Job Design for Remote Collaboration in Drilling Operations

Abstract

In a field study in the oil and gas industry, the impact of introducing real-time data transfer for remote collaboration was investigated. The change involved relocating jobs from offshore to offices facilities and using computer-mediated information and distance communication. A total of 44 staff from 4 companies were interviewed and observed. While the centers succeeded in delivering the wells and providing a better basis for decisions onshore, the impact on job design was not entirely positive. Guidelines for the design and implementation of remote operations are proposed in order to alleviate the lack of sensory information, physical activity and social interaction within the distributed team.