Drilling Systems Automation - Preparing for the Big Jump Forward

Abstract

This paper presents results and knowledge shared from the SPE Applied Technology Workshop held in Vail, Colorado USA in July 2012 titled Well Construction Automation -Preparing for the Big Jump Forward.Automation in drilling and completion operations is coming quickly, and its rapid adoption will leave many industry players behind if they are not aware of the future it will bring. Advances in control and automation of the whole drilling and completion process will increase improvements in safety, performance, quality, reliability, consistency and interoperability. This progressive application of automation will also create shifts in skills and competencies, and transform the role of the driller, rig crew, and service specialists along the way. Advances in automation are being made on multiple fronts, and many lessons are available from its adoption in other industries and the transformation industrial automation afforded in the 1990s.This workshop included important lessons learned from other industries and provided an update on the latest advances in automation developments. It explored the applications of such technologies as robotics, machine learning, and autonomous task performance without continuous human guidance, along with the speed with which these technologies can be applied.This was the first workshop that has actively brought people involved in automation from other industries into the discussion on drilling systems automation. The workshop involved key speakers and participants from leading edge applications including academia and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). These organizations are automating things that the drilling industry has not yet heard about. The workshop participants developed plans for adopting these technologies into drilling systems and created a vision of rapid automation adoption into drilling operations. Workshop SummaryThe workshop was attended by 120 participants that included a broad cross section of experts connected to automation inside and outside oil and gas (Fig 1).The business case for automation, highlighted by drilling industry practitioners, was the improvements in safety, drilling performance, and consistent / predictable drilling operations. It is anticipated that automation can solve the current situation whereby the driller is overloaded with inputs and tasks. Successful automation projects will require a multi-skilled team that includes well engineering, process automation control / optimization and information technology.It is anticipated that systems integration will enable interoperability (a.k.a. plug and play) between downhole and surface tools and machinery from different Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM's) and that operators will begin to specify automation and adherence to specific communication and interoperability protocols in their contracting documents, but there is a significant division around the need to implement standards for interoperability. Essentially, standards were the The workshop participants collectively agreed...

Hydraulic vs. Electric: A Review of Actuation Systems in Offshore Drilling Equipment

“…In addition, as more experienced people retire from the industry, it is necessary to find ways to access the expertise regardless of human factors. A number of successful examples to reduce mean time between failure (MTBF), improve safety, performance, quality, reliability, consistency, and interoperability thanks to automation of drilling processes is presented by de Wardt et al (2013).…”

Industry Analogies for Successful Implementation of Drilling-Systems Automation and Real-Time Operating Centers

“…The growth of drilling-systems automation will drive an expansion and improvement in sensors on drilling rigs (de Wardt et al 2013). This will provide a broader spectrum of data of a higher quality than typically achieved.…”

“…RTOCs developed by service companies started with a focus to receive data from their own services. These service companies use their own proprietary software tools for planning and monitoring drilling operations; these include hydraulics simulations (Zamora and Simpkins 2005), formation-drillability simulations through a drill-bit optimization system (Gidh et al 2011), drillstring-dynamics analysis by use of simulated downhole conditions (Wu et al 2012), and other similar systems.…”

Drilling Systems Automation: Current State, Initiatives and Potential Impact

“…Data from DSATS workshops (see de Wardt et al 2013) on the mean time between failure (MTBF) of downhole tools (specifically rotary steerable systems) show the benefits of more advanced control systems applied to starting the bit on bottom. The results demonstrate a doubling of the MTBF, generating value from fewer trips to change tools and lower tool maintenance costs.…”