Saudi Arabia's Giant Manifa Oilfield Development: Lessons from Integrating Technologies
Authors: Arukhe James Ohioma I , De Landro Wendell 
Published: May 2016

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.

Introduction

Technology is core and central to Manifa field development. Achievements in the Manifa field are testament that the field development team is savvy about applying fit for purpose technological solutions for lasting/sustainable gains. As a result of measurable improvements and integration of workflows between core technology applications, several world firsts have been credited to the Manifa team (Arukhe et al., 2014). Some of these records include the world's largest extended reach project (more than 75% if the field's wells are ERWs) and the use of the world's first tandem 2.125" CT tractor for ESP open hole completions (Arukhe, Duthie, Al-Ghamdi, Hanbzazah, Almarri, Sidle & Al-Khamees (2014). The first oil industry use of a specialized reusable filtration unit system in a long-term injection test, utilizing primary seawater filtration and chemical treatment was conducted in the field. A reflection of the project, upon successful commissioning of the first phase, reveals that the most critical success factor includes the degree of technology integration into the team's basic strategic approach to field development. The amount of solutions for rigless well interventions and well testing have multiplied considerably lately – from optimizing CT reach, well stimulation, multilateral access, and profiling to well testing. At present, these solutions deliver gains with possibility of influencing more efficient field development. As shown in this paper, technology adoption in CT reach and stimulation treatments results in gains from accelerated job execution and client satisfaction becomes evident. Consequently many wells have been successfully stimulated onshore and offshore.