From Drilling to Production: Digital Solutions for Automation and Remote Operations in the Amazon Region
Authors: Romero Jose , Gallegos Johanna , Quevedo Hugo , Etcheverry Kevin , Rueda Paola , Anaya Javier , Peña Karen , Vásquez Hugo , Marquez Leo , Correa Raquel , Tagarot Gary , Campaña Danny , Segovia Ruben , Rojas Esteban 
Published: February 2024

In a brownfield with more than 50 years of production in the middle of the Amazon region, it is essential to optimize the operations from drilling to real-time production monitoring, and to improve the speed of decision making to minimize downtime and nonproductive time (NPT), maximizing production and the return on investment of an asset, and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. By applying multidomain digital solutions to automate the drilling operations to bring oil to production earlier and to remotely operate and monitor an artificial lifted system, optimizing production, and providing better decision making, these objectives were successfully achieved, establishing an integrated digital solution that generates tangible values to the operation.

The rig automation with a digital solution uses a goal-based approach to handle constantly changing drilling conditions, processes, and repetitive tasks, such as pre- and post-connection procedures without the constant need of human intervention. It commands the rig control system to control the surface equipment within the context of standard operating procedures incorporated into the system configuration. Its powerful data analysis and learning systems assist and enhance every task. Once the well is drilled and completed, an installation of gateways that applies cloud and edge computing has enabled the field team to remotely start up the artificial lift equipment, real-time monitoring, run automated workflows, and enact more effective decision making to troubleshoot bottlenecks. This has unlocked remote operations to improve production, reduce NPTs, CO2 emissions, and safety-related events.

Since 2021, the operator has drilled 25 wells applying a digital solution for rig automation, and has also changed the drillers’ training, resulting in an average reduction of 46% in pre- and post-connection times. This represents a 2% increase in on-bottom rate of penetration (ROP), a total saved time of 27.22 days, and an average 82% drilling in automated mode, enabling the field to bring production forward and improve its performance and also reducing 1,014 t of CO2. Since 2020, the asset has implemented gateways to supervise 270 producer wells and several pieces of surface equipment. This has granted the field team the chance to carry out an average of 2,800 remote operations and 2,100 alerts per year, which has had an effect of 1,200 bbl of oil per month saved from the related activities, a travel reduction of 72,000 km per year, and a decrease of 60.5 t of CO2, thereby improving the process efficiency by 96% and increasing personnel efficiency by 17%, generating available staff-hours to improve other activities.

This successful showcase of the digital transformation in the oil field illustrates how digital tools can help to optimize efficiency and early production, decrease downtime, reduce the carbon footprint, minimize operational risks, and reduce costs, making it a game changer for the oil and gas industry.