Unveiling Excellence: A Case Study of WIMS Adoption in Pakistan's Oil & Gas Realm
Authors: Ahmed Hassaan , Farid Syed Munib Ullah , Ansari M. Mubashir Y. , Moiz Mustafa , Sajid H. M. , Ali Syed Dost 
Published: October 2024

For over seven decades, Pakistan's oil and gas industry has been a cornerstone of its energy sector, boasting an excellent safety record. However, despite this, there remains a notable absence of published case studies regarding well integrity within this sector. This paper aims to fill in this gap by delineating the journey of a leading NOC in Pakistan, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), towards adopting Well Integrity Management System. It highlights PPL's unique approach in leveraging in-house software solutions to elevate WIMS maturity from basic regulatory compliance to a data-driven system preventing well asset integrity failures via inspection and maintenance.

Delving into Pakistan's oil and gas sector history exposes significant challenges in maintaining well integrity and reliability despite technological advancements. PPL initiated its approach with an organizational health check, analyzing management, technical, and personnel domains to identify gaps, duplication & redundancies in WIMS. This included reviewing existing documents, conducting discussions with asset and field operation teams, and addressing data related issues for improved visibility & transparency. Four main areas were focused on with respect to WIMS implementation including defining well operating envelope, determining well barrier status, risk ranking and application development for real time dashboard.

Incorporating insights from international best practices & standards, and its own operational experience, PPL is in the process of implementing WIMS across diverse assets, such as HPHT exploratory wells and depleted gas fields. Key features of PPL WIMS framework are highlighted, including individual asset overview & monitoring, wellbore monitoring technologies, integrity evaluation methodologies, and regulatory compliance mechanisms. Development of risk analysis criteria is discussed which is based on the likelihood of failure of primary and secondary well barriers and its impact on overall well integrity. The apex of this initiative is the development of Pakistan 1st ever in-house user focused WIMS software which serves as an integrated platform to bridge in gaps with respect to data migration from multiple sources and formats, consistency in barrier status reporting and monitoring & KPI's with respect to well integrity for individual asset.

This paper emphasizes the importance of continuous review and adjustments while managing a wide inventory of wells amidst changing operating conditions, addressing evolving well integrity challenges. As fields age, integrity challenges such as corrosion and souring evolve, necessitating real time monitoring, evidence-based decision making and response systems. Future-proof well integrity systems, based on fit-for-purpose guidelines and a flexible software framework, are crucial for adapting to unforeseen challenges and optimizing operational safety, environmental protection, production efficiency, and asset longevity.