Saudi Arabia's Giant Manifa Oilfield Development: Lessons from Integrating Technologies

Abstract

Discrete technology solutions, such as real time data acquisition, distributed temperature sensing, etc. applied on selected-well basis seem to serve field development engineers well sometimes. Nevertheless, for engineers continually to improve field-wide operations and attain the cost and production advantages necessary to stay competitive in an industry shifting to cost-effective applications, integrating workflows is a strategic imperative. Engineers will need to concentrate and excel not just on specific technologies but on holistic rigless operations success driven by more attention to integration than individual technology solutions. The challenge facing asset teams remains how to execute comprehensive plans to make significantly higher returns from capital technology spending in the field.The scope of this paper is to present how engineers have adopted technology integration and alignment of numerous technology solutions for the specific situation of successfully developing and managing a giant oil carbonate field in readiness for a major production milestone. The approach presented entails an all-inclusive project-based method that involves performance reviews, elimination or reduction of idle times through close monitoring of incremental project stages, optimizing operational efficiency through increasing the speed of material delivery to the well sites, and improvement of logistics of people and equipment. The approach involves unifying role-based, process-based, and production workflows throughout the operation and building on a learning curve with each successive rigless operation. From the safe job execution of over 100 rigless activities, a model or scorecard is available to control important variables, assess the effectiveness of specific technologies, and provide support for leading or lagging indicators. As a result of seamless and routine inclusion of technology-based exercises at a project level, rigless activities have been completed over 60% faster than when the campaigns started nearly five years ago. Monetizing this value of technology integration in auditable and quantifiable terms translate to significant gains over the course of the rigless campaign. Through integration, engineers can implement effective programs for improvement in service levels and improve operations. Eventually these gains translate to fewer obstacles to project delivery.