How Knowledge Management Has Played a Key Role in Deepwater Cementing: A Service Company's Perspective

Abstract

The operational and technical complexity of cementing operations has increased with deepwater exploration entering frontier regions on a global scale. An efficient knowledge management system (KMS) plays a vital role in providing a flow of information, and it helps in applying the findings of one area and to another area. This paper elaborates how a major service company has increased the service quality of deepwater cementing operations by using a KMS.All the knowledge, information, and experience from a cementing operation can be uploaded by field personnel in the form of lessons learned best practices, case studies, and more. Each knowledge-content related to deepwater cementing is reviewed by a dedicated team of subject matter experts (SMEs). After the content is validated by the SME, it can be accessed by the employees in diverse locations to improve their local operations. The information is maintained in the system until it is obsolete, which allows effective knowledge sharing even after the experienced employees have moved on to other assignments or are geographically far from the operating location. Different engineers working around the clock update the KMS and provide support to the field and operational staff.A key advantage of the KMS is that it promotes continuous improvement and standardization of the deepwater operation methodologies, including processes, reports, documentation, and more. The KMS also provides interactive training material such as deepwater cementing manuals, descriptions of special cement systems, and guides for troubleshooting the cement unit. The software application that runs the KMS is intuitive, and easy to use. The paper uses case study to highlight how the KMS has helped in planning for the technical and operational complexity of deepwater cementing operations in different regions around the globe.