Meeting complex drilling and subsurface challenges through advanced software tools
Authors: Mulkay Eric L. , Baker David 
Published: May 2016

ExxonMobil has a strong commitment to developing and utilizing drilling and subsurface research. Previous presentations have discussed examples of unique ExxonMobil drilling and subsurface technology. However, while individual technologies give benefit incrementally, maximum business impact is realized only when each technology is integrated into the larger drilling and subsurface workflow and moved from the research lab to the operational environment. Furthermore, the resulting software implementation must be technologically sound and usable in the context of drilling and subsurface workflows to be of business value.

Achieving an effective software platform for technology commercialization requires both technological and organizational commitment. Good software development practices and effective collaboration among researchers, operational engineers, and software developers is crucial to successful technology transfer. Breakdown in this collaboration leads to unmet expectations and imperfect technology utilization. Years of experience in producing drilling and subsurface research advances have resulted in lessons learned, including both successes and frustrations.

ExxonMobil has developed a common drilling and subsurface software platform or hub, ToolPro, to integrate both proprietary and commercial technology in a common workflow environment. ToolPro provides current technical tools via an adaptable framework capable of hosting future technological advances, and is intended to be the "engineer's desktop" for day-to-day drilling and subsurface activity. This paper will explore the challenges and rewards of effective technology transfer through an advanced software platform.

Introduction

ExxonMobil holds exploration and production acreage in 38 countries and conducts production operations in 23 countries around the world1. Operational affiliates are located throughout the world and are supported by functional upstream companies. The ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company (EMURC) supports all upstream business by conducting research and development activities pertinent to current and emerging project needs. It is EMURC's mission to ensure that ExxonMobil's operating companies have the highest impact, most distinguishing technology and expertise to be applied to a portfolio of current and future assets and opportunities. Much of the technology that is generated by the research company is transferred to the rest of the business in the form of software applications. To facilitate this effort, EMURC has a dedicated team of engineers and scientists skilled in technical software development. This team, together with the computer science experts from ExxonMobil Information Technology is organized to enable the delivery of technology to the field.

Background

EMURC began developing software application to address drilling and subsurface engineering problems in the 1970's. These applications were single purpose calculators written for mainframe computers. Each program solved one problem, and input/output data was independently determined for each program. By the mid 1990's EMURC developed a family of drilling applications that were PC-based adaptations of the earlier mainframe programs, but designed to have a common database to facilitate sharing of input/output data.