and data model permit, with a push of a button, the visual
screens to be upgraded and extended automatically as the
oil field develops.
The Petroleum Experts’ digital oil field technology provides
an enterprise-level, vendor-neutral approach to visualising
reservoir, wellbore, and gathering facility information. Our
approach enables rational decision making through the use
of models, workflows, and intelligently filtered data within
a multi-disciplinary organisation of diverse capabilities and
engineering skill sets.
Visualisation of field data, analysis, trends at all levels in real time
Engineering and Business Management Logic - The tasks
and procedures, i.e. workflows, that the teams carry out
to monitor, operate, optimise, and develop the field are
automated through a layer of logic, business, and engineering
workflows. This layer establishes common best practices
across the global organisation using standard workflows
that are out-of-the-box best-practice procedures for field
surveillance, optimisation, diagnostics, allocation, and
forecasting. Custom workflows can be easily added to the
logic layer by the user. The automation of standard tasks
frees the engineering and management teams to
concentrate on much higher added-value activities.
Organisation and Auditing - Alignment of the teams,
processes, and the technology is core to any successful digital
oil field implementation. A single repository of the models,
data, and information for a field allows the organisation
to develop a consistent and coherent view of their asset.
This common official field representation, the virtual field,
records an auditable history of the field over its life. The use
of a centralised model and data catalogue can help reduce
the “siloed” view of single technical disciplines. Moreover,
storing the field events and recording the decisions associated
with those events become the foundation for engineering
knowledge capture required for an “expert” system.
Data Management - Today, the instrumented fields have
a huge volume of measurements coming from wells and
equipment sensors – often millions of data points per minute
from a single field. Making the relevant measurement and
data (validated measurements) available at the frequency
required necessitates sophisticated data storage, management,
cleansing, and filtering of the data. In order to be suitable
for the required tasks, a scalable, upgradable, and extensible
data technology has to be at the heart of effective long-term
data management. Therefore, productising of the data
management through a single-asset data model is fundamental
to any successful Digital Oil Field implementation. Otherwise,
the implementations become highly customized, lengthy,
very expensive, and, oftentimes unsustainable.
The Virtual Field - This is a physical representation of the
field through a set of models, i.e. mathematical
representations of each component of the field. In the virtual
field, reservoir, production, injection network, wells, process,
economics, and planning tools are each integrated with one
another. These multi-vendor sets of steady and transient
models are dynamically linked as an Integrated Production
Model to represent and capture the current field response,
as well as to optimise field production and run forecasts.
The Structure of the Digital Oil Field
Historically, Petroleum Experts pioneered integrated production
modelling and management. Today, Petroleum Experts continues to lead the
way in integrating these models into a digital oil field system. Diagnosis, validation,
and - most importantly - optimisation of the field production are done automatically using
real-time data.
This concept has been developed as a product as opposed to a project. This approach
facilitates very short deployment times (weeks instead of months or years), upgrades, as
well as an inherent capability to scale the system up. Automatic data model management,
auditing of models, and intelligent data gathering allow the engineers to focus on higher
added-value activities. The system also supports the distribution of best practices across the
enterprise through the use of workflows.
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Visualisation - Digital Oil Field
Scalable Visualisation technology by Petroleum Experts
supports multiple windows — everything from virtual reality
to spreadsheets, teleconferences, and the handheld
phone — all driven by the familiar interface. The use of
Petex’s digital oil field technology yields an overall
operational visibility on a massive scale. Desktop display
systems, which are easily scalable, promote information
sharing between remote sites and can be easily
integrated into the users’ existing network infrastructure.
This sharing capability enables geographically dispersed
workgroups and international teams to be more
productive by allowing them to work collaboratively.
The visualisation layer is a standalone Petroleum Experts product
that brings together intelligently filtered data, information,
and results from multiple vendors and data sources.
Petex have set three criteria as the foundation in developing
its Digital Oil Field technology. The underlying field, types of
models), and information (data) evolve over time. Therefore,
an effective DOF product must deliver the following
fundamental criteria:
Wells’ KPI
Key Performance indicators (KPIs)
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Maintainability of the real time data collection system - e.g.
how we add equipment such as wells, compressors, etc.
to the DOF system as the field is developed. This type of
ongoing “maintenance” should be straightforward without
requiring the time and cost of a 3rd party vendor to update
and maintain field system and tag data of the asset model.
Adding equipment from the asset model (propagation) to the
visualisation layer needs to be as easy as a “push
of a button”.
Scalability - one field may have 10 wells and one reservoir
while another may have 100 to 1000 wells and multiple
reservoirs. Unless the DOF system is developed to be scalable,
it will not be deployed easily to multiple fields per year.
System implementations will be limited by resources - skilled
people. The Petex DOF suite is designed to be scalable, and
as “products”, they can be deployed and configured in
days–even for large fields and systems.
Upgradability of the system. The Petex DOF suite is designed to
be upgraded at the click of a button for new software versions
or the addition of tools and capabilities. A system that cannot
be easily upgraded will always be at risk of becoming obsolete.
Visualisation create value by linking operations, studies groups,
managementas as part of global multi-disciplinary organisation using
consistent information
Visualisation of field data, analysis, and trends at all levels in real time
The Role of the Visualisation System
Visualisation - The visualisation layer is the face of the Digital Oil Field. It provides a visual
representation of the underlying engineering logic, data management, and models to
facilitate the effective monitoring, management, and operation the field by the
organisation. The visualisation layer also provides a coherent view of an oil field by
integrating data sets (e.g. engineering, production, economic, etc.) with a visualisation
capability in an organised way. With visualisation technology, data and results are exposed
to engineers, operators, managers, and any other ‘users’ of the system in visual formats
which can be easily configured.
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Engineering and Business Management Logic
The Petroleum Experts’ digital oil field technology
provides an enterprise-level, vendor-neutral approach
to visualising information. The Petex approach enables
rational decision making through the use of integrated
models, workflows, and data within a multi-disciplinary
organisation of diverse capabilities and engineering
skill sets.
In reaching its targets, the modern oil and gas industry faces
great challenges in managing assets in conventional fields and
unlocking the potential in what was previously considered
non-economic fields. The industry faces challenges in:
• supporting field developments with functional specialists
remote from the asset and operations
• demographics of its ageing workforce
• more data/information to process
• large uncertainties with the billion-dollar new developments
• a shortage of skilled professionals
• information and knowledge that is not often shared–
creating competing and, at times, contradictory agendas.
The Digital Oil Field technology of Petroleum Experts is
designed to provide the field and model management
activities under one platform as standard out-of-the-box
workflows. Model management updates are automated
using real-time data and operational information. Engineers
are now able to focus on added-value (i.e. production
optimization) activities and analysis while allowing the DOF
platform to process the data and workflows. The workflows
report the results, exceptions, and any technical
recommendations for the engineer to further analyse.
The standard activities (workflows) for all oil and gas fields are:
• Field Surveillance: Understanding how the field is
performing (production system surveillance, reservoir
surveillance, etc.)
• Optimisation: Improving field performance (short-term
and/or long-term optimization)
• Forecasting and performing “what if” scenarios:
Predicting how the field will behave under different
conditions (field development analysis, business planning,
life of field forecast, and sensitivity / uncertainties analysis).
The Petroleum Experts DOF technology provides a platform
for executing model-based workflows. The workflows
include: model management, rate estimation, model-based
surveillance and diagnostics, allocation, optimisation,
forecasting, and custom (client- or asset-specific workflows
as defined by the user).
Petroleum Experts’ Integrated Field Management approach
is productised. The entire system becomes completely
supportable by the client’s company after implementation.
That means that clients avoid the requirements, delays,
and costs associated with external 3rd parties typically
encountered in custom written and integrated alternatives.
The Petroleum Experts DOF technology is completely
scalable. It automatically creates data model objects, which,
in turn, means that when a new well or equipment is
created, they are automatically reproduced and can be used
anywhere in the system. Moreover, upgrades are achieved
by a push of a button which migrates the databases and
installs the executables without losing any of the previous
configurations.
The Petex Digital Oilfield Architecture
The standard logic for model
updates, optimisation, well rate
allocation, and forecasting
Monitoring the operating point of equipment in real time (ESP)
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Real Time Field Management Through Standard Workflows
Engineering and Business Management Logic – The tasks and procedures, i.e.
workflows, that the teams carry out to monitor, operate, optimise, and develop the field
are automated through a layer of logic - business and engineering workflows. This
establishes common best practices across the global organisation using standard
workflows that are out-of-the-box best-practice procedures for field surveillance,
optimisation, diagnostics, allocation, and forecasting. Custom workflows can be easily
added to the logic layer by the user. The automation of routine tasks frees the
engineering and management teams to concentrate on the added-value activities.
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The Virtual Field
To manage and operate a field, Petroleum Experts
developed a suite of modelling tools, which are the
best-in-class and recognised by the oil and gas industry
as its global standard. These tools carry out the
calculations required to diagnose, analyse, model,
allocate, and optimise the production. They do that by
using robust engineering, fluids, and physical models.
The Petroleum Experts IPM suite can be integrated with
third party applications. Many of Petex’ customers have
IPM implementations that are integrated with the main
industry reservoir and process simulators and other
transient and steady state technologies.
Summary of the IPM suite of tools:
RESOLVE is the advanced engineering studies tool for
integrating models with events, scheduling, and scenarios
that can be launched on standalone PCs or on computer
clusters. The underlying IPM and third party models for
reservoirs, producers and injectors, surface gathering
networks, and process and economics are integrated through
RESOLVE. The PVT can be black oil to fully compositional
where proprietary lumping-delumping techniques are used.
RESOLVE also provides the fastest and most advanced
global optimisation techniques found in the industry.
OpenServer is the open standard protocol tool that will
run any IPM application from outside of the IPM suite or as
part of a third party tool.
GAP is the multiphase oil and gas, non-linear optimiser tool
that models the surface gathering network of field
production and injection systems. Linked with the well
models of PROSPER and reservoir models of MBAL a full
field production optimisation and forecast are provided.
GAP can model oil, gas, and condensate production
systems in addition to gas or water injection systems.
PROSPER is the industry standard for modelling well
performance, well design, and optimisation for most types
well configurations found in the worldwide oil and gas
industry today.
MBAL is the analytical reservoir model, which helps the
engineer better define reservoir drive mechanisms and
hydrocarbon volumes. While MBAL encompasses the
classical reservoir engineering tools, it also has many built in
innovations that have redefined the use of material balance
in modern reservoir engineering.
REVEAL is the specialised study reservoir simulation model
for understanding the more complex physical phenomena
of well and reservoir response. REVEAL combines reservoir
classical numerical simulation with the thermal, geo-mechanics,
and chemical effects within one reservoir simulations.
Modelling: from reservoir all the way to the process
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PVTP is the tool production and reservoir engineers use to
predict, with great accuracy and speed, the effect of
process conditions on the composition of hydrocarbon
mixtures. The compositional behaviour of complex mixtures
including gas mixtures, gas condensates, retrograde
condensates, volatile oils, black oils, and flow assurance can
be interpreted and predicted with confidence.
The IPM suite
The IPM and Third Party Engineering Modelling Tools
Petroleum Experts’ Integrated Production Modelling suite (IPM) is deployed on its
own or as part of set of multi-vendor modelling applications that capture the full
characteristics and response of the field, the Virtual Field. Having a model of the field is a
prerequisite for implementing the “Digital Oil Field”. The IPM suite is the industry
standard integrated production modeling suite for oil and gas companies.
The Virtual Field - is a physical representation of the field through a set of models, i.e.
mathematical representations of each component of the field - from reservoir, production
and injection network, and wells, to the process, economics, and planning tools.
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The Organisation
The overall objective of a company or an asset team is
generally clear, i.e. the commercial and technical drivers are
understood. However, an individual or a particular set of
technical disciplines may often have a limited view and
understanding of the field reality to make the correct
decisions. Also, the correct information is often not readily
available.
The diagram below illustrates, in a simplistic way, the
challenges of successfully implementing the digital oil field.
Centralised Model Management - ModelCatalogue
Petroleum Experts’ ModelCatalogue provides the central
repository that facilitates an up to the minute clearer
understanding and awareness of the field::
• Provides controlled access to the individual models,
reports, data, and even schematics (different privileges
according to the engineers’ roles);
• Ensures only one engineer can perform changes to the
‘official’ model at a given time;
• Ensures seamless sharing of models.
• Automatically keeps track of the evolution of all models
versus time and provides access to historical versions if
required
• Provides seamless access to any on-line system which
will be consuming these models to carry out
calculations;
• Keeps track of who and why changes were performed
(for auditing and knowledge base development)
• Allows the association of models with their corresponding
input data to keep both models and context data related.
For example, the PVT reports, Well and Equipment
Drawings, deviations surveys, and other documents can
be kept catalogued within the same Model Management
System.
Knowledge Capture
Engineering know-how and experience are of paramount
importance for the oil and gas companies. The growing
scarcity of experienced workers is creating an experience
gap that Integrated Field Management technology will help
to bridge. Capturing the “expert knowledge” in an
organised and structured manner and supporting
collaboration reliably and securely in real time becomes key
to increasing productivity and fueling a company’s ability to
grow. The “expert knowledge” capture within the
Petroleum Experts’ DOF philosophy is supported by
introduction of individuals’ experience into workflows and
analysis.
The technology described here has proven itself to be a
powerful “enabler” - a catalyst – for the creation of the
organisational thinking and transparency required for the
successful implementation of the digital oil field vision.
The combined engagement of the organisations’
management, at all levels, as well as the asset team
members will ensure actions are transparent, knowledge
is shared, and decisions are made with all the available
information. This will facilitate the achievement of the
DOF added-value objectives.
Common Model and Data Source
The structure of the Digital Oil Field architecture set out in
these pages (the managed environment of common data
management, model management, standard workflows,
and a visualisation system) provide the technical framework
for a DOF implementation. This framework is the enabler
that will allow the organisation to better analyse, manage,
and operate their field.
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This single view, the Virtual Field, is composed of the
engineering models, reports, spread-sheets, and associated
data accessed and maintained through a central repository.
Most importantly, they can all be easily updated and
maintained as the field is developed and produces.
A Data Structure for the ModelCatalogue
An Organisation: Alignment is a Challenge
The engagement of the organisation is critical
Organisation and Auditing – Alignment of the teams, processes, and the technology is
core to any successful digital oil field implementation. A single repository of the models,
data, and information for a field allows the organisation to develop a consistent and
coherent view of their asset. This common official field representation, the virtual field,
records an auditable history of the field over its life. The use of a centralised model and
data catalogue can help break-down the “siloed” views of single technical disciplines.
Moreover, storing the field events and recording the decisions is the foundation for
engineering knowledge capture required for an “expert” system.
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Data Management
The Petroleum Experts’ Digital Oil Field (DOF)
technology enables the transformation of the myriad
of different types of data using standard industry
applications alongside the Petex tools as will be needed
by the DOF system described in this document.
Data Management, as part of the digital oil field, has
several key components:
• The historians, databases, and data storages – all designed
to store the real time, as well as operational and
associated static data, files, and information for the asset;
• The production data management system (PDMS);
• The data-processing layer provides filtered and partially
processed data to the users.
The Historian and Production Data Management System
There are a number of historian and PDMS systems in the
industry, which capture raw data, process and store
information, provide corporate allocation, etc. as well as
supplying varying levels data processing, cleansing, and
filtering. In the context of the DOF, a sophisticated level of
data cleansing and data filtering is deployed by Petex to
analyse raw data, capture the meaningful field events, and
provide meaningful correctly representative filtered
information.
Data Filtering and Cleansing
The filtering methodology developed by Petex uses a
unique proprietary, as well as the more common published
filtering methodologies. Petex’s proprietary method provides
more sophisticated filtering, using the raw data, physical
model responses and “expert” system to detect changes
and hence rationalise data, based on event-driven activities
and trends, as illustrated below, right.
Single Asset Data Models for the Digital Oil Field
A challenge for any DOF system is handling the data
requirement of multiple applications and users. Typically,
this requires data to be input in several location. Petex
has created one data or asset model, which is propagated
throughout the system, i.e. if a well or a piece of
equipment is added, the information is automatically made
available for each part of the DOF system to use. Moreover,
the same concept is used to link the external PDMS and
Historians systems using data wizards to configure the tags
and required links. The wizards follow a step-by-step
pattern to meet the objective of establishing and testing
connection to the external data sources through to tag
mapping and configuration of data retrieval. Any new tag
mappings, modifications to existing tag mappings, field
measurements or equipment can be easily added managed
through the wizards.
To detect field events, e.g. equipment performance
changes, or to trigger valid alarms, may require raw data
to be analysed at a later time, evaluating historical trends
and the physical models to determine if
something has happened or changed. This
is smart filtering. This robust data filtering
solution interprets the multitude of data
streams to ensure the relevant data is
supplied to enable decision-making:
High Frequency Data
(e.g. measurements coming from the
field, including current field conditions,
field equipment performance, etc.)
enables: alarm monitoring, event
detection, and well test analysis.
The data management structure
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Low Frequency Data is used for the
Physical Models and to support processing
of field data to convert it into meaningful
engineering information to be able to
predict how the field will respond when
conditions change.
Advanced filtering and data cleansing uses sophisticated Petex proprietary techniques
Data Storage, Data Cleansing and Data Filtering
Data Management – Instrumented fields have a huge volume of measurements coming
from wells and equipment sensors – often millions of data points from one field, per
minute. Making the relevant measurement and data (validated measurements) available
at the frequency required, necessitates sophisticated data storage, management, cleansing
and filtering of the data, suitable for the required tasks.
A scalable, upgradable, and extensible data technology has to be at the heart of effective
long-term data management, hence productising of the data management through
a single-asset data model is a fundamental.
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Notes
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Petroleum Experts
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USA
Tel: +1 337 524 1034
Fax: +1 337 524 1035
e-mail: lafayette@petex.com
2012 (R2)
Web: www.petroleumexperts.com