Digital oilfield technologies require timely, accurate, and relevant data before they can transform and improve production.
Oil and gas companies are increasingly adopting digital technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity, and safety of production processes. However, these technologies can only be successful if they have a key component: high-quality data.
Example : A company invested in predictive analytics software, but it subsequently proved unused. The problem was that employees were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of notifications they were receiving. Furthermore, specialists doubted the accuracy of the data and distrusted the forecasts generated by the software, resulting in a failure to take necessary action.
These are the very problems that arise from poor-quality, incomplete, or poorly managed data and technologies. A system is needed that can collect the right data at the right time and from the right sources, and then process it into reliable and useful information for optimal decision-making.
Only then will digital technologies and the workers who rely on them be truly effective.
Transition to a data ecosystem
The oil and gas industry operates on a complex set of disparate assets that were not designed to interact with each other. But for digital initiatives to work, these assets need to be connected to consolidate and contextualize their data.
A major oil and gas company is working to address this very problem. The company's production assets generate significant volumes of critical data, but connecting them to the network is hampered by outdated communication protocols and data formats. This leads to gaps and inconsistencies in the stored information.
The company began implementing a system that uses technologies such as edge computing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) communications to collect and transmit data. After processing and contextualization, the data is sent to hundreds of engineers worldwide, where they can use the company's digital applications to gain insights that will help improve operations.
With the right solutions, the system can unite islands of data created by disparate assets into a unified ecosystem. This creates streams of operational information that can be used by employees anywhere, whether in the field or in corporate offices.
Today, edge computers and analytics software make it possible to aggregate data, process it, and generate results that allow one to evaluate the performance of an ecosystem or field assets. Meanwhile, intelligent devices connected via EtherNet/IP network architecture provide an efficient way to transmit algorithms or updated controls to equipment to modify its management methods.
Creating quality data
Simply ensuring access to data is not enough. The most important task is to ensure that it has value.
The distributed nature of oil and gas operations often means that communications between them vary in reliability. This can result in some data being more timely and accurate than others. In this case, edge computing and industrial IoT communications can buffer data before it's sent.
Furthermore, some oil and gas companies use only time-stamped data logs. However, your system should also be able to collect event data. This will allow you to record and identify critical events and incorporate them into your software applications for better management.
Getting Started
Before beginning system development and implementation, it's essential to assess the existing production infrastructure. This will help identify data and technology gaps that need to be addressed.
Your system should utilize open-architecture technologies. These will allow for easier connection not only to your primary automation vendor's systems but also to any other third-party systems you currently or may use in the future.
Security is also paramount. Your system must support a secure path from initial data collection to information delivery to employees.
Finally, it's important to remember that you don't have to implement the entire system all at once. One of the advantages of this approach is accessibility: you can start with a small project and expand the system as your investment recovers.
Example : An oil and gas production company implemented a Rockwell Automation PLC and HMI at one of its multi-well pads to support the use of artificial lift systems and help workers prevent over-injection of chemicals, resulting in significant cost savings. This was made possible by a paradigm shift in architecture: all well optimization and production processing applications now run on a single processor. Having all the data in one place and making it available to process engineers in real time helped specialists quickly identify chemical injection issues. The system also helped workers see where they were in the well optimization cycle and make more informed decisions at each stage. Furthermore, the system improved safety by reducing the risk of undetected malfunctions.
The company now intends to expand this technology to other large multi-well pad operations and use it on new pads from day one.
Example : A major national oil company adopted a digital transformation strategy at one of its fields. From the outset, the company collaborated with Rockwell Automation to select and implement the necessary digital technologies to ensure timely and secure acquisition of high-quality data.
Result: Workflows and analytical applications that utilize high-quality data helped the company make sound operational decisions, resulting in a more than 2% increase in production in one year. The company is currently working to expand this technology to all of its oil production facilities.
Avoid major repairs
Knowledge-driven operations are a goal for many oil and gas companies. However, achieving this goal can be challenging due to the lack of high-quality, accurate, and timely data.
Remember, you don't need to waste time and money on a strategy to fully implement new technologies across all your operations. All you need is the right system that can connect multiple assets—both old and new—and consolidate their data. Only then will you be able to unleash the power of digital transformation across your fields, pipelines, and processing plants.
Prepared based on materials from our partner Rockwell Automation