Standardization of Asset Modelling and Real Time Production Optimization Solution across ADCO Assets and It's Challenges & Benefits
Authors: Reddicharla Nagaraju , David Richard Mohan 
Published: November 2015

The real time production optimization is one of the critical building blocks of smart field Program in ADCO. This real time optimization philosophy refers to model (wells & networks) based approach where these models are updated in real time and perform certain workflows to optimize the production system. Scattered solutions are one of the common features amongst oil and gas operators. It was indeed a big challenge to select a right solution across vendors and make common agreement in the user community on the way forward. In this journey ADCO has decided to standardize the real time optimization solution across assets to reap the benefits in the areas such as standard implementation, streamlining the processes, skills, asset requirements, change management, support & leverage partnership with the vendor for creative workflows. This talks about what are key drivers enabled us towards this standardization and key challenges addressed in this process

ADCO formed a multi-disciplinary focused group consisting of petroleum engineers, reservoir engineers, technical experts & IT to study the possibilities of standardization. The methodology adapted was a 4-step approach started with choosing right solution for real time production optimization & asset modelling without compromising on the asset challenges, assess the benefits of standardization, evaluate and address challenges, assets user community buy-in & management drive.

The common asset requirements (well types, network bottle-necks…etc) and challenges were defined in the beginning of this exercise. The modularization of the different components (such as wells modelling, network modelling, real time data analysis, integration, workflow automation, ease of use, maintenance…etc) and teams assignment was found to be a successful approach in the beginning to assess the right solution. The integrated approach was also adapted for common understanding and assesses the solutions. Different individuals have different preferences for correlations, modelling techniques, sensitivity analysis, and calibration methods across different vendor products however the user were brought to an alignment and laid down the path for standardization

Currently ADCO has completed implementations of asset modelling and real time optimization project for two big fields and two other asset implementations are in progress. The benefits which clearly realized are avoidance of scatter data interfaces, reduced turnaround time for deploying the different production workflows (well test validation, real time rate estimations, Allowable, gas lift & ESP trouble shooting….etc) due to prior common agreement across assets, less man power for solution support, faster change management by leveraging from one asset implementation to the other & cost of implementation.

The faster change management adaption, management visibility with common KPIs, reduction in huge implementation and maintenance costs, leverage partnerships with vendor….etc are the critical take away from this initiative of solution standardization across ADCO assets