Hybrid Edge-Cloud Automated Advisory System for Well Construction Ensures Well Delivery While Improving Drilling Performances
Authors: Cabrera N. Torres , Kolton L. , Pozo M. , Grymalyuk S. , Macedo R. R. , Ali R. Ait , Forshaw M. 
Published: November 2024

The Fenix project will drill three horizontal extended reach (ERD) wells in a shallow-water basin offshore Argentina targeting reservoirs forecasted to produce 10 million cubic meters of gas per day once online. This gas production will satisfy a significant proportion of Argentina's growing gas demand. Due to the high-profile nature the operator sought contemporary digital technologies and processes that could be employed during the well construction process to ensure that CAPEX spend remains within the budget.

Due to the wellbore geometry complexity, hole cleaning, torque and drag above drill string limits, and stuck pipe incidents are some of the main hazards identified during the project planning phase. As a hazard mitigation plan, the deployment of a digital twin combined with the drilling automated advisory was defined in the action plan. The digital platform coupled with innovative product solutions, 24/7 monitored by a remote operations center, enabled early detection of hole condition issues. A pre-established communication protocol supported data driven decision taking to implement preventive measures that avoided non-productive time (NPT), resulting in a more efficient well construction process. A cloud platform integrating real time software and data from offset wells was also implemented, providing advanced analytics to benchmark against the pre-defined key performance indicators (KPIs).

The results presented in the paper are a relevant case study for drilling automation in offshore applications. The combined capability of the digital twin, the automated advisory, the cloud platform, 24/7 remote operations monitoring has proved to be instrumental to avoid NPT and invisible lost time (ILT), boosting drilling efficiency. Through the instant message group defined in the communication protocol as the primary communication channel, drilling optimization and hazard mitigation advice were delivered by the real time monitoring team, operating from the remote operations center. A physics-based models from the digital twin enables the core automated device to support the remote operations team to early detect hole cleaning issues, provide the inputs to drilling supervisors (DSV) and directional drilling engineers in the rig site with comprehensive visualization displays. The main observations derived from the Torque and Drag (T&D) module, which automates the real time roadmap process, comparing the broomstick generated by the digital twin in the planning phase to the actual values are presented. The outcomes from the borehole pressure, the drilling optimization and trip speed modules as its impacts in the well construction efficiency are analyzed.

This case study presents the first time ever application of the automated advisory and the cloud platform offshore Argentina. Due the relevance of project to the energy sector, the project results are a milestone for the operator and the service company. The collaborative approach adopted sets new standards for future projects in similar applications and drilling environments.