A Digital Transformation Journey for a Mature using Production Technologies and Innovation Principles
Authors: Lopez Ruiz Yeniffer , Cardenas Nidia Rocio , Tagarot Gary Nelson , Carrera Julia Marlene , Gey Gian Marcio , Fuquene Fernando , Azancot Annalyn Josefina , Vargas Angélica María 
Published: October 2022

A novel solution was proposed in Ecuador to transition from reactive to a proactive way of working into a collaborative environment. This new workflow is supported by a portfolio of three production technologies that integrates live and historical information by combining the edge intelligence strength (for each production element connected to IoT platform) and the cloud insight to enhance the field operational efficiency. Technology that reduces carbon footprint and increases people’s efficiency through automation of repetitive tasks.

The main challenge that required an integrated and smart solution was the existence of silos, meaning that all production chain elements were disconnected. The solution consisted of a portfolio of three technologies. First, connecting all production chain elements to one unique gateway and Edge platform: all data were consolidated to perform asset surveillance, monitoring, and controlling of electrical submersible pump (ESP) parameters from any vendor. Second, creation of an autonomous system aiming to avoid gas blockage on ESPs. Third, deployment of Production Engineering Orchestrator, fully completed and in continuous improvement, easing collaborative, day-to-day analysis for production, operations, and exploitation engineers

We achieved remarkable results with Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud insights implementation; for instance, travel reduction of 18%, personnel efficiency increase (production operations 7% and surveillance engineers 25%), 47% events detection increase, 32% well uptime increase, and 2.14 t carbon dioxide emissions reduction (22.6%).

Because of the outstanding results achieved from IoT adoption, new applications were deployed in other projects. With automated annular gas handling, production challenges related to high gas/oil ratio wells were solved. Solution consisted in delivering an automated ESP gas-handling process by using a securely connected, solar-powered skid to optimize well performance, production was increased by 12%, field visits reduced by 94%, and valves manipulation decreased by 97%. Other applications are also running in parallel, to expand the concept of intelligent asset solution. For the production engineering workflows orchestrator, the native implementation is completed, where the highest business impact workflows are included, such as smart production surveillance, waterflooding optimization and ESP surveillance. Insights are shown in "production overview". It is also possible to follow up oil and water producing wells, task modules, customized maps and graphs, sanity check processes, and well model calibration (including the paraffin curves).

The integration of these three digital production technologies to improve artificial lift surveillance, production surveillance, and waterflooding optimization workflows is already deployed and showing tangible benefits. Currently, a mature field project is currently working in a collaborative environment, promoting a new proactive operational philosophy that avoids early pump failures, reduces downtime, field trips, personnel exposure due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supports the environmental commitment towards the carbon footprint reduction